Showing 41 - 48 of 48
Five priorities at the 32nd Asean summit
News, Kavi Chongkittavorn, Published on 24/04/2018
» When the Asean leaders converge on the Lion City later this month for their 32nd summit, a myriad of challenges awaits their deliberations formally and informally. Here are five key priorities that they are expected to tackle:
20-year strategy plan under scrutiny
News, Kavi Chongkittavorn, Published on 17/04/2018
» For the first time in its history, Thailand is coming out with a national strategy that directs the country's economic and social development over the next 20 years.
Australia's new strategy towards Asean
News, Kavi Chongkittavorn, Published on 13/03/2018
» When Australia looks to the north, what does it see? Southeast Asia, of course. But the region is no longer the geographic landmass in its front yard comprised of 10 countries governed by different political systems and cultural values to its own. From next week onward, Southeast Asian countries, each with a unique domestic dynamic, will become the nexus of Australian foreign policy.
EU-Asean relations fall under a curse again
News, Kavi Chongkittavorn, Published on 06/03/2018
» Each time that Asean-EU ties appear to be on an upward curve, some mishap occurs. In the past year, due to major geopolitical shifts regionally and globally, particularly over transatlantic ties, the EU has paid more attention to Asean, wanting to strengthen ties beyond trade and investment, including on security and strategic matters. Likewise, scenting the US backsliding from multilateral forums, Asean is looking toward the EU as the new stabilising force for the region's economic progress, peace and prosperity. It is still a tall order, as the EU is searching for the right approach to win hearts and minds in the world's second-most successful regional grouping.
Cobra Gold drills depoliticise Thai-US ties
News, Kavi Chongkittavorn, Published on 27/02/2018
» The 37th Cobra Gold annual multilateral military exercise ended last week with one major outcome -- the depoliticising of Thai-US relations which have been held captive since the May 2014 coup.
Duterte ends his colourful Asean lead role
News, Kavi Chongkittavorn, Published on 14/11/2017
» Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has upended regional diplomacy and his country's ties with major powers. He put Asean on the map on par with the superpowers during the past 429 days to be exact, from Sept 8, 2016 to today. He will pass the baton to Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong on Wednesday.
China's push to make new friends
News, Kavi Chongkittavorn, Published on 29/08/2017
» As the world's No.2 economic power with growing political clout, China is working hard to find regional strategic partners who it can "trust". The desired partners can be any countries in Asean that have minds of their own but understand the game of power politics. Most importantly, their foreign policy must not in any way, real or imagined, undermine China's position in the region.
Recalling Thanat as a diplomatic doyen
News, Kavi Chongkittavorn, Published on 20/07/2017
» 'We [Thais] cannot forsake our responsibility and leave it to others to shape our destiny for us. So we are not hawkish, we are not anti-communist, we are just plain and simple people who want to live and to survive as free people and a free nation." This unmistakable articulation of Thai diplomacy made by Thanat Khoman in 1968 is still very much alive and kicking today.