Han Fook Kwang

Senior Fellow, S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies; Editor-At-Large, The Straits Times

Mr Han Fook Kwang is a Senior Fellow at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies and Editor-At-Large with The Straits Times. He spent 10 years in the Singapore Government Administrative Service before joining The Straits Times in 1989. He was Editor of the paper from 2002 to 2012. His research interest at RSIS is on the Singapore identity, how it has changed over the years and how it might evolve in the future.

Visitors pass through the Maritime Silk Route Vessels gallery featuring models of boats which have travelled through the route in the past. These include the Chinese Junk (left), Javanese Jong (background right), and Borobudur (right). (SPH Media)

Politics

Southeast Asia in the forgotten history of the Maritime Silk Road?

By Kwa Chong Guan , By Han Fook Kwang 17 Oct 2023

Southeast Asian countries need to do more to ensure that their historical contributions in developing China-Europe trade through the Maritime Silk Road are not lost amid contemporary narratives giving prominence to China’s centrality. This is not just a matter of historical accuracy but of sovereignty and identity, say RSIS academics Kwa Chong Guan and Han Fook Kwang.