• OPINION

  Asean juggles triangular power game

  Oped, Kavi Chongkittavorn, Published on 09/04/2024

  » A rising China, a trusted Japan, and a declining America are three cogs dictating the global geopolitical landscape in Southeast Asia in the months, if not years, to come. Amidst intensifying geopolitics, Asean is in a position where this could either be a blessing or a curse.

• OPINION

  Lao Asean chair: better comfort level

  Oped, Kavi Chongkittavorn, Published on 06/02/2024

  » The outgrowth of the latest Asean foreign ministers' retreat in Luang Prabang last week palpably shows a better comfort level between the host and their colleagues. Such a casual atmosphere generated better outcomes without politicising or dragging on contentious issues. Most importantly, Vientiane's diplomatic finesse is highly visible in its third chairmanship in approaching Asean-related issues and challenges: the thinking is less is more with clear-cut priorities. If this trajectory continues, the Lao chair will be lauded.

• OPINION

  Lessons from Hun Sen's Cambodia

  Oped, Kavi Chongkittavorn, Published on 08/08/2023

  » If international relations experts and scholars want to study a small state's diplomatic manoeuvres amid the ever-changing geopolitical landscape, they should make Cambodia their case study. With a new prime minister, Hun Manet, now in charge, the question remains: Will he be able to keep up with his father's multipolar politics?

• OPINION

  Virtual diplomacy is real in Thailand

  Oped, Kavi Chongkittavorn, Published on 11/07/2023

  » The past several months have been tumultuous times in Thai diplomacy, with virtual diplomacy constantly challenging real-world diplomacy. Several incidents have occurred involving neighbouring countries, friends and allies. They all started off simply as casual online conversations or Instagram posts, then suddenly, they could quickly have turned toxic and evolved into diplomatic squabbling.

• OPINION

  Hun Sen juggles global, regional politics

  Oped, Kavi Chongkittavorn, Published on 08/11/2022

  » Who could have imagined that the world's longest reigning prime minister, Samdech Akka Moha Sena Padei Techo Hun Sen -- or Prime Minister Hun Sen as he is more commonly known -- would stand in the front row defending Ukraine against Russia as the biggest war in Europe since World War II rages on?

• OPINION

  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.

• OPINION

  Remembering Abe and Japan's rise

  Oped, Kavi Chongkittavorn, Published on 12/07/2022

  » It is not an overstatement to say that the late prime minister Shinzo Abe single-handedly promoted Japan's regional and international profile through unconventional economic and security policies. Abe linked his country's economic policies with security and strategic twists in its relations with the rest of the world, Asean in particular.

• OPINION

  'Sceptical' Asean vis-a-vis 'maverick' US

  Oped, Kavi Chongkittavorn, Published on 10/05/2022

  » The timing and venue of the upcoming special summit between Asean and US leaders later this week are extraordinary. However, the ways in which the unusual strategic circumstances and tensions could further shape the trajectory of Asean-US relations remain to be seen. With the new schedule of the May 12-13 summit in Washington DC and the fresh developments on the ground at home and abroad, the summit will be conducted in a very cautious manner to prevent any spill-over effects or unintended consequences. Indeed, there is a high level of scepticism among the Asean members as to what the US has up its sleeve. The American gung-ho rhetoric has been quite worrisome.

• OPINION

  How to survive in a binary world

  Oped, Kavi Chongkittavorn, Published on 05/04/2022

  » Like it or not, we are today living in a bifurcated world as never seen before. In the past, the so-called divided world was half real and half imagined, with no clearly defined red line. That gave a lot of room for diplomatic manoeuvring to all countries not wanting to be caught in an unfriendly situation. Today, this room is becoming smaller and more toxic.

• OPINION

  Asean responds to invasion of Ukraine

  Oped, Kavi Chongkittavorn, Published on 01/03/2022

  » Russia's all-out invasion of Ukraine that began on Feb 24 offers valuable lessons for the countries in the region, which have often become the pitched geopolitical battleground for the great powers. From now on, no matter how the Ukraine crisis ends, it will significantly impact the security of Europe and lead to the emergence of a new order to which Asean has to quickly adjust.

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