Obama leaves a mixed legacy in the Asia Pacific. A Trump administration may reverse much of it. Presidential transitions are seldom flawless affairs. Yet, by all accounts, Donald J. Trump’s has been a mess. Trump has not taken to the role of president-elect well, either acting as if the...
The Paris climate treaty is not a one shot deal that will radically stop climate change for the Asia Pacific. Since its founding in 1967, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) has evolved into a regional force that is slowly changing the landscape of global politics. Five...
While China has been gaining territory in the South China Sea, it has been losing amity among its allies in Southeast Asia. Territorial spats between China and its Southeast Asian neighbors over Beijing’s infamous “nine-dash line” dotted across the South China Sea have substantially soured...
African nations are turning to Asia for partners in development. Can Malaysia pave the way for an ASEAN-Africa model? With an increasingly heavy investment footprint spanning the length and breadth of the African continent, Malaysia is establishing itself as an important dynamic in the emerging...
The Rohingya refugee crisis has become a test for Malaysia’s foreign policy commitment to ASEAN. The Rohingya refugee crisis presents a test of Malaysia’s chairmanship of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). The most recent agreement by Malaysia and Indonesia to provide...
Will ASEAN still be the cornerstone of Indonesia’s foreign policy? A central focus on the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) has always been a dominant theme in Indonesian foreign policy. This continues to be the case, despite ASEAN’s deficiencies in providing Indonesia with a...
Despite historical difficulties, Southeast Asia has come a long way on the road to democratization. The Arab Spring that started in 2011 brought the world’s attention back to the diverse nature and processes of democratization, with more recent events in Thailand, Hong Kong and...
Thailand's political unrest is more than a showdown between "red shirts" and "yellow shirts." Background In 2013, Thailand welcomed over 26.7 million visitors, while its capital city, Bangkok, was declared as the world's number one travel destination by the Global Destination Cities...
The search for Flight MH370 has resulted in cooperation between countries locked in maritime disputes. By Sukjoon Yoon Since the mysterious disappearance of Malaysia Airlines MH370 on March 8, several countries have been participating in extensive Search and Rescue (SAR) and Humanitarian...
The US pivot to Asia has not seen a change in the regional balance of power. After eight years of perceived foreign policy misadventure under the Bush administration, President Barack Obama promised a new era in America’s relationship with the rest of the world. Initially, his approach to...
