Category: Southeast Asia

Why the West Gets Vietnam Wrong: The Myth of Pro-U.S. and Pro-China Camps

Welcome to Myth and Misperception! It has never been more urgent to understand China’s relations with the Global South and how they impact the United States. Unfortunately, many observers in the West do not have a firm understanding of these relationships due to an absence of native ...

Analysis from Cobus van Staden

The Pain of Un-Polarity

“THE G2 WILL BE CONVENING SHORTLY!”
This post by U.S. President Donald Trump in the run-up to his meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping last week may end up leaving a more lasting mark than the actual summit he attended.

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Chinese Woman Who Faked Nationality to Become Philippine Mayor Jailed for Trafficking

A Chinese woman who faked Philippine nationality to become a town mayor was sentenced Thursday to life in prison on human trafficking charges, a Manila regional court said. Alice Guo, who served as mayor of a town north of the capital, ...

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 ...

Indonesia Moves to Rein In Nickel Boom, but Impact Uncertain, Says Chinese Commentator

As demand for electric vehicles surges, Indonesia, the world’s largest source of battery-grade nickel, has become a focal point of global concern. Rapid and often exploitative mining projects, many driven by Chinese investment, have strained local communities and ecosystems. Now, Indonesia decided to restrict new nickel-smelter investments. ...

Indonesia Detains Man Wanted in China Over $138 Million Loan Default

Indonesian authorities said on Tuesday they had detained a Chinese real estate executive wanted over the default of a $138 million corporate loan. The 58-year-old man, identified only as WZ, was arrested on Indonesia's western island of Batam on Thursday after ...

China’s Xi Vows Closer Ties as Thai King Makes First Official Visit

Chinese President Xi Jinping promised closer ties with Thailand on Friday during talks with the first reigning Thai monarch to visit the country since diplomatic ties were established 50 years ago. King Maha Vajiralongkorn, who has rarely made overseas state visits ...

Alleged Chinese Scam Kingpin Extradited From Thailand: Police

An alleged Chinese racketeer linked to a hugely lucrative scam hub in Myanmar was extradited from Thailand to China on Wednesday, a police official in Bangkok told AFP. She Zhijiang had been in Thai custody since 2022 after spending more than ...

Thai Court Rules Chinese Scam Hub Tycoon to Be Extradited

A tycoon linked to illegal scam hub operations on the Thai-Myanmar border will be extradited to face criminal charges in China, a court in Bangkok ordered on Monday. Chinese businessman She Zhijiang, 43, has been in detention in Thailand since 2022, ...

China-Linked Platforms Gain Ground in Southeast Asia, With Vietnam Leading the Next Phase of Growth

Chinese e-commerce companies are solidifying their dominance of Southeast Asia's rapidly expanding online shopping market, accounting for as much as half of business-to-consumer e-commerce, according to a new study by the consulting firm Bain. While Indonesia, Thailand, and the Philippines ...

China Issues Death Sentences to 5 Members of Myanmar Gang

China sentenced five people to death on Tuesday for their involvement in a violent criminal gang with fraud operations in Myanmar's Kokang region along the border, state media reported. Scam compounds have flourished in Myanmar's lawless borderlands, staffed by foreigners -- ...

Myanmar Fighters Agree China-Brokered Pullout From Ruby Town

One of Myanmar's most powerful ethnic armed opposition factions has agreed to a China-brokered withdrawal from a lucrative ruby mining hub, the group said on Wednesday. Myanmar has been mired in a civil war since the military grabbed power in a ...

China Drives Indonesia’s Push for Clean Energy and More Coal

China sits at the heart of Indonesia’s energy paradox — driving the country’s ambitious shift toward renewables while remaining deeply entrenched in its coal economy. Chinese financing and technology are accelerating Indonesia’s clean energy buildout, from nickel refining to electric vehicles ...

Myanmar Junta Recaptures Town on China Trade Rout

Myanmar's ruling junta said Saturday that it had recaptured a town on a trade highway to China from an ethnic armed group in the country's war-wracked north. Following a 16-day operation, "on 16 October, Tatmadaw reoccupied Hsipaw completely," the state-run Global ...
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