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A Chinese coast guard ship sails past anchored Philippine fishing boats in the Scarborough Shoal, in the disputed South China Sea, on Feb. 3, 2023.

Military & Security

Politics

A binding code of conduct in the South China Sea remains unlikely, despite the resumption of negotiations between claimant states.

With No Deal in Sight, South China Sea Claimants Continue to Militarize

Columns

On Security

United States

Australia

France

United Kingdom

Asia-Pacific: Among Great Powers

Rising competition with the West and more programs designed to counter China's BRI will prompt Beijing to expand its intelligence-collection efforts.

China's Cyberespionage Will Remain Robust and Expansive in Southeast Asia

U.S.-China Relations

2020 Second-Quarter Forecast

Centered on the western rim of the Pacific Ocean, the Asia-Pacific region includes the easternmost countries of continental Asia as well as the archipelagos that punctuate the coast. 

Asia-Pacific

<p>The Asia-Pacific is home to more people than any other region. Centered on the western rim of the Pacific Ocean, this region includes the easternmost countries of continental Asia as well as the archipelagos that punctuate the coast. Several of these countries, most notably China, experienced rapid economic growth in the second half of the 20th century, giving the region a new sense of global economic relevance that continues today. That relevance, however, depends largely on China, a power in transition whose rise is testing the network of U.S. alliances that have long dominated the region. How effectively Beijing manages its transition will shape the regional balance of power in the decades to come.</p>

Media

Japan

South Korea

Graphics

The response to the spread of the COVID-19 coronavirus to Vietnam and other Southeast Asian countries surrounding China could vary widely depending on the level of health infrastructure in those nations.

Environment, Science & Technology

Countries with underdeveloped resources will be more at risk for an undetected outbreak.

Where Limited Health Infrastructure Leaves Coronavirus Vulnerabilities

COVID-19

2020 Annual Forecast

2019 Fourth-Quarter Forecast

2019 Third-Quarter Forecast

New Zealand

India

The proposed Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership, which includes China, India, Japan, South Korea, Australia, New Zealand and members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, would encompass almost half the world's population and a third of its economic output.

Globalization

Southeast Asia: Burdened by Consensus

For all it encompasses -- 16 countries, almost half the world's population and a third of its economic output -- the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership's boost to trade will remain modest as long as it sidesteps nontariff barriers.

Asian Free Trade Proposal Is Broad in Scope, Narrow in Focus

Supply Chains

2019 Second-Quarter Forecast

On Geopolitics

The Chinese guided-missile frigate Wuhu visits Manila, Philippines, in January. Under President Rodrigo Duterte, the Philippines has pursued a relationship with China, its South China Sea competitor, in addition to maintaining a vestige of its traditional alliance with the United States.

Southeast Asian states find themselves in a prime position to extract benefits from the great power competition between the United States and China without the responsibilities of alliances with Washington or Beijing.

In China's Backyard, Charting the Course of Most Advantage

2019 Annual Forecast

2018 Fourth-Quarter Forecast

Kao Kim Hourn, the secretary general of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), said the bloc and Japan will elevate ties to a "comprehensive strategic partnership" before or during a special summit celebrating 50 years of relations in December, Kyodo News reported March 8.

Japan, ASEAN: 'Comprehensive Strategic Partnership' Is Forthcoming

Cyber

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) circulated an alert revealing that Chinese-linked hackers stole 30 GB of data and over 10,000 emails from ASEAN countries and the ASEAN secretariat in February 2022, BenarNews reported March 3.

China, ASEAN: Trove of Stolen Data Revealed Ahead of South China Sea Negotiations

Energy

Gasoline prices in Laos are causing fuel shortages and inhibiting work commutes and agricultural processes like plowing, Radio Free Asia reported May 23.

Laos: Fuel Shortage Threatens Regional Labor Flows, Domestic Food Security

Agriculture

Economics

The U.S. and the Balance of Power

ASEAN leaders met U.S. President Joe Biden at the White House, and Biden announced that the United States would invest $150 million in special funding in the region, The Straits Times reported May 13.

ASEAN: U.S. Announces Investment in Region After Leaders Meet Biden in Washington

Social Issues

Crossing Borders

Human Rights Watch published a report claiming that the Myanmar military junta was blocking humanitarian aid through movement restrictions, attacks on aid workers and disruptions to critical infrastructures, The Diplomat reported Dec. 14.

