ASEAN

China’s G2 reality and Hormuz’s new normal

As the world increasingly sees China and the US as a de facto G2, experts debate China’s global role while warning of a new normal in the Strait of Hormuz. Lianhe Zaobao China news correspondent Edwin Ong highlights key takeaways from the eighth Singapore-China Forum.

Edwin Ong

07 Jul 2026

Law alone won’t save the South China Sea

A decade after the 2016 arbitration, the South China Sea remains contested. In Malaysian academic Ngeow Chow Bing’s view, lasting stability will depend not only on international law, but also on sustained diplomacy, crisis management and practical cooperation.

Ngeow Chow Bing

07 Jul 2026

Why ASEAN is engaging Putin while the G7 looks away

The Kazan summit highlighted Russia’s emergence as a useful partner for ASEAN and exposed the limits of Western efforts to isolate Moscow in an increasingly multipolar international order. Researcher Ronny P Sasmita examines the situation.

Ronny P Sasmita

30 Jun 2026

Are China-Philippines tensions sinking the South China Sea Code of Conduct?

Recent remarks by the Philippines suggesting that China may be a stumbling block to the conclusion of the Code of Conduct in the South China Sea (COC) drew a harsh response from the latter. Why are these tensions resurfacing now, and what real impact does it have on the negotiations on the COC? Researcher Chau Do gives her take.

Chau Do

23 Jun 2026

High quality, high anxiety: Southeast Asia’s BRI paradox

An online survey by ISEAS on perceptions of Chinese-built infrastructure in Southeast Asia reflects both the tangible benefits of these projects and broader considerations shaping regional views of China as an infrastructure development partner. ISEAS academics Eugene RL Tan and Hoang Thi Ha explain.

Eugene RL Tan, Hoang Thi Ha

22 Jun 2026

Beijing’s sanctions only strengthened the Philippine defence chief

After Beijing made strong remarks and sanctioned Philippine defence chief Gilberto Teodoro Jr, the moves backfired — bolstering his standing at home, validating his criticisms of China and further damaging Beijing’s image in Southeast Asia, says Philippine academic Elaine Tolentino.

Elaine C. Tolentino

18 Jun 2026

How Japan’s FOIP is reinforcing ASEAN’s strategic autonomy

The concept of a Free and Open Indo-Pacific (FOIP) was first proposed in 2016 by then Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, and now it has been updated under the Sanae Takaichi administration. Japanese academic Sukegawa Seiya notes that the FOIP is a channel for promoting regional cooperation with ASEAN, while respecting its autonomy.

Sukegawa Seiya

12 Jun 2026

Chan Chun Sing: Not pro- or anti-China or the US, ‘We are pro-ASEAN’

At his remarks in the panel discussion at Shangri-La Dialogue 2026 and after-event media interviews, Singapore Defence Minister Chan Chun Sing stressed “action and communication” as key to building defence trust, urged ASEAN unity and vigilance, gave his views on Chinese representation and reaffirmed a “pro-ASEAN” stance amid China-US rivalry. Lianhe Zaobao’s Tan Ke-Yang and Daryl Lim report.

Tan Ke-Yang, Daryl Lim

02 Jun 2026

Can ASEAN find its own voice between great powers?

As great power rivalries intensify, Southeast Asia is moving beyond mere geopolitical balancing and pursuing “epistemic autonomy”. The region is rejecting imported Western narratives to build its own knowledge, trust local institutions, and dictate its own future on its own terms, say Chinese academics Li You and Zhai Kun.

Li You, Zhai Kun

21 May 2026

China may power Southeast Asia’s nuclear future

As Southeast Asian countries ponder the use of nuclear power, China looks set to be a key player, given its advantages in technology, delivery and support. Academic Zha Daojiong notes that selecting a partner in nuclear energy is a long-term decision that goes beyond financial considerations.

Zha Daojiong

21 May 2026

Why Southeast Asia wants a boring Trump-Xi summit

Southeast Asia is hoping the Trump-Xi meeting delivers something rare: stability. Despite Trump’s unpredictability, ASEAN sees calmer US-China ties as vital while diversifying beyond both powers, says ISEAS researcher Stephen Olson.

Stephen Olson

12 May 2026

Why the Strait of Malacca is not another Hormuz

Concerns that similar distress seen in the Strait of Hormuz could happen in the Strait of Malacca during geopolitical conflicts are not so straightforward. The latter’s military geography is not the same. Not only that, the US and China have a whole other agenda in the region and the littoral states there are wired differently to guard their interests. Academic John Bradford analyses the situation.

John F. Bradford

11 May 2026