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China
Greater Sunrise: Rescue or Fiscal Ruin?
2026
With its primary gas revenue gone as of 2025, Timor-Leste’s survival depends on a 10-year dash to develop Greater Sunrise before its sovereign wealth fund runs dry.
Myanmar’s Drone War: An Escalation
- 2026
A February 2026 drone attack on a civilian airliner signals a volatile shift as Myanmar’s resistance challenges both the junta and China.
No Easy Way Out
- 2026
The Thai-Cambodia border conflict is also fuelled by a multi-billion-dollar scam economy and the domestic survival of political elites.
Essay: When China Blinks, Myanmar Shifts and People Move
- 2025
Forced migration in Myanmar serves as a strategic diagnostic, revealing how China’s geopolitical calculations shift regional power and human lives.
KNU, Scam Centres and an Uneasy Alliance
- 2025
International sanctions and military raids are dismantling Myanmar’s billion-dollar scam hubs, reshaping border alliances and human safety.
The Taiwan Question: Will Indonesia Reconsider Its Stance?
admin- 2025
International debate over UN Resolution 2758 challenges Indonesia’s steadfast One China policy, driven by pragmatic economic ties.
Essay: Messiah on Speed Dial
- Will Ong
- 2025
The rise of China complicates Malaysian Chinese identity, the question over “loyalty” and their search for a political “messiah”.
Reform UNCLOS Before It Is Too Late
- Eman Zahid Jokhio
- 2025
Great powers defy maritime law. Can UNCLOS survive?
Trump’s Psychological Salvo on World’s Economies
- Lee Pei May
- 2025
High tariffs are imposed to bring others to the negotiating table.
When Push Comes to Shove
China’s persistent aggressive tactics threaten the territorial integrity of the Philippines and the international maritime order.
Southeast Asia Stands to Gain from China’s Economic Stability
- Virdika Rizky Utama
- 2024
ASEAN should seek to deepen its economic engagement with China even as the latter’s economic turmoil subsides.
Chinese EVs Are Gaining Momentum in Indonesia
Explained – the benefits and dilemma of the influx of Chinese EVs into Indonesia.
Can China and Indonesia Forge Stronger Counterterrorism Collaboration?
China’s harsh treatment of its minorities and unresolved tension over the South China Sea may hamper a closer China-Indonesia collaboration in counterterrorism.
China’s Assertive Cyber Activism and Lessons for Indonesia
China’s aggressive activities in the cyberspace have often targeted middle powers that are its neighbours.
China-Indonesia Relations in 2023: A Year-in-Review
A review of the China-Indonesia relations in 2023.
Horror in the Sea
Indonesian ship crews aboard Chinese vessels may have encountered unimaginable horror in the sea that seems to elude almost everyone’s attention.
Prabowo and China
For years, Prabowo has tried to cultivate a good relationship with China. With the election coming next year, is he simply covering his grounds.
South Korea’s Era of Strategic Clarity
- Bunly Ek
- 2023
President Yoon Seok-yeol has shifted South Korea’s position from strategic ambiguity to strategic clarity which focuses on solidifying Seoul’s relations.
Should Cambodia Embrace China’s BRI?
- Kanha Ongchamroeun
- 2023
China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) in Cambodia has become a crucial economic and socio-cultural development factor for the nation.
The Jakarta-Bandung Fast Train: Torn between Dreams and Debt
- M. Habib Pashya
- 2023
The Jakarta-Bandung Fast Train megaproject has incurred cost overrun after multi-year delays and would multiply the financial burden.
China Is Still Far-off from Becoming Indonesia’s Partner in Energy Transition
China’s potential to become Indonesia’s close partner in energy transition is negatively affected by the reputation of its power plant and mining.
Sugary Beverages: China’s Latest Soft Power?
The popular Chinese sugary beverage chain Mixue took Indonesia by (winter) storm thanks to its solid business model and understanding of the Indonesian market. While demonstrating China’s soft power, its culinary diplomacy might clash with the government’s campaign.
China-Indonesia Relations in 2022: A Year in Review
This article is a stocktake of the developments of Indonesia’s relationship with China in 2022, focusing on security, economic and soft power considerations.
Victory and Defeat: The Philippines and the South China Sea
Underneath all of President Rodrigo Duterte’s strongman bravado is a deep-seated insecurity, resulting in a widespread defeatist attitude. This defeatism, while can be traced back to Filipino’s culture and the country’s longstanding alliance with the United States, manifests in Duterte’s pivot to China policy and neutrality in the Ukraine crisis. It has also provided a suitable context that ushered the return of the Marcos family to power.
Should China Adopt the Indo-Pacific Terminology?
- Calvin Khoe
- 2022
All relevant powers have adopted the term “Indo-Pacific” in their foreign policy strategy except for China, which continues to view it with suspicion. It would be more beneficial and productive for China and everyone else if the Middle Kingdom were to adopt the concept as well.
