Showing 61 - 70 of 82
20 years of mixing Asean old and new
News, Kavi Chongkittavorn, Published on 14/05/2019
» When Asean doubled the number of its member nations to 10 in 1999, doomsayers at the time believed the grouping would not survive. This was because the expansion happened so quickly while new members were ill-prepared to join the capitalist economies.
Engaging with China on infrastructure
News, Kavi Chongkittavorn, Published on 23/04/2019
» Later this week, 37 heads of state and government, as well as 5,000 participants from over 150 countries, will converge on Beijing for the second Belt and Road Initiative Forum for International Cooperation. The mammoth gathering of dignitaries and policymakers is crucial for the five-year-old BRI to gain wider recognition and power to move onto the next cycle with new lessons learned and adjustments made. For President Xi Jinping, it will be a moment of truth for his leadership and China's dream.
Asean-S Korea ties surging forward
News, Kavi Chongkittavorn, Published on 09/04/2019
» South Korea is catching up with China and Japan in developing all-around relations with Asean. Last week's announcement of the third Asean-Korea Summit to be held in Busan from Nov 25-27 together with the first Mekong-Korea Summit is a speed indicator of South Korea's approach to Asean. Under current President Moon Jae-in, South Korean officials have described bilateral relations as going gosog, or high-speed.
China's BRI push marred by trust deficit
News, Kavi Chongkittavorn, Published on 02/04/2019
» As China's economic and political clout grows by the day, Europe finds it increasingly difficult to develop an overall approach with dual objectives -- one that does not undermine its unity or upset its ally across the Atlantic, the US. Some European Union members want to take a tougher stand against China due to its limited market access, while others are concerned about possible security threats posed by China's sophisticated 5G network.
Watch out for Asean's new Indo-Pacific
News, Kavi Chongkittavorn, Published on 04/12/2018
» If everything goes as planned, members of the United Nations Security Council will have a rendezvous in Bangkok at the end of 2019. Asean leaders will use the occasion to display to the world's most powerful players their collective leadership on the new vision of an Asia-wide region stretching from South Asia to Northeast Asia. Even though it is still nearly a year away, preparations for the first meeting between Asean leaders and the Big 5 (the council's five permanent members) have already started in earnest.
Five facts on Mahathir's upcoming visit
News, Kavi Chongkittavorn, Published on 23/10/2018
» First of all, Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad's scheduled visit on Wednesday and Thursday will be historic, as he will have the opportunity to promote long lasting peace and prosperity in the Malay Peninsula. Kuala Lumpur's new strategic intent has created new opportunities for the advancement of Thai-Malaysian relations as never before seen. In addition, the new regional and international environment has also prompted countries in mainland Southeast Asia to adopt more proactive diplomacy in engaging neighbouring countries.
Vietnam's star rises, as does one of its leaders
News, Kavi Chongkittavorn, Published on 16/10/2018
» At the outset, three important characteristics of Vietnam must be recognised.
Malaysia's new dynamic in the deep South
News, Kavi Chongkittavorn, Published on 09/10/2018
» Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad is coming to Thailand later this month to try and tamp down the festering violence in southern Thailand. As his return to power in May has rejuvenated his country's openness and democratisation, he offers a ray of hope to Thailand's future peace and stability.
US-China rivalry shifts to mainland SEA
News, Kavi Chongkittavorn, Published on 07/08/2018
» The sense of deja vu at last week's annual Asean foreign ministers meeting in Singapore regarding progress on the code of conduct in the South China Sea -- an agreement with China on a single draft for future negotiations -- is an ominous sign that the regional grouping is already at the centre of US-China rivalry.
Hun Sen plays global politics with election
News, Kavi Chongkittavorn, Published on 31/07/2018
» The international community, through the United Nations, helped Cambodia to organise its first and only "free and fair" elections in 1993. It was a wonderful moment for a country emerging from civil war, which has confidently moved forward ever since. Cambodia has been very much on its own, with up and down political contours. This past Sunday, Cambodia held its sixth election, with the Cambodian People's Party winning the majority of seats.