Sharon Seah
Senior Fellow and Coordinator, Climate Change in Southeast Asia Programme and ASEAN Studies Centre, ISEAS–Yusof Ishak InstituteArticles by Sharon Seah
Politics
What can Timor-Leste bring to ASEAN?
The debut of Timorese respondents in the 2025 State of Southeast Asia survey reveals their sentiments of a challenging geopolitical landscape and hints at the potential value that the incoming eleventh member can bring to ASEAN.
Julia Lau, Sharon Seah
26 Aug 2025
Politics
State of Southeast Asia Survey 2024: Choosing China over the US is neither a tidal shift nor a sea change
The US has been ASEAN's preferred major power to align with since the 2020 State of Southeast Asia survey. But this year, more respondents are leaning toward China than the US. Southeast Asia may remain engaged with the US while harbouring apprehensions towards China, but the tide may be shifting.
Sharon Seah
03 Apr 2024
Politics
State of Southeast Asia Survey 2023: Separate tangos with China and the US
If ASEAN can't tango with China or the US, who else? Pragmatic as always, ASEAN's favourite choices for hedging partners remain the EU and Japan but attention appears to have also fallen on India as its third choice this year.
Sharon Seah
09 Feb 2023
Politics
EU could be ASEAN's best bet in hedging against US-China rivalry uncertainties
The ASEAN-EU Summit in Brussels highlighted potential areas for closer cooperation between the two regional blocs, provided leaders can surmount strategic and other differences at this tricky juncture in world politics.
Joanne Lin, Sharon Seah
27 Dec 2022
Politics
US-ASEAN summit: Washington still has an uphill climb
The US hit all the right notes when it hosted ASEAN leaders in Washington last week. The fact remains, however, that Washington has an uphill climb if it wants to catch up with Beijing's economic momentum in Southeast Asia. Not only that, Southeast Asian countries understand that in the end, it would be every man for himself.
Sharon Seah, William Choong
18 May 2022
Politics
US and China not perceived as climate change leaders in Southeast Asia
Although geopolitics is encroaching onto climate change discussions, a poll shows that Southeast Asians remain objective and pragmatic. Achieving climate goals in the region depends on realpolitik and ASEAN leaders' shrewdness in tapping resources from all major powers.
Melinda Martinus, Sharon Seah
18 Nov 2021
Politics
China and US could work on building clean and green BRI and Build Back Better World (B3W)
The 26th Conference of Parties in Glasgow (COP26) concluded with several high-level political pledges delivered, but it is another matter if they will be followed through. For the Southeast Asian region, Indonesian commitments to the phase down of fossil fuel subsidies and the global goal to end deforestation by 2030 will be critical. The broken promise of climate finance may also affect several Southeast Asian countries' ability to see through their pledges. China's climate leadership on the phasing out of coal has taken a hit but amid the gloom, there are some bright spots, not least China and the US finally finding some common ground.
Sharon Seah, Melinda Martinus
18 Nov 2021
Politics
US-China competition in climate cooperation a good thing for Southeast Asia
The US is back in the international climate cooperation game, but the influence it will have remains to be seen. Its passing of a new omnibus package which includes major energy provisions to address climate change provides hope that partisan divides are not insurmountable. On China's part, its 14th Five-Year Plan demonstrates strong impetus to tackle climate change issues. As for ASEAN, the ASEAN-China Strategy on Environmental Cooperation papers has enabled cooperation with China to progress well, but cooperation with the US can be improved with an institutional framework to bring climate cooperation to a higher level.
Sharon Seah
15 Jun 2021