Author: ISEAS -Yusof Ishak Institute

ISEAS - Yusof Ishak Institute is a regional centre dedicated to the study of socio-political, security and economic trends and developments in Southeast Asia and its wider geostrategic and economic environment. The institute’s research programs are the Regional Economic Studies (RES, including ASEAN and APEC), Regional Strategic and Political Studies (RSPS), and Regional Social and Cultural Studies (RSCS).

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How China Outmaneuvers the West in Myanmar

By Jared Bissinger In the last year, China has increasingly used its economic leverage in Myanmar to tilt the scales towards the military’s State Security and Peace Commission (SSPC), helping them to regain territory and re-exert economic control. China has done ...

The Trump Administration in Southeast Asia: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

By Derek Grossman U.S. President Donald Trump’s visit to Malaysia in October for the annual ASEAN summit, along with his Secretary of War Pete Hegseth’s engagements throughout the region, offers fresh evidence of how the administration is faring on its Southeast ...

Why Students From China Are Picking Malaysia Over Traditional Destinations

By Koh Sin Yee Since at least 2019, China has become Malaysia’s top source of international students, overtaking traditional sources such as Bangladesh, Indonesia, and Pakistan. In 2023, a total of 44,043 Chinese students constituted 

Caught in the Crossfire: Vietnam and the Chinese Transshipment Dilemma

By Le Hong Hiep On 2 July 2025, U.S. President Donald Trump announced a new U.S.–Vietnam trade deal, declaring that “Vietnam will pay the United States a 20% tariff on any and all goods sent into our territory, and ...

The Inaugural ASEAN-GCC-China Summit: Economic Aspirations Amid Strategic Ambiguity

BY Sufian Jusoh and Joanne Lin The ASEAN-GCC-China Economic Summit, set to take place in Kuala Lumpur on 27 May, under the Malaysian Chairmanship of ASEAN, marks a significant diplomatic first. It will bring together leaders from ASEAN, ...

Analysis from Cobus van Staden

CGSP Take: How Does the Venezuela Crisis Affect China’s Relationship with the Global South?

By Cobus van Staden, CGSP Head of Research,
China has sharply criticized the Trump administration’s incursion into Venezuela and its detention of President Nicolás Maduro. 

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ASEAN Faces a Tougher Balancing Act in U.S. and China Trade Relations

By Kristina Fong Siew Leng The first 100 days of the Trump 2.0 presidency has been a rocky ride. On the trade front, countries continue to navigate trade negotiations with the U.S. in the current 90-day pause granted on the imposition ...

Thailand and the Chinese Import Surge: Possible Policy Responses

By Archanun Kohpaiboon & Prasert Vijithnopparat The surge of imports from China has alarmed many local firms in Thailand. While local businesses have called on the government to impose tariffs on imports, it is more expedient to consider more reasonable measures ...

Prabowo’s Overtures to China and Ramifications on the South China Sea Dispute

By Ian Storey Indonesia’s long-standing position is that it is not a party to the South China Sea dispute because it does not have an overlapping maritime boundary claim with China. In Jakarta’s view, China’s nine-dash line has no legal basis. ...

Cambodia Has Not Tilted Away from China

By Bunthorn Khath and Chanrith Ngin When Cambodia co-sponsored the United Nations resolution condemning Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022, it was viewed as a significant shift in its foreign policy, paving the way for its