China’s Vice President Han Zheng addressed the UN General Assembly on Thursday. Along with retreads of established Chinese positions on Taiwan, Ukraine, and the Israel/Palestine conflict, his comments also provided interesting clues about China’s messaging to the Global South.
First, he called on the international community to “follow the direction of a multipolar world” with the UN at its center. I wonder how opinion within Beijing’s inner circles breaks down around the bipolarity/multipolarity issue, considering ...
Category: South East Asia
Hun Manet Meets With Xi on First Overseas Trip as Cambodian PM
Cambodia's new prime minister, Hun Manet, promised even closer ties with China during a meeting with President Xi Jinping in Beijing on Friday. The newly-named Cambodian leader thanked Xi for China's economic support and said he would deepen cooperation with Beijing's ...
Wang Yi Pushes Southeast Asian Diplomacy on the Sidelines of South Asia Expo
China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi is busy this week, with the China-South Asia Expo in Kunming providing a chance to expand China’s diplomatic outreach to Southeast Asian countries. As tensions simmer between China and other regional powers, Wang pursued meetings on the sidelines of the Expo and ...
As Tensions Between China and the Philippines Surge, Wang Yi Calls on a Few Old Friends in Southeast Asia
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi made a quick sprint through Southeast Asia over the weekend as part of a three-nation tour of Malaysia, Singapore, and Cambodia. Wang met with the prime ministers in the three countries in what appeared to be ...
Asia Society Task Force Urges U.S. to Focus More Attention on Southeast Asia to Compete With China
A joint task force organized by the Asia Society, a New York-based research institution, published a new report with a number of pointed recommendations for U.S. policymakers to improve their engagement in Southeast Asia and become competitive with China in the region.
Indian Navy Transfers Fully Operational Warship to Vietnam, Adding Yet More Naval Hardware to the South China Sea
The Indian Navy gifted the Vietnam People's Navy with an aging yet still functioning warship on Saturday during a handover ceremony for the INS Kirpan in the central Vietnamese port city of Cam Ranh. The transfer comes one month after Indian Defense ...
Analysis from Cobus van Staden
Unpacking Han Zheng’s Messaging to the Global South at the UN General Assembly
Graph of the Day: China’s Durian Boom Gives a Whiff of Its Economic Clout in Southeast Asia
This week’s ASEAN Foreign Minister meetings will be shaped by the bloc’s complicated political relationship with China. However, that is only half the story. To fully appreciate the stakes of having to manage issues like China’s claim on large parts of the South China Sea, one has ...
Southeast Asia Inches Closer to China to Survive Harsh Heat Waves
Extreme high temperatures — a ‘once-in-200-years heat wave’ — have been hitting many Asian countries in recent weeks, including those in Southeast Asia. Experts said that it is only the beginning of an era that will see more frequent heat waves and other erratic weather.
Lots of Handshakes, Smiles and an Aircraft Carrier Framed Vietnam PM’s Visit to China
Vietnamese Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính wrapped up a jam-packed three-day visit to China on Tuesday with a meeting with President Xi Jinping while a giant U.S. aircraft carrier was docked back home near the central city of Da Nang. Vietnam's ...
Vietnam PM Arrives in China for Visit as a U.S. Aircraft Carrier Arrives
Vietnam's legendary great power hedging strategy was on full display this weekend when the massive U.S. aircraft carrier Ronald Reagan arrived in the central city of Da Nang for a rare port of call -- in fact, only the third time that a U.S. aircraft carrier has docked ...
Southeast Asia’s Climate Goals Are Ultimately Economic Goals: U.S. Vows to Help, But China Delivers
Two weeks ago, Indonesian President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo and his ministers received a visit from the U.S.-ASEAN Business Council (U.S.-ABC). Green industries — particularly electric vehicles — were at the top of Indonesia’s talking points. “How can Indonesia get facilities to ...