Showing 1 - 10 of 81
Impacts of Iran war on Southeast Asia
Oped, Thitinan Pongsudhirak, Published on 20/03/2026
» For the most part, Southeast Asia as a region has taken a neutral stance toward the joint attack between the United States and Israel against the Islamic Republic of Iran. Even the Philippines and Thailand, two formal US treaty allies, have distanced themselves, calling for restraint and de-escalation.
Diversification key to surviving volatility
Oped, Sally Tyler, Published on 13/03/2026
» On the day I am writing this editorial, I was meant to be travelling to Bangkok for one of my periodic visits to a city I have grown to love. I am always keen to shave off a few hours from a long-haul flight, which means the shortest flight path from my home in Washington, DC, would take me through Abu Dhabi, but my flight was cancelled like thousands of others due to the ongoing conflict in the Mideast. My inconvenience is nothing compared to the destruction endured by those on the ground, but it illustrates the expanding global impact of the US/Israel/Iran War.
It's never been more important to strengthen ties
Oped, Genevieve Donnellon-May, Published on 09/03/2026
» Australia and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) face a defining moment. Intensifying great-power competition, climate crises and economic fragmentation are reshaping the Indo-Pacific, raising urgent questions about how the two sides can build a truly resilient partnership.
Minilateralism's necessary rise
Oped, Prabhat Upadhyaya & Saliem Fakir, Published on 23/02/2026
» If there was any doubt remaining about the return of great-power politics, it has been dispelled by US President Donald Trump's attack on Venezuela, threats to annex Greenland, and refusal to extend the New Start treaty limiting the nuclear arsenals of the United States and Russia. Such geopolitical upheavals are driven by "the will to power", as Adam Tooze has pointed out -- including "power over resources, purchasing power, the ability to resist the influence of others."
Trump's doubling of tariffs is hitting India hard
Oped, Shashi Tharoor, Published on 05/12/2025
» US President Donald Trump's doubling of tariffs on a wide range of Indian goods, from a steep 25% to a catastrophic 50%, is reshaping India's export economy. Half of what India sells to the United States -- its largest trading partner -- is now prohibitively expensive, and ordinary Indians are suffering as a result.
Brazil, Asean prospering together
Oped, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, Published on 24/10/2025
» The partnership between Brazil and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) exemplifies how a future of peace, stability and sustainable growth can be built. With complementary and dynamic economies and a shared vision of a fair and inclusive international order, we demonstrate how dialogue and cooperation within the Global South can bridge distances and generate mutual benefits.
Timor-Leste's long road to Asean
Oped, Ronny P Sasmita, Published on 22/10/2025
» This Sunday, when Timor-Leste finally joins Asean as its 11th member, it will mark a diplomatic triumph for one of Asia's smallest states and a moral test for the region's most enduring organisation. For Dili, this long-awaited step is not about prestige; it is about survival, legitimacy, and opportunity. For the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean), welcoming Timor-Leste completes the Southeast Asian map but also exposes the limits of its inclusivity.
Cutting Asia's reliance on dollars
Oped, Yasuto Watanabe & Hiro Ito, Published on 02/10/2025
» The US dollar remains the world's leading reserve currency, but recent developments -- particularly President Donald Trump's unilateral economic diplomacy, including weaponisation of the dollar -- have fuelled doubts about whether it will maintain that status. While some of America's geopolitical rivals may hope to displace the dollar, the real challenge facing Asian economies is to manage the vulnerabilities created by their heavy dependence on it.
The world needs a new approach to water crisis
Oped, Mariana Mazzucato, Published on 21/08/2025
» As African leaders gather in Cape Town for the African Water Investment Summit, there can be no equivocation: the world faces an unprecedented water crisis that demands a paradigm shift in how we value and govern our most precious resource.
Vietnam steps up as a regional leader
Oped, Kavi Chongkittavorn, Published on 19/08/2025
» Vietnam wisely chose South Korea to showcase a new strategic-economic partnership in the region, focusing on growing trade, investment, and diplomatic cooperation. As the first country to dispatch a top leader to meet newly elected President Lee Jae-myung, the Hanoi government sends a clear signal to both Northeast and Southeast Asia that South Korea and Vietnam are emerging together as a driving force of regional connectivity and economic growth.