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 Hans Horan
While such dialogue should not be entered into naively, persistent and earnest engagement would allow Washington to proceed cautiously and slowly transform its relationship with the regime in a sustainable fashion that benefits both parties.
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 Peter Chai
If Japan is to navigate rising immigration without fuelling social division, public debate must move beyond simplified crime narratives. When officials discuss crimes by “foreigners” in isolation without historical context or comparisons with overall crime trends and across subgroups, they risk creating an unbalanced narrative and fuelling concerns about xenophobia.
Read MoreWritten by Daniel McIntyre
The immediate results of her trip may yield modest concessions, perhaps on tourism or the lifting of restrictions on Taiwanese imports. But without a sustained reduction in military pressure and an end to large-scale exercises, these would be quickly eclipsed.
Read MoreWritten by Chiara Boldrini
At the international level, India’s carefully cultivated claim to speak on behalf of the Global South is being progressively undermined by its repeated failure to engage substantively with crises that bear directly on the normative principles it has historically espoused.
Read MoreWritten by William J. Jones and Dr Thanachate Wisaijorn
Ultimately, the current trajectory presents two distinct interpretations: it may be viewed cynically as a method to advance corporate and elite interests by using cheap nationalism, or pragmatically as a necessary step to access valuable economic resources blocked by territorial disputes.
Read MoreWritten by Thijs Stegeman
Europe must communicate clear thresholds and move forward with its own integrated drone defence, or risk allowing Russia’s grey-zone drone activity to become the new normal.
Read MoreWritten by Anoushka Singh
Without rewriting the terms on which capital and expertise enter the sector, Indonesia’s nickel future may continue to be shaped elsewhere, despite being mined at home.
Read MoreThis month we examine a world under pressure: as conflict in the Middle East disrupts energy flows, Indo-Pacific states confront constrained choices, balancing neutrality, domestic stability, and external dependencies. From political resets in Nepal and Bangladesh to energy rationing in Sri Lanka and heightened strategic signalling across East and Southeast Asia, March highlights how governments are adapting in real time to a more interconnected and volatile global order.
Join our briefing today and stay ahead of the curve.
Read MoreWritten by Paulo Afonso B. Duarte and Anabela Rodrigues Santiago
Through participation, financing, and programme implementation, the HSR enables China to translate practical health engagement into institutional influence within the WHO, shaping priorities and norms within the multilateral system.
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 Omkar Bhole
Nepal’s 2026 elections have not fundamentally altered the structural realities of its foreign policy, but they have introduced Gen Z as a new political actor that could reshape how external influence is exercised.
Read MoreWritten by Vanly Seng
Reform has failed not through a lack of effort, but through a lack of will, as dismantling the system of authoritarian constitutionalism would directly undermine the CPP’s hold on power.
Read MoreWritten by Viktor Buzna
Just as steel, petrochemicals, and semiconductors once underpinned national resilience, computing power and AI ecosystems define economic and strategic autonomy today.
Read MoreDebate over Donald Trump’s “America First” strategy raises questions about whether the United States is pursuing restraint or reshaping its role in the Indo-Pacific region. We recently invited several experts to assess how shifting defence burdens to allies like Japan and South Korea is affecting deterrence and alliance credibility.
Together they explore the implications for regional stability and competition with China.
Read MoreWritten by Luana Correia
Influence in climate diplomacy is becoming increasingly dispersed, as traditional agenda-setters fail to consolidate their authority, creating space for competing interests — and claims to leadership — to shape outcomes.
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.
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