Myanmar: Blocked Aid May Spur Refugee Flows Amid Labor Shortages

Security

China in Transition

The thousand-kilometer China-Laos high-speed railway opened, linking the Laotian capital of Vientiane to China’s southern hub of Kunming after five years of construction, South China Morning Post reported Dec. 3.

Laos, China: High-Speed Railway Opens, Benefits Unclear

The New Silk Road

China, Japan, South Korea, Australia, New Zealand and the ten members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) have signed the massive Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) at a regional summit in Hanoi, Reuters reported Nov. 15. 

Asia Pacific: 15 Countries Sign RCEP, Forming World’s Largest Free Trade Bloc

The Xayaburi dam in northern Laos, the first hydroelectric dam planned along the lower Mekong River, has become operational, CTN News reported Oct. 30.

Laos: Xayaburi Dam Becomes Operational

Afghanistan

Algeria

Antigua and Barbuda

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A view of the Register in Samarkand, Uzbekistan.

Angola

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Lithuania

Covering an area that spans the entire width of the continent beginning at the Sahara Desert and ending at the southernmost tip of South Africa, Sub-Saharan Africa is home to countless cultures, languages, religions, plants, animals and natural resources.

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The President palace in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan

The administrative center of the Gakh region of Azerbaijan, located at the foot of the southern slope of the Greater Caucasus, on the river Kurhumchai.

Brazil

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Mir Castle in the Minsk region of Belarus.

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A horse grazes in front of Kara-Kul lake in the Chon-Ak-Suu valley, 300 kilometers southeast of Bishkek, the capital of Kyrgyzstan.

Morocco

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Dominica

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Mongolia

Laos stands at the crossroads of Mainland Southeast Asia. Fully landlocked, the country is isolated by mountains and surrounded by powerful neighbors, including China and Myanmar to the northwest, Vietnam to the east, Cambodia to the south and Thailand to the west. This geography has made Laos closely entangled in its region's geopolitical competitions. Since it was established as an independent entity in the 14th century, Laos has oscillated between serving as a land bridge for trade and communications and acting as a buffer between its more powerful neighbors. During its history, Laos has acted as both a vassal state and an invasion frontier for its larger neighbors.     The country's primary geographic challenge is to secure its borders against threats from its powerful neighbors. The western highland means Laos has shared trade, ethnicity and religion with present day Thailand and, to lesser degree, Myanmar, but it also invited repeated invasions until the Laotian border retreated to the natural geographic barrier of the Mekong River. To the east, the Annamite Mountain Range and Annam Highlands provide a strong, albeit passable, barrier to Vietnamese expansion.     Despite the protection they bring, the country's rugged mountain ranges and Mekong River tributaries also make Laos difficult to govern. Because of this, Laos has been vulnerable to external exploitation throughout its history. On the other hand, the mountains provide ample water for hydropower and numerous natural mineral and coal resources, though the terrain and climate limit agricultural activity.     Because of its landlocked status, resource scarcity and powerful neighbors, Laos has limited options to secure sea access, economic lifelines or a strong defense. It has typically gained these by exploiting differences among its neighbors, accommodating them politically or by gaining the backing of an external power, as it did with France in the early 20th century. Today, enhanced road, rail and power linkages with Indochina place Laos at a crossroads for trade and communication. However, this also means China's expanded influence in the region puts considerable pressure on Laos.

Lao PDR

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SITUATION REPORTS

Japan, ASEAN: 'Comprehensive Strategic Partnership' Is Forthcoming

China, ASEAN: Trove of Stolen Data Revealed Ahead of South China Sea Negotiations

Laos: Fuel Shortage Threatens Regional Labor Flows, Domestic Food Security

ASEAN: U.S. Announces Investment in Region After Leaders Meet Biden in Washington

Myanmar: Blocked Aid May Spur Refugee Flows Amid Labor Shortages

Laos, China: High-Speed Railway Opens, Benefits Unclear

Asia Pacific: 15 Countries Sign RCEP, Forming World’s Largest Free Trade Bloc

Laos: Xayaburi Dam Becomes Operational

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