Category: ASEAN

ASEAN’s Strategic Tightrope: Staying Non-Aligned Amid Rising U.S.-China Tensions

Chinese President Xi Jinping just concluded his visit to Vietnam, Malaysia, and Cambodia. Even though the visit took place while the world still struggles to understand and cope with President Donald Trump’s policies of imposing tariffs worldwide, it should not be narrowly understood as China’s response to ...

Malaysia’s PM Takes Veiled Swipe at U.S. ‘Economic Tribalism’ While Meeting Xi Jinping

Malaysian PM Anwar Ibrahim warned against "economic tribalism" in a veiled swing to Washington, praising Xi Jinping's conduct as a model of steadiness. Anwar delivered an emphatic endorsement of China’s global role on Wednesday in a speech brimming with ...

Outsiders Are Misreading the Significance of Xi’s SE Asian Tour, Says Chatham House Analyst

The fact that Chinese President Xi Jinping's visit to Vietnam, Malaysia, and Cambodia this week coincided with a dramatic escalation in the U.S. trade war with much of the world is probably coincidental. These kinds of state visits are planned months ...

Xi Jinping Courts ASEAN Centrality in Malaysia Visit as Trump’s Tariffs Shake the Region

President Xi Jinping declared on Tuesday on his state visit to Malaysia that China firmly supports ASEAN unity and centrality. He pledged deeper cooperation as regional economies brace for the ripple effects of a sharp escalation in U.S.-China trade tensions. ...

Xi Jinping’s Strategic Visit to Malaysia: Navigating U.S. Tariff and Hedging with ASEAN

Chinese President Xi Jinping arrived in Malaysia today with a clear message in his newly published article in Malaysian media: as Washington doubles down on tariffs, trade barriers, and economic containment, Beijing is looking to deepen its alliances across Southeast Asia, with Malaysia now cast as an ...

Analysis from Cobus van Staden

China-Led Study Proposes Global Energy Network

A globally connected network of solar and wind energy could provide three times the global energy demand by 2050 at a lower cost than independent national power systems. This is the finding of a study led by the Chinese Academy of Sciences in collaboration with researchers from the United States and Denmark.

The study focused on how areas with high solar and wind capacity (such as deserts) can be linked to ...

ASEAN–China Code of Conduct Talks Continue With No Progress Amid Rising Tensions

Despite two decades of commitments, the South China Sea remains a diplomatic riptide. Last week's latest ASEAN–China talks in Manila sought to advance a long-stalled Code of Conduct, but there was no progress. However, progress remains elusive as regional ...

With Xi Jinping En Route to Malaysia, ASEAN Calls Special Summit to Discuss US Tariffs Pressure

Amid escalating trade tensions triggered by sweeping US tariffs, ASEAN will convene a Special Leaders’ Meeting following a call for unity by Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim—just days before Chinese President Xi Jinping is scheduled to arrive in Malaysia for a state visit.

ASEAN Plans Joint Response to Trump’s Tariffs: It Won’t Work

Trump’s latest tariffs aren’t just an attack on Southeast Asia — they’re a calculated strike at China’s economic flank. Vietnam has a 46% tariff, Cambodia and Laos have 49% and 48%, and Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Singapore have rates between ...

Thailand Maintains Neutral Stance Amid China-U.S. Rivalry, Urges Stronger ASEAN Ties

As China’s influence grows across Southeast Asia, Thailand is carefully treading a fine line, choosing not to side with either Beijing or Washington. At an event on Tuesday, Deputy Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai explained that Thailand's foreign policy needs ...

China Slams Vietnam’s Construction on Disputed South China Sea Reef Amid Escalating Tensions

Fresh sparks are flying again over the South China Sea. China’s Foreign Ministry on Wednesday slammed Vietnam’s construction work on the Barque Canada Reef, a small islet in the contested Spratly Islands that Vietnam has occupied since the 1980s. ...

Malaysia to Host ASEAN+GCC+China Summit

Malaysia will host the first summit between China, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) a key group of Middle Eastern states. The ASEAN+GCC+China summit will mark Malaysia's chairship of ASEAN. The GCC (which includes Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar, Oman, ...

Vietnam Poised to be Asia-Pacific Fastest Growing Economy in 2026: World Bank

Vietnam is poised to become the fastest-growing economy in the Asia-Pacific region in 2026. The World Bank projects a GDP growth rate of 6.3%, followed by the Philippines at 6% and Indonesia at 5.1%. In its latest ‘Global Economic ...
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