31 May 2021
Is Southeast Asia ready for a US-China tech decoupling?
Some regional countries have sought to diversify. But this doesn’t necessarily mean choosing sides.
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26 May 2021
Myanmar is not the next Syria
Comparisons may help draw attention to the crisis, but they ignore essential differences. -
24 May 2021
ASEAN’s huge gamble on Myanmar
If it doesn’t move quickly on its hard-won consensus, the organisation risks letting the junta call the shots. -
13 May 2021
Indonesia responds to the cyber dark side
Australia will also benefit from practical bilateral cooperation to enhance Indonesia’s cyber security. -
7 May 2021
Post-Covid disaster governance in Southeast Asia
The pandemic revealed a narrow focus on natural hazards, lacking the systems needed for an increasingly complex world. -
27 Apr 2021
Guiding Myanmar away from ruin
Many Southeast Asian nations have struggled with authoritarianism. Maybe the family can steer Myanmar straight. -
26 Apr 2021
Indonesia raises ASEAN’s bar on Myanmar
President Joko Widodo had nothing to gain domestically in calling a special summit. But in not failing, he succeeded. -
22 Apr 2021
Economic diplomacy: Supply chains, ASEAN wanes, and Japan’s coal dump
Will government have to pick a winner for 6G networks to show the US and Japan as “global leaders in innovation”? -
21 Apr 2021
Indonesia gambles on special ASEAN summit on Myanmar
Joko Widodo may have an eye to his legacy by inviting the junta to Jakarta, but it could also cost his prestige. -
14 Apr 2021
The Quad’s uneasy place in Southeast Asia
The region will need assurance to overcome scepticism about the Quad and assuage a deep-seated fear of upsetting China. -
22 Mar 2021
Myanmar coup: ASEAN’s quiet diplomacy is more constructive
Critics of the Southeast Asian organisation’s response miss the opportunity that is offered by trusted engagement. -
15 Mar 2021
A new “concert” to govern the Indo-Pacific
For Quad leaders emphasising an “inclusive” region, there may be a ready-made example for involving China. -
1 Feb 2021
Filling the gaps in ASEAN and EU cybercrime cooperation
The two regional bodies are teaming up to counter cybersecurity threats, but it’s no simple task. -
18 Dec 2020
Washington’s warped Asia policy debate
Whoever Joe Biden puts into key positions, best they make quick studies on regional dynamics. -
1 Dec 2020
What RCEP can tell us about geopolitics in Asia
China-US rivalry tends to overshadow assessments. But this major accomplishment came with ASEAN at the centre. -
13 Aug 2020
Economic diplomacy: A call to syringes, not arms
Australia looks to navigate a recession, global business faces routine disruptions, and war is cheaper than a pandemic. -
3 Aug 2020
Brunei, ASEAN and the South China Sea
A long-silent claimant has spoken, but will it be heard? -
1 Jul 2020
After ASEAN summit, little change on the South China Sea
Despite expectations leaders might collectively rebuke China for its latest actions, the message was more uncertain. -
17 Jun 2020
ASEAN Summit: A chance to engage on the Rohingya crisis
The regional body has been notably silent on genocide in Myanmar, ducking behind the myth of non-interference. -
30 Apr 2020
The missing piece in the debate about the future regional order
While all attention has been on the US and China, countries of the region themselves might have a say. -
27 Apr 2020
Troubled waters: China’s sovereign ambition in the shadows of Covid-19
While the US is busy containing the coronavirus, Beijing stakes its claims in the South China Sea. -
7 Apr 2020
US regional leadership: A shot across the bow
China had already been gaining in Southeast Asia before the pandemic began. Now Beijing is looking to press ahead. -
26 Mar 2020
Economic diplomacy: Fighting global pandemics from the G20 to ASEAN
When the G2 idea still had currency, a pandemic might have seemed a potential moment for US-China cooperation -
5 Feb 2020
ASEAN: Perceptions of power and security
A recent survey reveals distrust of both China and the US across Southeast Asia, and a pragmatic sense of partnerships. -
28 Jan 2020
Forging consensus in the South China Sea
By backing each other’s claims, a united Southeast Asian front would be difficult for Beijing to divide and conquer. -
13 Jan 2020
India has left RCEP behind, but not its ambition in Southeast Asia
