ARTICLES

26 Jul 2022

Shinzo Abe’s Legacy: The Centrality of Southeast Asia

David Arase

Shinzo Abe learned that Japan’s security did not lie in its military, but Japan’s good citizenship in a free-trading rules-based order. Southeast Asia was central to his pursuit of a free and open Indo-Pacific.

24 Jun 2022

Bon Odori in Malaysia: Dance-off between Revivalism and Multiculturalism

Faris Ridzuan|Afra Alatas

The controversy caused by warnings to Malaysia’s Muslims not to participate in a Japanese-inspired summer festival raises important questions about how Malaysia can sustain its multicultural character against the rising tide of Islamisation.

Islam Japan Malaysia

23 May 2022

Kishida’s Charm Diplomacy in Southeast Asia: Moral Suasion Does the Trick

Lim Tai Wei|William Choong

Japan’s Prime Minister Fumio Kishida’s visits to Indonesia, Vietnam and Thailand have burnished Japan’s regional credentials, particularly on contentious issues such as the war in Ukraine, the South China Sea disputes and the evolving order in the Indo-Pacific.

Indo-Pacific International Relations Japan Japan-Southeast Asia Relations South China Sea

8 Mar 2022

The State of Southeast Asia Survey

Japan’s Standing in Southeast Asia: Down But Not Out

Lim Tai Wei

Japan has suffered some dips in ranking in the 2022 State of Southeast Asia Survey. That said, Japan’s residual soft power in the region remains undisputed.

Japan Japan-Southeast Asia Relations State of Southeast Asia Survey

15 Feb 2022

Fall of Singapore 80 Years On: Lessons Transcend Time and Place

Euan Graham

The local lessons from the dramatic defeat of British and Commonwealth forces at the hands of the Japanese in 1942 have been well learned and internalised. Eighty years on, there are still wider lessons to be gleaned that transcend time and place.

Defence Japan Singapore U.K.

28 Jan 2022

Is Kishida’s ‘New Capitalism’ Japan’s New Political-Economic Doctrine?

Lim Tai Wei

Fumio Kishida’s economic policies seek to integrate and refine aspects of Abenomics laid down by Shinzo Abe. These policies should help project Japan’s image as a benign power and reinvigorate its investments in Southeast Asia.

Japan Japan-Southeast Asia Relations

23 Nov 2021

Japan’s Foreign Policy Direction under Kishida

John D. Ciorciari

New Japanese premier Fumio Kishida’s likely continuation of quiet economic, diplomatic and security investment in the region aligns well with Southeast Asian preferences.

Indo-Pacific Japan Japan-Southeast Asia Relations

4 Oct 2021

The Quad and the Indo-Pacific: Going Slow to Go Further

William Choong

In recent years, the Quad has gained momentum in response to growing Chinese assertiveness. But a lower key strategy is advised to allay regional concerns that ASEAN’s centrality will be undermined by a minilateral arrangement helmed by external powers.

ASEAN Australia India Indo-Pacfic Japan Quad U.S. U.S. Foreign Policy

7 Jul 2021

Lancang-Mekong Cooperation: Overcoming the Trust Deficit on the Mekong

Richard Grünwald

The Lancang Mekong Cooperation has suffered a deficit of trust following the publication of a study in April 2020 raising concerns over the impact of Chinese mainstream dams on the Mekong’s water flow. To overcome the trust deficit on the Mekong, it is important to depoliticise hydrological science by ensuring compliance with standard research procedures and collaboration among relevant institutions.

ASEAN-China Relations China Japan Mekong River South Korea Thailand

18 May 2021

Vietnam’s Consumer Finance Goes Global

Nicolas Lainez

Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group’s new 49 per cent stake in FE Credit highlights the need for greater regulatory oversight and consumer protection measures.

Japan Southeast Asia Vietnam Vietnamese Economy