Showing 1 - 4 of 4
Asean no-nuke treaty in perilous times
Oped, Kavi Chongkittavorn, Published on 13/06/2023
» The Thai word, chiew-chiew, which means relax and respond in kind, is a fitting description of Asean's current attitude towards the fiercely strategic competition between the United States and China.
Asean leaders face off with big powers
Oped, Kavi Chongkittavorn, Published on 26/10/2021
» In Bandar Seri Begawan, whether Asean leaders decide to upgrade China and Australia's dialogue status to comprehensive strategic partnership (CSP) this week or defer it to a later date will be a weather vane of the bloc's future engagement and management with the great powers, especially over the ripple effects of the US-China rivalry and potential military build-up.
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.
Comfort level versus political correctness
News, Kavi Chongkittavorn, Published on 22/08/2017
» The past few months showed Thailand's pragmatism. Its diplomacy is based on a comfort level rather than on perceived political correctness. With its location and added strategic assets, major countries have now begun to court Thailand at their own pace. Although the country's diplomatic pathway was put under severe stress in the first 15 months after the May 2014 coup, Thailand's regional and international profile has incrementally been gaining traction and leading to new cooperation with those countries that have forged the highest level of comfort.