China made a mistake by including Pakistan terror outfits in BRICS declaration: experts (The International News, 6 September 2017)
China made a mistake by including Pakistan terror outfits in BRICS declaration: experts (The International News, 6 September 2017) Chinese experts have opined that China has made a mistake by including militants groups based in Pakistan and Afghanistan in BRICS declaration. The experts are of the view that the move could prove costly for its…
Read MoreChinese President Xi Jinping pushes for expanded Brics-Plus (Straits Times, 4 September 2017)
Chinese President Xi Jinping pushes for expanded Brics-Plus (Straits Times, 4 September 2017) Chinese President Xi Jinping has lauded the successes of a grouping made up of the world’s five major emerging economies amid doubts over its relevance. Speaking yesterday on the eve of the annual Brics summit in the south-eastern Chinese city of Xiamen,…
Read MoreNew approaches to achieving ASEAN regionalism (East Asia Forum, 2 September 2017)
New approaches to achieving ASEAN regionalism (East Asia Forum, 2 September 2017) Throughout its 50-year history of regional cooperation, legalisation and institutionalisation have not featured all that prominently in ASEAN’s diplomatic repertoire. Especially in its formative years, ASEAN relied on political flexibility and institutional informality, eschewing binding legal relations. Even as laws and institutions were…
Read MoreASEAN Economic Community fails to bridge skills gap (Asia Times, 31 July 2017)
ASEAN Economic Community fails to bridge skills gap (Asia Times, 31 July 2017) Almost three million Southeast Asian professionals are working in Europe, North America and Oceania at a time when their home region is bidding to bridge skills gaps by facilitating greater labor mobility within its borders through the newly enacted Association of Southeast…
Read MoreThe ASEAN Economic Community: A work in progress (Manila Times, 29 July 2017)
The ASEAN Economic Community: A work in progress (Manila Times, 29 July 2017) According to the AEC Blueprint 2015, the aim is “to transform ASEAN into a single market and production base, a highly competitive economic region, a region of equitable economic development, and a region fully integrated into the global economy.” The ASEAN Economic…
Read MoreAt 50, ASEAN is a neighbourhood, not yet community (Jakarta Post, 29 July 2017)
At 50, ASEAN is a neighbourhood, not yet community (Jakarta Post, 29 July 2017) South-east Asian countries today are far more integrated than they have ever been in the modern history of the region, but ASEAN has some way to go before it can call itself a real community. The 10 member countries grouped in…
Read MoreASEAN’s Legal Architecture Critical to Addressing Transboundary Challenges (Asia Foundation, 17 May 2017)
ASEAN’s Legal Architecture Critical to Addressing Transboundary Challenges (Asia Foundation, 17 May 2017) With the geopolitics of Southeast Asia and changing rapidly and substantially, an opportunity presents for a timely and thoughtful deliberation on the role ASEAN can play in the region. This enduring union of 10 member states has made great strides in becoming…
Read MoreSyria war: Russia and China veto UNSC sanctions (BBC News, 1 March 2017)
Syria war: Russia and China veto UNSC sanctions (BBC News, 1 March 2017) Russia and China have vetoed a UN resolution to impose sanctions on Syria over the alleged use of chemical weapons. It is the seventh time Russia has vetoed a UN Security Council resolution to protect the Syrian government. China has also vetoed…
Read MoreASEAN’s Golden Opportunity (Bangkok Post, 23 January 2017)
ASEAN’s Golden Opportunity (Bangkok Post, 23 January 2017) The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) is celebrating 50 years of existence in 2017, with the Philippines holding the chairmanship of the 10-member bloc. The golden anniversary presents a golden opportunity for ASEAN leaders to show how important regionalism can be at a time when people…
Read MoreASEAN legal website set to launch (Bangkok Post, 23 October 2016)
ASEAN legal website set to launch (Bangkok Post, 23 October 2016) An online legal site offering information about the laws and regulations of the ASEAN member countries will be launched with free access early next year, Office of the Judiciary deputy secretary-general Sarawut Benjakul said. The site, which will be launched in all 10 countries,…
Read MoreThe Philippines, China, the U.S., and ASEAN in 2017 (Asia Foundation, 19 October 2016)
The Philippines, China, the U.S., and ASEAN in 2017 (Asia Foundation, 19 October 2016) The Philippines will serve as ASEAN Chair in 2017, at which time ASEAN will mark its 50th anniversary. Having successfully served as host of APEC in 2015, the country has demonstrated that facilitating massive, significant international events is well within its…
Read MoreJapan, China vie for ASEAN influence (Nikkei Asian Review, 8 September 2016)
Japan, China vie for ASEAN influence (Nikkei Asian Review, 8 September 2016) Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe tacitly warned Southeast Asian leaders against making too many concessions to China, engaging in a diplomatic tug of war with Beijing ahead of the East Asia Summit. “I expect ASEAN to play a leading role in creating stability and…
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