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We index full-text journals with
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Full-Text Plus section. Here is
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list of journals available. |
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July 2024 Current Topics |
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Deterring at a Distance: The Strategic Logic of Aukus, June 2024.
As China’s massive military build-up drives rising regional
security anxieties, Australia is contributing to a more
favourable balance of power through AUKUS. This
technology-sharing agreement with the United Kingdom and the
United States will see eight nuclear-powered submarines (SSNs)
in Australian service by the 2050s. SSNs are overwhelmingly in
Australia’s interest because they strengthen the country’s
ability to deter war by threatening painful consequences for
aggression against Australia, its partners, and its interests.
The 2023 Defence Strategic Review explicitly tasks the
Australian Defence Force with a deterrence role against a
significant military power — a relatively new mission. SSNs are
optimal deterrence machines, able to accomplish the essential
tasks laid out in the Review. |
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Lowy |
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Southeast Asia Aid Map 2024 - Key Findings Report, June 2024.
After a pandemic-related surge in support, total official
development finance to the region fell to a new low of $26
billion in 2022. There has been a sharp decline in new Chinese
development financing, though ongoing projects mean Beijing
looks set to remain the dominant infrastructure financier in the
region. Traditional development partners collectively continue
to dominate total financing, accounting for nearly 90% of total
ODF disbursements to Southeast Asia in 2022. The Asian
Development Bank and Japan played the most substantive roles in
supporting crisis man- agement and recovery. Climate development
finance dropped 15% in 2022 despite increased policy emphasis
from the international community, leaving the region’s green
transition at risk... |
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Lowy |
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Constrained Recovery: Global Shocks and Emerging Southeast Asia,
May 2024.
Southeast Asia’s emerging economies are some of the most
successful in the world. Economic recovery from the Covid-19
pandemic and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is underway, and the
region has returned to relatively strong growth. Nonetheless,
the impact from these shocks and ongoing developments in the
world economy has been substantial. This report focuses on how
the high-performing economies of Emerging Southeast Asia —
Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand, and
Vietnam — have been affected and their outlook for growth and
development reshaped by the tumultuous events of recent years.
Emerging Southeast Asia managed the economic impacts of Covid-19
and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine relatively well... |
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Lowy |
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Growing Foreign and Security Policy Challenges Face India’s
Re-elected Modi Government, June 2024.
The 2024 Indian general election—the largest in human history,
with 642 million taking part—resulted in a third five-year term
for incumbent Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the ruling
coalition headed by his Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Unlike
some of his predecessors, Modi has been keen to establish
himself as a foreign and defense policy heavyweight. Reflecting
the scale of Modi’s stated ambition, India’s External Affairs
Minister has compared him favorably to India’s founding Prime
Minister, Jawaharlal Nehru, despite the latter’s lasting
international reputation as a global leader... |
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EWC |
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Revisiting the Cambodia-Thailand Maritime Dispute: International
Law, Politics and Nationalism, June 2024.
This article analyzes the historical and continuing
Cambodia-Thailand maritime dispute in the Overlapping Claims
Area of the Gulf of Thailand, first looking into the history of
the dispute to identify primary sticking points that have led to
the five decade deadlock and then considering current politics,
attendant risks and possibilities of finding a solution to the
deadlock. The author argues that policy makers have a historic
opportunity to seize the moment by using large amounts of
political capital accumulated in the elections last year to
break the longstanding impasse. Policy makers must pay heed to
nationalisms in both countries to lessen the risks of
negotiation failure... |
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EWC |
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Indo-Pacific Minilateralism and Strategic Competition (I):
Australia/Japan and Chinese Approaches Compared, June 2024.
This East-West Center Occasional Paper is the first in a set of
two papers examining the ways in which Australia and Japan have
sought to leverage minilateral forms of cooperation as a means
of strategic competition in the Indo-Pacific. The topic of
minilateralism is usually treated as response to the rise of
China on the part of “Western” countries, but this obscures the
fact that Beijing is also a major practitioner of minilateral
forms of cooperation. This paper concludes that Australia and
Japan have taken a traditional “security-first” approach to
minilateralism. This stands in contrast to the more expansive
approach pursued by Beijing, which focuses primarily on
geoeconomics along with China’s broader goal of becoming a
global leader, which has potential implications for
international order... |
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EWC |
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Japan/Australia Minilateralism in the Indo-Pacific (II):
Advancing Cooperation in Order-building and Geoeconomics, June
2024.
This East-West Center Occasional Paper is the second of a set of
two papers examining how Japan and Australia are seeking to
employ minilateral institutions to enhance their cooperation and
compete strategically in an increasingly contested region. The
first paper demonstrated how Japan and Australia have adopted a
minilateralist approach that chiefly prioritizes traditional
security concerns, in contrast to China’s emphasis on
geoeconomics alongside its efforts to entrench its
global/regional leadership and shape the international order.
