A year since the pandemic abruptly changed all aspects of our lives, how has Covid-19 affected Southeast Asia and what lessons can we draw at this point? Here I offer three key observations that provide …
Articles by: "Huong Le Thu"
The Covid-19 pandemic has disrupted almost all aspects of life, and elections have been no exception. Across the world, elections in 2020 were conducted under the shadow of the pandemic, providing a stress test not …
Against all odds, Vietnam has concluded its chairmanship of ASEAN with the signing of the world’s largest trade agreement. The Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership of all 10 ASEAN members states and China, Japan, South Korea, Australia and …
By making Vietnam and Indonesia his first overseas ports of call, Japan’s Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga signalled that he intends to adhere closely to his predecessor Shinzo Abe’s ‘free and open Indo-Pacific’ strategy. Seeing that occur …
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s announcement that he is standing down for health reasons is worrying many across the Indo-Pacific. The US, Australia and Southeast Asia have grown accustomed to Japan’s stronger and ‘sturdier’ leadership …
After the historic election in 2018 ended the six-decade-long rule of coalitions led by the United Malays National Organisation (UMNO) and the return of 92-year-old Mahathir Mohammad as prime minister, many hoped for a new …
Vietnam assumed the chair of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations last November for 2020—perhaps the most challenging year ever to take on the role. The Covid-19 pandemic has changed the nature of diplomacy, particularly …
Tomorrow, Singaporeans will be among the first citizens to vote in a national election during the global Covid-19 pandemic. The general election campaign has been short and without the traditional rallies. Only on 23 June …
Regional flashpoints are heating up, as we’ve seen with the fatal clash in Ladakh on the India–China border, the protests in Hong Kong and provocative sorties in the airspace over Taiwan and Japan. But the …
After the Covid-19 pandemic is over, we are likely to face a world in which the nations with strong foundations are stronger and the weak are further weakened. The World Bank has already predicted that …
As nations around the world struggle to deal with Covid-19, some of the most effective responses may be found in the least expected corners. Singapore’s foreign minister, Vivian Balakrishnan, says that an effective response to …
Lowell Dittmer’s book on the strategic geometry of power relationships in Asia comes at a critical time when regional actors are facing the urgent challenge of shaping their responses to China’s rising power and influence. …