ARTICLES

5 Aug 2022

On the United States, the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea and US Freedom of Navigation Operations

Robert Beckman

The US has not become a party to the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) despite the overwhelming support for US accession by all American government agencies, major interest groups. This has been a serious impediment to the US’ credibility in promoting and enforcing a rules-based maritime order.

29 Jul 2022

How Southeast Asia Will Benefit from the G7’s Infrastructure and Investment Drive

Choi Shing Kwok

Critics have pilloried the Group of Seven’s Partnership for Global Infrastructure and Investment for its lack of scale and tardiness. But Southeast Asian countries should welcome an alternative source of capital for much-needed infrastructure projects in the region.

Foreign Direct Investment G7 Infrastructure U.S. Foreign Policy

8 Jun 2022

It Takes Two to Tango: Vietnam-US Relations in the New Context

Hong-Kong Nguyen|Pham-Muoi Nguyen

Vietnam’s delicate balancing act between major powers suggests that it is unlikely to advance a relationship with one power at the expense of another. Instead, it will try to maintain an independent position and promote ties with all powers, where possible.

International Relations U.S. Foreign Policy U.S.-Vietnam Relations Vietnam

7 Jun 2022

Scaling the Shangri-La Dialogue

James Crabtree

In this episode, William Choong, managing editor of Fulcrum, talks to James Crabtree, executive director of International Institute for Strategic Studies (Asia), the London-headquartered think tank which runs the annual Shangri-La Dialogue.

China Defence Dialogues at Fulcrum Diplomacy Indo-Pacfic U.S. Foreign Policy

17 May 2022

U.S.-ASEAN: Summitry Is Not a Strategy

Sharon Seah|William Choong

The United States hit all the right notes when it hosted ASEAN leaders in Washington last week. The fact remains, however, that Washington has an uphill climb if it wants to catch up with Beijing’s economic momentum in Southeast Asia.

ASEAN-U.S. Relations U.S. Foreign Policy

7 Apr 2022

Singapore and the United States: Speaking Hard Truths as a Zhengyou

William Choong

Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong’s recent visit to the United States highlights a unique dynamic in the bilateral relationship: Singapore’s ability to speak frankly and candidly to its superpower partner.

China-Singapore Relations China-U.S. Relations International Relations Singapore Singapore-U.S. Relations U.S. Foreign Policy

23 Dec 2021

Southeast Asian Militaries: The Need to Boost Strategic Autonomy

Evan A. Laksmana

In an era of great power competition, Southeast Asian countries can better defend their autonomy by examining their own strategic planning and operational requirements first. Only then can they better define their military engagement with Washington.

Defence Indo-Pacific Maritime Security Security U.S. Foreign Policy

23 Nov 2021

US-China Relations: Guardrails and Third Rails

William Choong

There is much virtue for smaller states, particularly those in Southeast Asia, in upholding high principles and expressing a desire for a rules-based regional order. These elements, however, are premised on continued stability in Sino-US relations, which is not guaranteed.

China-U.S. Relations U.S. U.S. Foreign Policy

27 Oct 2021

Cajoling China and the US Towards Peace, Not War

Joergen Oerstroem Moeller

The European Union and ASEAN are supporters of a rules-based global system. As such, they can use their collective weight to persuade Washington and Beijing to focus less on their bilateral tensions and more on solving contemporary problems.

ASEAN China-U.S. Relations Chinese Foreign Policy E.U. U.S. Foreign Policy

5 Oct 2021

Twenty Years On: Reflections on The Aftermath of 9/11 and The New Era of Geo-Politics

Daljit Singh

Twenty years after the historic 9/11 attacks on the United States, the threat of terrorism has largely been contained and a new era of great power competition has returned. States in Southeast Asia need to have a deep appreciation of what drives China and the US in order to maintain agency amid geopolitical flux.

China-U.S. Relations Southeast Asia U.S. U.S. Foreign Policy