• OPINION

  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.

• OPINION

  Thailand's economic goals as Asean chair

  News, Kavi Chongkittavorn, Published on 25/12/2018

  » After nearly five years of painstakingly building up diplomatic and economic resilience under military rule, Thailand is embarking on an important mission as the chair of Asean throughout 2019. The stakes are extremely high, judging from the economic agenda set forth by the government.

• OPINION

  Thailand gets ready to take Asean chair

  News, Kavi Chongkittavorn, Published on 13/11/2018

  » A decade after living through the devastating experience of the 2009 Asean summit, the kingdom will have another chance to regain its regional leadership and reputation. Singapore will pass the baton to Thailand on Nov 15 as the Asean chair. Although the official role will kick off in January, Bangkok will get the ball rolling immediately.

• OPINION

  4 big challenges for Thailand as Asean chair

  News, Kavi Chongkittavorn, Published on 20/11/2018

  » Last week, Singapore handed the incoming Asean chair, Thailand, four formidable challenges that would define Asean's centrality and its relevance, not to mention the kingdom's leadership role. These issues are the nascent Indo-Pacific concept, the Rakhine crisis, peace and security on the Korean Peninsula, and the drafting of a code of conduct (COC) on the South China Sea.

• OPINION

  Asean engages global strategic partners

  News, Kavi Chongkittavorn, Published on 27/11/2018

  » The Trump administration's chaotic and erratic diplomacy has prompted Asean to intensify and widen engagement with its strategic partners. At its recent summit in Singapore, Asean elevated Russia and the European Union to its eighth and ninth strategic partners, respectively.

• OPINION

  Watch out for Asean's new Indo-Pacific

  News, Kavi Chongkittavorn, Published on 04/12/2018

  » If everything goes as planned, members of the United Nations Security Council will have a rendezvous in Bangkok at the end of 2019. Asean leaders will use the occasion to display to the world's most powerful players their collective leadership on the new vision of an Asia-wide region stretching from South Asia to Northeast Asia. Even though it is still nearly a year away, preparations for the first meeting between Asean leaders and the Big 5 (the council's five permanent members) have already started in earnest.

• OPINION

  Five facts on Mahathir's upcoming visit

  News, Kavi Chongkittavorn, Published on 23/10/2018

  » First of all, Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad's scheduled visit on Wednesday and Thursday will be historic, as he will have the opportunity to promote long lasting peace and prosperity in the Malay Peninsula. Kuala Lumpur's new strategic intent has created new opportunities for the advancement of Thai-Malaysian relations as never before seen. In addition, the new regional and international environment has also prompted countries in mainland Southeast Asia to adopt more proactive diplomacy in engaging neighbouring countries.

• OPINION

  China-Japan thaw: Good news for Asean

  News, Kavi Chongkittavorn, Published on 30/10/2018

  » The new thaw between China and Japan -- the world's No.2 and No.3 economies -- is a good development for Asean. The three-day official visit of Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe to China last week marked a new turning point in their roller-coaster of ties. The much-awaited improvement bodes well for ongoing Asean community-building efforts in all dimensions. The region's progress and stability depend very much on the level of these Asian economic giants' amity and cooperation.

• OPINION

  Vietnam's star rises, as does one of its leaders

  News, Kavi Chongkittavorn, Published on 16/10/2018

  » At the outset, three important characteristics of Vietnam must be recognised.

• OPINION

  Asean must maximise East Asia meet

  News, Kavi Chongkittavorn, Published on 06/11/2018

  » When the world's most powerful leaders converge in Singapore next week for the 13th East Asia Summit (EAS), they will know the region's overall security situation and economic cooperative atmosphere has improved greatly in the past six months. Given this favourable atmosphere, Asean leaders have to seize the opportunity and take the lead in engaging EAS leaders in ways to lock in a more predictable and stable future.

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