ASEAN News

Following a stunning victory in the most recent election, Tharman Shanmugaratnam, a former Senior Minister and Deputy Prime Minister, was sworn in as the country’s ninth President, creating history in Singapore. This article examines the significance of his presidency, the changing responsibilities of the Singaporean President, and the long-term effects of this achievement for Singapore. The election of Tharman Shanmugaratnam …

Anwar Ibrahim, the prime minister of Malaysia, has made it very obvious to the rest of the world that his country is not a “banana republic” where financial misdeeds go unpunished. Anwar recently signaled a significant shift in Malaysia’s strategy toward resolving this issue during his speech at the Milken Institute’s Asia Summit in Singapore. Anwar expressed his desire to …

Thailand and Australia joined forces on September 13, 2023, to emphasize the value of exchanging ideas and projects in the field of sustainable agriculture. The Thai Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives in Bangkok is hosting the 23rd meeting of the Thailand-Australia Joint Working Group on Agriculture. The meeting, which was presided over by the First Assistant Secretary of the Trade …

Since the military coup in 2021, there has been considerable unrest in Myanmar’s political environment. One of the notable developments is the apparent shift in the junta’s foreign policy stance, whereby it now seeks influence from China, India, and Russia while displaying “little regard” for the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). An in-depth analysis of Myanmar’s complex foreign relations …

The annual G20 conference is crucial for resolving global economic issues and promoting collaboration among the major economies of the world in our increasingly interconnected world. However, given that China’s President Xi Jinping elected to miss the summit, there will be much unrest and doubts about the bloc’s continued importance at this year’s event in New Delhi, India. The original …

China has raised concerns about US’s divisive politics in Southeast Asia, attempting to polarize the region with power play. At the ASEAN summit in Jakarta, Chinese Premier Li Qiang sounded the alarm that a “new Cold war” is in the making, if bilateral conflicts and prejudice is made to sneak into multilateral forums.  Last week, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi …

The United Nations chief Antonio Guterres sounded alarm at the ASEAN summit in Jakarta that the world is facing a real risk of fragmentation as countries butt heads. He warned of a “great fracture” in world economic and financial systems with diverging strategies on technology and artificial intelligence, and conflicting security frameworks.  “Our world is stretched to the breaking point …

Indonesia is currently a hub of enhanced activity as the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) hold separate summits with big powers, including China, Japan, India, South Korea and the US – with an 18-member East Asia Summit commencing Thursday. The string of meetings is expected to introduce regional issues and prominent rivalries such as the South China Sea, …

For Vice President Kamala Harris, it’s all about saving the US’ image and commitment to Southeast Asia as President Joe Biden’s absence sets in. Despite Washington arguing that the President’s absence is to do with scheduling, ASEAN members see it as a “diplomatic snub” as he is set to travel to India for the G20 Summit and later to Vietnam.  …

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is likely to be in Russia this month to meet President Vladimir Putin. Discussion is likely to focus on the Kremlin acquiring military hardware from North Korea to bolster the Russian forces with weapons for the ongoing Ukraine war.  The White House has been closely monitoring talks between the two countries as arms negotiations …