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Brunei Darussalam

Cambodia

China

Indonesia

Laos

Malaysia

Myanmar

Philippines

Singapore

Thailand

Vietnam

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

A voter shows a fading inked finger from casting a vote during Malaysia's Nov. 19 general election on Nov. 22, 2022, in Petaling Jaya, Malaysia. Whatever government emerges victorious will be less able to engage in major domestic reforms and foreign policy initiatives as it contends with a weak mandate.

Whatever government emerges victorious will struggle to engage in major domestic reforms and foreign policy initiatives as it contends with a weak mandate.

A Hung Parliament in Malaysia Portends Further Instability

Mexico

United Kingdom

Armenia

Azerbaijan

Russia

Nepal

A Scottish flag painted on the Union Jack. The British Supreme Court on Nov. 23 will rule on whether the Scottish Parliament has the power to pass a law organizing an independence referendum.

A look at what the coming week will bring -- and a list of recommended RANE articles from the week that was.

The Weekly Rundown: Elections in Nepal, the U.K. Supreme Court Rules on a Scottish Independence Referendum

Media

Podcasts

Asia Pacific analyst Nate Fischler discusses why Maylasia's 2022 ballot will have a bigger geopolitical footprint than the country's size might indicate.

Essential Geopolitics: Why You Should Pay Attention to Malaysia's Election

Southeast Asian governments will need sustained vigilance to prevent a resurgence in localized violence.

Essential Geopolitics: The State of Violent Extremism in Southeast Asia

Royal Malaysian Air Force helicopters fly past a building during the 65th National Day parade at Independence Square on Aug. 31, 2022, in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. 

An early election could result in the ouster of Malaysia's Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob and solidify the ruling party's majority in parliament, but Ismail may forestall the vote yet.

What Early Elections in Malaysia Would Mean for the Prime Minister and Ruling Party

Snapshots

People visit the Grand Palace in Bangkok, Thailand, in June 2020, as it reopened for visitors amid the easing of COVID-19 restrictions. 

Economics

Environment, Science & Technology

China's strict COVID-19 restrictions are unlikely to ease anytime soon, depriving the Philippines, Malaysia and Thailand of billions of dollars of revenue once generated by Chinese tourists.

A Prolonged Absence of Chinese Visitors Will Plague Southeast Asia's Economic Recovery

United States

Australia

Japan

New Zealand

South Korea

India

A photo taken on May 23, 2022, in Tokyo shows U.S. President Joe Biden and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida attending a video call with leaders from countries in the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework for Prosperity. 

The U.S. and the Balance of Power

Asia-Pacific: Among Great Powers

The narrow scope of the initiative will limit its effectiveness in achieving Washington’s goal of countering China’s regional rise.

The Stumbling Blocks of Biden's New Indo-Pacific Economic Bloc

Supply Chains

U.S.-China Relations

Guidance

France

Bulgaria

Poland

Saudi Arabia

Turkey

A natural gas-powered stove Nov. 03, 2021, in Berlin. France will host a meeting of EU energy ministers on May 2 to discuss how to deal with Russia's decision to halt natural gas supplies to Poland and Bulgaria. 

Russia-Ukraine Conflict

Energy

The Weekly Rundown: European Governments Discuss the Energy Crisis, Malaysia Increases Its Minimum Wage

The Ukraine Conflict

Staff conduct research for Top Glove, one of the world's largest rubber glove manufacturers, in a factory located near Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on Aug. 26, 2020. 

U.K.-based Dyson’s move to cut ties with a Malaysian manufacturer will not alone impact the country’s business environment so long as Western pressure remains tolerable. 

Despite Foreign Firm Exits, Malaysia’s Labor Issues Will Persist 

Columns

On Security

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

Europe

Afghanistan

Pakistan

An Organization of Islamic Cooperation summit in the Saudi city of Mecca on Aug. 13, 2012. The foreign ministers of some of the OIC's 57 member states will meet Dec. 17 in Islamabad, Pakistan, to discuss how to support stability in Afghanistan following the 2021 Taliban takeover of the country.

The War in Afghanistan

A look at what the coming week will bring -- and a list of recommended Stratfor articles from the week that was.

The Weekly Rundown: Blinken Visits Southeast Asia, the ECB Strategizes 2022 Policy

The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) will charge former Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin, who is the chairman of the Perikatan Nasional (PN) opposition coalition, with seven corruption-related counts, the New Straits Times reported on March 9.

Malaysia: Commission Charges Another Former Prime Minister With Corruption

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

Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim won a confidence vote in parliament, the Straits Times reported Dec. 19.

