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SEA Global Relations Outlook 2026 Report
ASEAN in 2026 is no longer operating as a neutral trade hub sitting comfortably between competing powers. It has become a contested economic and strategic space where external engagement increasingly arrives with embedded conditions that shape domestic policy choices and development pathways. Access to major markets and capital is no longer frictionless; it is mediated through tariffs, regulatory…
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Southeast Asia Global Relations Outlook 2026 Part 1: 10 Things to Focus in 2026
ASEAN enters 2026 facing a more demanding regional and global environment. External pressure from intensifying major power competition is coinciding with persistent internal frictions that test ASEAN cohesion and policy bandwidth. The ten developments below offer a quick snapshot of the issues most likely to shape the regional agenda over the year ahead The full…
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Southeast Asia Global Relations Outlook Part 2: The ASEAN-6
In this second part of our short series analyzing Southeast Asia’s Global Relations Outlook for 2025, we provide an in-depth look into the political and economic trajectories and key issues facing the ASEAN-6 countries this year: Malaysia, Vietnam, Thailand, Indonesia, the Philippines, and Singapore. Navigating geopolitical tensions and trade challenges while maintaining domestic political stability…
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Southeast Asia Global Relations Outlook Part 1: Malaysia’s ASEAN Chairmanship
Introduction On January 1st, 2025, Malaysia took up the Chairmanship of ASEAN from Laos under the theme of “Inclusivity and Sustainability.” The country aims to host over 300 ASEAN-related meetings, programs, and summits, with a complete agenda to be announced in January or February this year. In the first of a short series analyzing Southeast…
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Southeast Asia can play a major role in a global anti-scam alliance
Between August 2022 and August 2023 scammers stole an estimated US$1.02 trillion globally.[1] This was one of the headline figures at last week’s Global Fraud Summit, hosted by the UK government in London last week from 11-12 March 2024. Southeast Asia plays an unfortunate but significant role in the global scam industry. Several countries in…