Written by Athena Charanne Presto and Maria Tanyag
The Philippines has had real regional influence on gender equality, supported by a long lineage of female diplomats, policymakers, and civil society leaders who have helped shape ASEAN’s gender equality architecture since its early years.
Read MoreWritten by Khyati Singh
The potential to combine Chinese technological innovation with localised implementation means that Southeast Asia could yet transform its demographic challenge from a looming crisis into an engine of economically innovative and socially equitable growth.
Read MoreWritten by Linn Thit Htoo
A protracted war that the Tatmadaw cannot win, but remains capable of sustaining, is becoming an increasingly poor investment for China.
Read MoreWritten by Muhammad Izzuddin Al Haq
If other middle powers in the Indo-Pacific follow Jakarta’s stance in resisting formal alignment, the region may become one where multilateral cooperation works in peacetime but falls short in crises, including grey zone escalation.
Read MoreWritten by Chandarith Neak and Chhay Lim
Cambodia’s partners would do well to start seeing it for what it is: a small state with its own interests, its own history, and no good options — only hard choices.
Read MoreIn this episode, Bernd Lange MEP joins us for an in-depth conversation on EU trade negotiations with ASEAN partners — including Thailand, Malaysia, and the Philippines — and what they mean for Europe's geoeconomic future in the region, as well as the key issues on the road to agreement.
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Read MoreWritten by Dr. Aniello Iannone
Ultimately, the COC’s relevance will depend on whether it can institutionalise guardrails that shape incentives at sea, reduce the frequency and severity of grey-zone encounters, and make de-escalation after incidents more predictable.
Read MoreWritten by Pheng Thean
If the Philippines seeks a realistic pathway towards a functional COC — and to preserve ASEAN’s credibility as a neutral convening platform — it must complement its instruments of statecraft with more targeted diplomatic adjustments.
Read MoreWritten by Quay Say Jye and Connor O’Brien
The thorny question remains what lines are not worth crossing, and when normative and institutional guardrails may prove strategically beneficial over the long term, especially for small and middle powers.
Read MoreWritten by Omar Rasya Joenoes
The challenge, therefore, is to transform ambiguity from a reactive posture into a deliberate and integrated strategy — one that manages asymmetry without allowing incremental pressure to redefine the strategic status quo.
Read MoreWritten By Simran Walia
Institutional mechanisms for economic security cooperation require clear roadmaps, regulatory predictability, and policy coordination to attract increased Japanese participation in India’s high-technology sectors.
Read MoreWe are delighted to introduce our new editorial leadership.
In this In Brief discussion, Editor-in-Chief Dr Yatana Yamahata and Managing Editor Naledi Tilmann share their vision for the platform’s future, outlining a renewed focus on inclusive Indo-Pacific analysis that highlights under-represented states, youth-led movements, and non-state actors shaping regional security.
Read MoreThis month, Zsuzsa and Richard are joined by David MacSweeney to reflect on the year just past and assess the key political, economic, and strategic issues set to shape EU–ASEAN relations and the wider Indo-Pacific in 2026, including five priority areas to watch as regional and external actors navigate an increasingly complex strategic environment.
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Read MoreWritten by Emanuele Ballestracci
Italy cannot rival the hard-power presence of France or the UK, nor does it aspire to. Instead, it has constructed a pathway based on economic cooperation, private-sector activism, and steady institutional ties, which over time create the trust needed to expand into political and security spheres.
Read MoreThis month, Zsuzsa and Richard are joined by Hunter Marston to reflect on the latest developments in EU–ASEAN relations: the latest ASEAN summit, Timor-Leste’s entry as a full member, and how the recent conclusion of the EU–Indonesia CEPA is helping transform the region.
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Read MoreWritten by Chhay Lim and Chandarith Neak
Without institutional mechanisms that both parties accept as legitimate and binding, border disputes remain vulnerable to escalation and external intervention whenever domestic political pressures or regional tensions rise.
Read MoreWritten by Shin Kawashima
Japan and other US allies must strengthen ties with Southeast Asian countries to address US retrenchment, positioning themselves as credible alternatives for countries seeking to avoid over-reliance on China.
Read MoreWritten by Yatana Yamahata
Solidarity among Southeast Asians has strengthened pro-democracy movements across the region and, in doing so, fostered a sense of shared regional identity. ASEAN, however, does not mirror nor reinforce this solidarity. Instead, it remains constrained by its founding principle of non-interference.
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