IRSEA's FOCUS ASIA Programme addresses key political, economic and social developments, at local, regional and global level, related to the area.

 

FOCUS ASIA contributes to a robust interaction between Europe and Asia by creating original research and roundtables and by hosting events, in partnership with institutions and experts in the area.

 

The structure of the programme is designed around a permanent exchange of people and views and encourages the development of common solutions in the spirit of mutual respect, mutual benefit and constructive dialogue.

 

FOCUS ASIA encourages policy driven interdisciplinary approaches with strong practical focus and welcomes policy makers, professionals, academics and junior scholars to closely cooperate in order to address fundamental issues regarding the role of Asia in the 21st century.

 

If you or your institution would like to contribute to our FOCUS ASIA Programme, please send us an e-mail to programs@irsea.ro

 

Details of our previous FOCUS ASIA activities can be accessed by clicking on the relevant links in the menu below.

 

UK and the Indo-Pacific: Get Real about Progressive Realism

INTRODUCTION:   PUBLISHED 6 AUG 2024  EUGENE R.L. TAN|WILLIAM CHOONG       The UK might be scaling down its footprint into the Indo-Pacific. This is a bad idea.… The new UK government cannot argue that more pressing concerns in the Atlantic and Europe should lead to red

Southeast Asia and BRICS: Fear of Missing Out

INTRODUCTION:   PUBLISHED 9 JUL 2024  SHARON SEAH     The fact that five Southeast Asian countries are seeking to join BRICS should not be seen as an affront to the West and its so-called rules-based order. ASEAN does not constrain its members from joining other multilateral coopera

“Japan, the Courteous Power, Bares Some Teeth for Regional Stability” by William Choong and Joanne Lin

INTRODUCTION:    ISEAS Perspective 2024/54, 18 July 2024   INTRODUCTION ASEAN and Japan celebrated five decades of partnership in a Commemorative Summit in December 2023,[1] with the theme “Trusted Partners”. This aptly encapsulated a relationship built on Japan’s respectful d

“Russian President Putin’s Visit to Hanoi: Vietnam’s ‘Bamboo Diplomacy’ In Action” by Ian Storey

INTRODUCTION:   ISEAS Perspective 2024/56, 22 July 2024   EXECUTIVE SUMMARY President Vladimir Putin visited Vietnam on 20 June 2024 in a bid to show that Western efforts to isolate Russia have been unsuccessful. The Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) welcomed Putin’s visit as it provided fur

NATO moving into Indo-Pacific? Thanks, but no thanks

INTRODUCTION:     Indonesia has an opportunity to wield its unique brand of nonaligned diplomacy in reducing tensions in the Indo-Pacific, especially in quelling NATO's potential expansion into the region, which is almost certain to only exacerbate the situation as shown by the prolonged war between

India Is Turning Up The Heat On China

INTRODUCTION: India Is Turning Up The Heat On China - And Not Just In Its Neighbourhood AUTHORS : HARSH V. PANT | SAYANTAN HALDAR Originally Published NDTV Published on Aug 01, 2024   The week gone by has been a busy period for India in the Indo-Pacific. India's External Aff

Southeast Asia and the Global South: Rhetoric and Reality

INTRODUCTION: Southeast Asia and the Global South: Rhetoric and Reality   PUBLISHED 24 JUL 2024 HOANG THI HA|CHA HAE WON   This article contextualises Southeast Asian countries within the Global South discourse, examining where they align with the characteristics generally associated with the

Romania-Asia 2023: Bucharest Sends Strong Signals, Reinjects Vitality into Bilateral Relations with Asian Countries

Romania-Asia 2023: Bucharest Sends Strong Signals, Reinjects Vitality into Bilateral Relations with Asian Countries

Mapping Out The Grand Themes for China’s New Presidential Mandate Amid Geopolitical Complexity

Mapping Out The Grand Themes for China’s New Presidential Mandate Amid Geopolitical Complexity

The Russia-China Billateral Super-Rapprochement and  the ASEAN Centrality Concept:  Mutual Acceptance or Competitors?

The Russia-China Billateral Super-Rapprochement and the ASEAN Centrality Concept: Mutual Acceptance or Competitors?