Showing 91 - 100 of 114
Post-poll policy: Dynamic continuity
News, Kavi Chongkittavorn, Published on 26/03/2019
» Speculation is rife about imminent changes in Thailand's diplomatic direction after five years of military-ruled guidance. Political pundits and campaigners ahead of the polls last week also sent out strong signals that they expect a new cabinet in Government House with new policies. One of the casualties would be Thai-Chinese ties, which have progressed and strengthened without waveringly over the past five years. However, the outcome of Sunday's election indicates that whichever parties form the next civilian government, there will be little effect on the country's foreign relations or the current Asean chair. Indeed, Thailand's foreign policy will become more dynamic with continuity.
Why Hanoi won Trump-Kim summit
News, Kavi Chongkittavorn, Published on 12/02/2019
» Bangkok, Hanoi and Hawaii were three of the possible venues mentioned when the US and North Korea agreed to have a second summit. However, when the final decision was made just days ahead of the announcement by President Donald Trump during the State of the Union address, Hanoi stood alone as the site for the second summit between him and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un on Feb 27-28.
Asean must continue to engage N Korea
News, Kavi Chongkittavorn, Published on 05/03/2019
» The second Trump-Kim summit in Hanoi failed to produce an outcome that would enable regional partners to play a bigger role. Last week's meeting was strictly a leader-to-leader negotiation, nobody else. US President Donald Trump walked away from the tête-à-tête without an agreement with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, simply because he thought it was a bad deal to end sanctions at this crucial moment. It is a chicken-and-egg situation.
Asean Rakhine approach: Slow but sure
News, Kavi Chongkittavorn, Published on 19/02/2019
» By October 2012, an exodus of refugees from Myanmar's Rakhine state had dominated global headlines throughout the year. Asean was under heavy pressure from the international community to do something about it.
Thailand's Asean chair: Views from Washington
News, Kavi Chongkittavorn, Published on 26/02/2019
» Across the other half of the globe, Thailand's Asean chair has been viewed with scepticism and doubt. In the US, the upcoming election, the coronation and other domestic developments were perceived as variables that could impact the ambitious Thai chair. Then there is a bigger lingering question about President Donald Trump's overseas trips this year.
The significance of Asean's retreats
News, Kavi Chongkittavorn, Published on 15/01/2019
» Asean's foreign ministers will meet for the first time under Thailand's chairmanship in Chiang Mai on Thursday and Friday.
Elevating the TAC as a global code of conduct
News, Kavi Chongkittavorn, Published on 29/01/2019
» A reference of Asean's most well-known regional code of conduct, known as the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia (TAC), in the Chiang Mai retreat's statement, deserves recognition. It was intriguing, coming at this juncture, as to why it deserved a distinctive paragraph with 90 words. Indeed, the TAC has been the life and soul of Asean since its founding in 1967.
Beyond US-China spat: Asean's options
News, Kavi Chongkittavorn, Published on 05/02/2019
» Despite all the pleasantries in Washington, DC surrounding the latest US-China trade talks over the past week, the rivalry between the world's two largest economies will not subside anytime soon. For years, US-China relations have been on top of the agenda in most of the countries in the Southeast Asian region, but never before have those ties stooped to the present level of animosity.
Asean must make EU a strategic partner
News, Kavi Chongkittavorn, Published on 22/01/2019
» Asean can be vicious, as relations with the European Union demonstrate. At the Chiang Mai retreat last week, the official status of the EU as a new strategic dialogue partner was one of the prominent issues taken up by Asean foreign ministers. The press statement issued by the chair simply said that the EU's status, which Asean has agreed in principle, is still subject "to further details and time to be worked out". In a nutshell, it is still in limbo.
Re-imagining Taiwan's ties with Asean
News, Kavi Chongkittavorn, Published on 18/12/2018
» Taiwan's relationship with Southeast Asia is moving towards a new dynamic. It is no longer confined to trade, investment or the long-standing one-China policy. Now, it is all about people-to-people relations, as more Southeast Asians are coming to the island to work, study and settle down. They are collectively known locally as sin tai-ker or new Taiwan's guests.