Malaysia: Prime Minister Secures Confidence Vote

Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, the leader of the formerly-opposition coalition Pakatan Harapan (PH), is attempting to form a Cabinet for the new unity government that now includes the Barisan Nasional and Sarawak Parties Alliance coalitions, the New Straits Times reported Nov. 28.

Malaysia: Newly Appointed Prime Minister Slow to Form Cabinet

Malaysia's governing Barisan Nacional won just 30 seats (down from 40) in the Southeast Asian country's general election versus 82 seats for the opposition Pakatan Harapan, resulting in a hung parliament, The Straits Times reported Nov. 20.

Malaysia: General Election Results in Hung Parliament

Malaysian consumers and industry experts expressed their concerns over continued low egg supplies, which are completely purchased within hours of being stocked, The Straits Times reported Oct. 26.

Malaysia: High Input Costs Drive Farmers to Cut Egg Production

Malaysia's Election Commission set the date of the country's next general election for Nov. 19, The Straits Times reported Oct. 20.

Malaysia: Election Commission Schedules General Election for Nov. 19

Algeria

Antigua and Barbuda

Luxembourg

South Sudan

A view of the Register in Samarkand, Uzbekistan.

Angola

Argentina

Bahrain

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.

Barbados

Benin

Egypt

Maldives

Malta

Ukraine

Belize

Botswana

Iran

North Macedonia

Tajikistan

Bhutan

Bolivia

Burkina Faso

Germany

Iraq

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

Burundi

Finland

Israel

Cameroon

Canada

Georgia

Jordan

Mir Castle in the Minsk region of Belarus.

Cabo Verde

Chile

Federated States of Micronesia

Kuwait

Liechtenstein

Sri Lanka

Central African Republic

Colombia

Fiji

Latvia

Lebanon

Bosnia and Herzegovina

Chad

Costa Rica

Libya

Comoros

Cuba

Czech Republic

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

Cote d'Ivoire

Denmark

Dominica

Kiribati

Moldova

Oman

Democratic Republic of the Congo

Dominican Republic

Palestinian Territories

Djibouti

Ecuador

Holy See (Vatican City)

Qatar

El Salvador

Equatorial Guinea

Greece

Marshall Islands

Eritrea

Grenada

Mongolia

Malaysia straddles Southeast Asia's key geopolitical divide, between the mainland and the archipelago. Peninsular Malaysia occupies the southernmost tip of Southeast Asia's Malay Peninsula. East Malaysia, however, is on the island of Borneo, over 600 kilometers away across the South China Sea.       Peninsular Malaysia is defined by north-south mountain ranges flanked by coastal lowlands. The nation's core is its west coast from Penang to Johor Bahru, including the capital, Kuala Lumpur. This coastline fronts major east-west trade routes through the Malacca Strait, whose shores are divided between Malaysia, Indonesia and Singapore. Malaysia's primary geographic challenge is to secure this coastline in order to extract revenue from east-west trade. Today, Malaysia's substantial manufacturing center is concentrated in this core region. Johor Bahru also benefits from proximity to Singapore, which left Malaysia in 1965.        Malaysia's ethnic minority Indian and Chinese communities are also concentrated in the core, comprising 30 percent of the population. These groups wield outsized economic power and form the basis of the political opposition. Their population growth is slower than the ethnic Malay majority, creating an increasingly volatile political environment.      East Malaysia makes up 60 percent of the country’s landmass but has only 20 percent of the population. This sparse population is tipped toward the ethnic Malays and is growing in electoral significance. East Malaysia is playing a growing role in energy production — key to sustaining the country’s decades of steady economic growth.     Borneo also fronts the South China Sea, where Malaysia's maritime claims overlap with the claims of the Philippines, Brunei, Vietnam and China. As Borneo's offshore fields become more important to Malaysia, the nation's South China Sea claims could bring it into conflict.  

Modernizing China’s Military

Southeast Asia: Burdened by Consensus

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SITUATION REPORTS

Malaysia: Commission Charges Another Former Prime Minister With Corruption

Japan, ASEAN: 'Comprehensive Strategic Partnership' Is Forthcoming

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

Malaysia: Prime Minister Secures Confidence Vote

Malaysia: Newly Appointed Prime Minister Slow to Form Cabinet

Malaysia: General Election Results in Hung Parliament

Malaysia: High Input Costs Drive Farmers to Cut Egg Production

Malaysia: Election Commission Schedules General Election for Nov. 19

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