Showing 1 - 10 of 36
Time to tone down Taiwan tensions
Asia focus, Nareerat Wiriyapong, Published on 08/08/2022
» It was a picture-perfect shot, really. That was my thought when I saw US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi standing side by side with Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen in Taipei last Wednesday. But the one-day visit to the self-ruled island by the 82-year-old American politician has created no end of tension, not only for the US and China but also many of their allies across the Asia Pacific region.
Delayed Rohingya repatriation becoming a regional crisis
Asia focus, Abantika Kumari, Published on 08/08/2022
» The future of the Rohingya people is not only a Bangladeshi issue, it is now a global issue. Bangladesh has been seeking the cooperation of regional countries and the United Nations to repatriate hundreds of thousands of Rohingya since they were first driven from Myanmar in 2017. But the results have not materialised, and the security risk is growing.
Hun Sen's Myanmar gamble
Asia focus, Nareerat Wiriyapong, Published on 17/01/2022
» I'm not a fan of Hun Sen, the strongman who has ruled Cambodia for more than 38 years. A co-premier from 1993-97 before seizing power in a 1997 coup, the Cambodian leader has won all subsequent elections while political rivals have been jailed or exiled and critical media crushed. His legacy appears secure now that his Cambodian People's Party has endorsed his eldest son, 44-year-old army commander Hun Manet, as "future prime minister".
Asean needs a Middle Path
Asia focus, Paritta Wangkiat, Published on 17/01/2022
» Despite the economic downturn during the Covid-19 pandemic, China-sponsored infrastructure, trade and cooperation initiatives with Southeast Asian nations have been moving forward consistently -- amplifying the presence of Beijing in one of the world's fastest growing regions.
Asean-India relationship deepens
Asia focus, Ong Bo Yang, Published on 20/12/2021
» Next year marks the 30th anniversary of bilateral relations between Asean and India, and has been declared "Asean-India Friendship Year".
Hun Sen's diplomatic test in Myanmar
Asia focus, Nareerat Wiriyapong, Published on 13/12/2021
» As chair of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) for 2022, Cambodia seems keen to lead the 10-member bloc to help tackle the ongoing political and humanitarian crisis in Myanmar.
Asean's crucial digital mission
Asia focus, Ong Bo Yang, Published on 04/10/2021
» Speeding up digitisation and bridging the digital divide in the region is a mission of paramount importance, in the view of lawmakers who took part in the 42nd General Assembly of the Asean Inter-Parliamentary Assembly was held in August this year.
Journeys of discovery
Asia focus, Nareerat Wiriyapong, Published on 16/08/2021
» Sipping green tea after having a Thai lunch at his house, Farid Bidgoli looks relaxed yet energetic, and ready for an interview. From his appearance and accent, the 42-year-old executive looks exactly like someone from the UK where he was born, though he is half Iranian with a spirit inherited from his father.
'Old normal' is good for Asean-US relations
Asia focus, Ong Bo Yang, Published on 16/08/2021
» During an Asean-US foreign ministers' meeting last month, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken reaffirmed Asean's importance as a strategic partner. The United States, he said, remains committed to fighting the coronavirus pandemic, achieving economic growth, and addressing the climate emergency together with its regional friends.
New supply chain challenges
Asia focus, Ong Bo Yang, Published on 26/07/2021
» The Suez Canal blockage in March showed us how vulnerable world trade is to disruptions in global supply chains. It came at a time when businesses were still coming to grips with the chaos caused by months of Covid-related lockdowns and border control measures.