Showing 1 - 10 of 312
Diplomacy at the summit
News, Editorial, Published on 17/02/2016
» Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha left on Sunday and arrives back home tomorrow from California. He is attending the first formal meeting between US and Asean leaders ever held outside the region. President Barack Obama hosted the meeting so he could get across his thoughts on China's actions in the South China Sea and also on the fight against rising terrorist threats in the region. It was such a good idea it should go on the diplomatic calendar.
US discovers SE Asia
News, Editorial, Published on 24/04/2017
» One hundred days into the Donald Trump presidency, the United States has realised there is a part of the world it ignored. Vice-President Mike Pence has been in Indonesia, praising its "moderate" Muslims. Mr Trump will attend all three big East Asia summits in November. He also will make official visits to Vietnam and the Philippines. They are the hosts of the summits of the Association of Southeast Asian nations (Asean), the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec), and East Asia.
Global turmoil and Thailand's political reset
News, Thitinan Pongsudhirak, Published on 21/12/2018
» As the world moves into 2019, there is a consensus that the roughly seven-decade-old rules-based liberal international order no longer works. Either it has to be fundamentally revamped to suit new realities and the international distribution of power and wealth, or it will be increasingly violated and marginalised. In a remarkable parallel, Thailand's hitherto political order that lasted about seven decades also requires adjustment and recalibration.
Global disarray as institutions falter
News, Thitinan Pongsudhirak, Published on 17/08/2015
» The international system as we know it is unravelling. Rules and institutions that were set up seven decades ago no longer hold the same weight and authority as they used to. As we grapple with an exacerbating global disorder, established powers and players and old rules and institutions need to be revamped and reinvented to accommodate new realities. Otherwise global tensions will mount, most probably accompanied by confrontation and conflict.
In pursuit of collective growth
Oped, Published on 16/08/2023
» This year, the theme of Indonesia's Independence Day, which falls on Aug 17, is "Terus Melaju untuk Indonesia Maju", which translates as "keep moving forward for the advancement of Indonesia".
Indonesia ramps up diplomatic profile
Oped, Kavi Chongkittavorn, Published on 02/08/2022
» In the post-Cold War era in Southeast Asia, Indonesia has always been an important weathervane in demonstrating the state of "realpolitik" in the region. Therefore, the recent diplomatic flurry of high-profile visits by Indonesian President Joko Widodo, popularly known as Jokowi, shows the country's efforts to stay ahead of today's rapidly changing strategic landscape, in particular in the Indo-Pacific region.
America, Asean in geostrategic drift
Oped, Thitinan Pongsudhirak, Published on 13/05/2022
» As Southeast Asia's renowned regional bloc, Asean has been wanting to have its cake as well as eat it. Its summit meeting with the United States in Washington this week is a testimony to trying to have it both ways. When Washington cares less about Asean, the nominally 10-member grouping frets about the lack of attention and priority. But when the US cares more, some Asean members are sceptical about its intentions and interests. This summit is likely to show that the US and Asean member states are less in line and increasingly unaligned.
Chokepoints could cripple trade
News, Published on 16/01/2024
» When traffic through the Suez Canal ground to a halt in 2021, the extraordinary cost and disruptions to global commerce seemed overwhelming. But 8,000 kilometres from the canals of Suez and Panama lie even more important shipping lanes, chokepoints that could cripple global trade should any disaster befall them.
America's `G-Zero' moment looms
News, Published on 18/05/2012
» The 2008 financial crisis marked the end of the global order as we knew it. In advance of the upcoming G-8 summit, it is impossible to overlook the fact that, for the first time in seven decades, the United States cannot drive the international agenda or provide global leadership on all of today's most pressing problems.
Early impact of the US-China showdown
News, Published on 26/10/2018
» The talk making the rounds everywhere about a "trade war" between the world's two largest economies began early this year when the United States imposed tariffs on solar panels and washing machines against cheaper versions from South Korea and China. By midyear, China became the US' principal target in a wider and more intense tit-for-tat tariff spiral. Seen in this light, the trade war between the two giants was always going to be about a broader geopolitical and geoeconomic tussle, much more than just about trade. The early effects of the US-China confrontation are now evident and will manifest more clearly and widely next year and beyond. As some of the US multinationals in China turn elsewhere, Southeast Asia will be poised for short-term gains, although longer-term prospects bear risks.