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 …
Articles by: "Huong Le Thu"
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. …
On 11 February 2020, President Rodrigo Duterte gave 180 days’ notice of the termination of the 20-plus-year-old US–Philippines Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA). The agreement provides the legal framework for US forces to be stationed on rotation in …
Given the landslide election victory of President Tsai Ing-wen, and the likelihood that Beijing will intensify tactics to isolate Taiwan and pressure its government, Australia should consider stepping up its support for Taiwan’s de facto …
In Taiwan’s presidential and legislative elections on 11 January 2020, Tsai Ing-wen secured a second term as president and her party, the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), maintained its legislative majority. The elections attracted unprecedented international …
In October, during his second official visit to Russia, Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte invited Moscow-based energy company Rosneft to conduct oil and gas exploration in waters the Philippines claims in the South China Sea. The offer …