The success of Southeast Asia’s tilt to Europe depends on commitment to regional reform and global openness
INTRODUCTION: The 2025 ISEAS State of Southeast Asia report shows that ASEAN elites are deeply concerned about geopolitical tensions between the United States and China
Southeast Asia needs to ramp up its trade links with Europe
INTRODUCTION: Southeast Asia faces rising US tariffs and pressure to limit Chinese links, prompting a search for stronger European trade ties.
A China-led trilateral nexus as India’s new challenge
INTRODUCTION: The Beijing-led Trilaterals are aimed at challenging India’s long-term interests
The EU’s Indo-Pacific Projection Relies on France: But for How Long?
INTRODUCTION: In recent years, France has emerged as the European Union’s leading actor in the Indo-Pacific, leveraging its territorial presence in the region. However, rising pro-independence movements in its overseas territories
Signalling Policy Credibility: Indonesia and Thailand’s Pursuit of OECD Membership
INTRODUCTION: Indonesia and Thailand’s pursuit of OECD membership, amid considerable geopolitical and economic uncertainty, sends a clear message about the two countries’ commitment to adhering to stringent norms on transparency
Roundtable on the Future of Global Trade
INTRODUCTION: In June, ASEANFocus+ invited regional experts to share their insights on how the Trump 2.0 administration’s trade policies are reshaping trade
Possible Conflict in the Taiwan Strait: Southeast Asia Can Help US Maintain Focus
INTRODUCTION: Amid growing risks of a conflict in the Taiwan Strait, Southeast Asian countries can spur thinking on the Taiwan question by prodding Washington to match its words with deeds.
Japan’s economic security strategy looks beyond the United States
INTRODUCTION: As Trump-induced global economic uncertainty and economic protectionism rock the established international order, Japan is redefining its economic security strategy by looking to like-minded countries beyond then Uited States.
The UN80 Reform Initiative: Why, How, and For Whom?
INTRODUCTION: The United Nations stands at a critical juncture as it approaches its 80th anniversary. A reform initiative, “UN80”, signals a bold ambition to address inefficiencies, mandate overlaps
When The Tables Turn: The Global South in an Era of Instability
INTRODUCTION: Amidst the fissures in the Transatlantic partnership, heightened United States (US)-China rivalry, and global trade frictions, commentaries of doom and gloom abound.