Withdrawing from a mega-regional trade deal is a setback, but New Delhi has other ways of enhancing regional engagement. -
4 Dec 2019
In conversation: Malaysia’s Foreign Minister on great power rivalry
From the South China Sea to the Rohingya crisis, Saifuddin Abdullah speaks to Lowy’s Ben Bland on Asia’s big challenges. -
7 Nov 2019
Economic diplomacy: RCEP and ASEAN’s new way, plus voting ADB-style
What was Factory Asia has made a subtle shift to a consumer-driven Market Asia under the “world’s biggest trade deal”. -
10 Oct 2019
Economic diplomacy: Auditing globalism, trade woes, ASEAN’s future
Measuring and managing the world economy – and Australia’s place – sees a pushback to a “negative globalism” mantra. -
10 Sep 2019
Why the US and its allies should keep ASEAN at the centre
Southeast Asia has its own interest in maintaining the free flow of trade in the region. -
5 Aug 2019
ASEAN’s strategic engagement in the unwieldy Indo-Pacific
The terminology might have converged, but differing interpretations of how to manage the region still pose a challenge. -
28 Jun 2019
The Indo-Pacific is the New Asia
The terms of the debate might be finally settled, but the contest will go on. And on. -
29 Apr 2019
The chance for Australia to urge ASEAN to act on the Rohingya crisis
ASEAN will never be in the business of naming and shaming, but its past way of doing diplomacy is evolving. -
24 Apr 2019
Economic diplomacy: ASEAN trade, BRI deals and ageing Asia
The unwieldy sounding AANZFTA is a surprise hit with Australian business. -
9 Apr 2019
Can technology save ASEAN’s food supplies from climate change?
A pressing need to feed a big population with little agricultural land and shirking fish stocks could spur innovation. -
29 Mar 2019
ASEAN Regional Forum: less might be more
Often dismissed as a “talk-shop”, the significance of this existing forum in a complex and nervous Asia could grow. -
26 Nov 2018
Thailand should lead ASEAN with a migrant worker agenda
Bangkok’s ambition of leading ASEAN, stymied by domestic strife, can be achieved by combating labour trafficking. -
23 Nov 2018
From the high horse: Malaysia’s problematic track record
Mahathir’s portrait of racial harmony in Malaysia is inspiring – except, of course, for being demonstrably false. -
2 Aug 2018
ASEAN might not be the way
Several Southeast Asian nations fall short of adhering to a “rules-based order” and may not be the hedge against China. -
30 Mar 2018
Deterrence under the dragon’s shadow: Vietnam’s military modernisation
Vietnam has long sought to calibrate its defence posture in the shadows of great power competition. -
21 Mar 2018
The urgent need for leadership on the Rohingya crisis
The most overcrowded refugee camp on the planet has more than twice the population of Canberra crammed into an area the size of beachside Victorian town Sorrento. -
19 Mar 2018
ASEAN Summit wrap: living with neighbours, managing China’s alternative, and bridges to somewhere
From missed media moments to remarkable bridges, Greg Earl on the ASEAN-Australia Special Summit. -
16 Mar 2018
What DFAT really thinks of Australia joining ASEAN
<p>An indiscreet former foreign minister gave a valuable insight into the costs of membership.</p> -
16 Mar 2018
Australia, Asia, and the “Wealth of Nations”
A new World Bank report allows stronger judgments about economic issues facing the region. -
15 Mar 2018
ASEAN summit brief: joining the club, infrastructure games, Jakarta’s power team, and business links
<p>Regular The Interpreter columnist Greg Earl previews the special Australia-ASEAN summit.</p> -
13 Mar 2018
ASEAN is not South East Asia
Australia’s relations with the region are not mediated by a lightly institutionalised inter-governmental institution. -
8 Feb 2018
ASEAN: different strokes for different folks, but future should be in sync
Communicating contradictory images and aspirations does not help create a consistent perception of ASEAN among its external partners. -
6 Feb 2018
ASEAN matters and deserves credit
For all its inconveniences, Australia is overwhelmingly dependent on ASEAN working and working well. -
5 Feb 2018
Is ASEAN still central to Australia?
Canberra is busy diversifying its diplomatic efforts partly in response to ASEAN's shortcomings. -
24 Jan 2018
The China factor in India’s commitment to ASEAN
India's position on ASEAN reflects an ambition to create a bulwark against the emergence of a Sino-centric regional order.