Showing 1 - 9 of 9
Trump returns to Asean with a bang
Oped, Kavi Chongkittavorn, Published on 28/10/2025
» The Asean chair, Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, said it all. Acknowledging US President Donald Trump's presence during the signing ceremony on Thailand-Cambodia relations on Sunday, he stated: "We, of course, admire your tenacity and courage because the world needs leaders who promote peace strongly."
Myanmar's 'my way' vs Asean norms
Oped, Kavi Chongkittavorn, Published on 08/07/2025
» It appeared to be a done deal. During their summit on May 26, Asean leaders agreed to admit Timor-Leste as the 11th member of the regional bloc. Since then, Nay Pyi Taw has raised an unexpected objection, with the junta issuing an official statement that could potentially embarrass Asean and its current chair, Malaysia.
Sino-Russia ties: A Thai perspective
Oped, Kavi Chongkittavorn, Published on 28/03/2023
» Watching Sino-Russia relations from Beijing gives off a different feeling altogether.
Time for Myanmar to face the music
Oped, Kavi Chongkittavorn, Published on 11/10/2022
» Since its inception in 1967, Asean has survived a myriad of challenges -- some it has passed with flying colours, others less so.
New pragmatism on the rise in Asean
Oped, Kavi Chongkittavorn, Published on 22/02/2022
» While the Myanmar quagmire will continue to dominate Asean's agenda under Cambodia and future chairs, one must not forget that the current chair must also deal with a myriad of challenges across all sectors of the grouping's ongoing cooperation. The much-awaited foreign ministerial retreat last Thursday has once again shown that Asean remains a closely knit, pragmatic family.
Thailand's three Myanmar strategies
Oped, Kavi Chongkittavorn, Published on 09/03/2021
» With the unexpected coup in Myanmar on Feb 1 and the ensuing violent clashes between protesters and security forces over the past six weeks, Thailand is stuck between a rock and hard place. Thailand's foreign and security policy-makers have adopted three strategies in handling one of the most "difficult political incidents" in a neighbouring country.
Without Trump, CJK becomes friendlier
Oped, Kavi Chongkittavorn, Published on 01/12/2020
» It has been a four-year hiatus for the three Asian economic powerhouses. Whatever their collaborative configurations may have been, they were frequently constrained by the world's biggest disruptor, President Donald Trump. With the lame-duck president now leaving the global scene, China, Japan and Korea (CJK) are salvaging their relationships at Shinkansen speed. Being Asian, they can now be a little bit humble, saving the faces of each another for a while for being so rigid and aggressive.
Appraising China's stance on the AOIP
News, Kavi Chongkittavorn, Published on 24/09/2019
» It is not easy to decipher China's attitude on the Asean Outlook of the Indo-Pacific (AOIP), because very few Chinese leaders and scholars are willing to talk directly about it.
Making sense of Asean's view on Rakhine
News, Kavi Chongkittavorn, Published on 10/04/2018
» With Singapore as the chair, Asean's every word and move must be meticulously crafted and choreographed. There can't be any loose ends. There is no exception when it comes to the delicate situation in Myanmar's Rakhine State where violent clashes erupted back in October 2016 have forced nearly 700,000 Rohingya Muslims to escape to Bangladesh.