This second paper considers the strategic objectives underlying
China’s practice of minilateralism and reevaluates the
order-building and geoeconomic dimensions within the
Australian/Japanese practice of minilateralism... |
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EWC |
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North of 26 Degrees South and the Security of Australia: Views
From the Strategist, Volume 9, June 2024. Expanding
on previous volumes, this edition introduces thematic chapters
focused on a range of subjects relevant to northern Australia.
These include;
- Defence in the North,
- Developing Northern
Australia,
- Northern Australia and the
Indo-Pacific
- Critical Minerals, Energy,
and Commodities,
- Space, Food Security and
Climate Trends
As in previous editions,
Volume 9 contains a range of expert opinions across these
varied topics... |
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ASPI |
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Negotiating Technical Standards for Artificial Intelligence, June 2024. At
the heart of how AI technologies are developed, deployed and used in a
responsible manner sit a suite of technical standards: rules, guidelines
and characteristics that ensure the safety, security and
interoperability of a product. The report authors highlight that the
Indo-Pacific, including Australia and India, are largely playing
catch-up in AI standards initiatives. The United States and China are
leading the pack, followed by European nations thanks to their size,
scope and resources of their national standardisation communities as
well as their domestic AI sectors. Not being strongly represented in the
world of AI governance and technical standards is a strategic risk for
Indo-Pacific nations. For a region that’s banking on the opportunities
of a digital and technology-enabled economy and has large swathes of its
population in at-risk jobs... |
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ASPI |
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The Cost of Defence: ASPI Defence Budget Brief 2024-2025, June 2024. On
14 May 2024, the Treasurer released the 2024–25 Budget, describing it as
being designed ‘for the here‑and‑now and … for the decades to come’.
It’s a pre-election budget, so the priorities for this year’s
appropriations are very much the cost-of-living crisis facing Australian
citizens and the government’s Future Made in Australia initiative.
Unsurprisingly, the big spending in this year’s budget covers domestic
social policy issues and the first tranche of a more interventionist
industry policy. It is also the case, as it was last year through the
2023 Defence Strategic Review (DSR), that much of the defence-related
budget had already been announced through the 2024 National Defence
Strategy (NDS)... |
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ASPI |
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Japan’s Energy Security in the Persian Gulf: Caught Between
New and Old Challenges, June 2024.
The goal of this paper is to investigate the evolution of
Japan’s energy strategy in the Persian Gulf and understand
how intra-Asian competition for business opportunities in
the region can impact Tokyo’s energy security. It analyzes
the current state of defense cooperation agreements (DCAs)
between leading East Asian and Gulf Cooperation Council
countries (GCC). DCAs are considered among the most relevant
tools available to states to build up strategic
partnerships. Successful DCAs with GCC states are therefore
an indicator of political and security commitment... |
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ISDP |
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Anticipating North Korea’s Next Nuclear Test, June 2024.
This issue brief provides a comprehensive analysis of the
anticipated technical and strategic objectives behind North
Korea’s potential seventh nuclear test, along with an
examination of the probable timing for such an event.
Drawing upon recent developments, including North Korea’s
pursuit of tactical nuclear weapons and its political
aspirations for cementing its nuclear status, the issue
brief explores the interplay of domestic and international
factors shaping Pyongyang’s decision-making. With insights
into North Korea’s evolving nuclear capabilities, the
analysis delves into the significance of the upcoming U.S.
presidential election as a potential catalyst for nuclear
testing and its implications for regional dynamics... |
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ISDP |
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EU-Taiwan Semiconductor Supply Chain: Resilience amid the
Digital and Green Transition, June 2024.
This issue brief provides a comprehensive analysis of the
anticipated technical and strategic objectives behind North
Korea’s potential seventh nuclear test, along with an
examination of the probable timing for such an event.
Drawing upon recent developments, including North Korea’s
pursuit of tactical nuclear weapons and its political
aspirations for cementing its nuclear status, the issue
brief explores the interplay of domestic and international
factors shaping Pyongyang’s decision-making. With insights
into North Korea’s evolving nuclear capabilities, the
analysis delves into the significance of the upcoming U.S.
presidential election as a potential catalyst for nuclear
testing and its implications for regional dynamics... |
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ISDP |
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To What Extent is China a ‘Security Threat’? June 2024.
The current international order, led by the United States,
is undergoing phenomenal political, economic, and security
changes that will decide whether the order will continue as
it is, or a major pole shift will occur in an increasingly
bipolar world. China is at the forefront of this evolution.
It is the sole actor threatening the U.S.-led order so that
it can be reshaped to fit into a novel design with Chinese
characteristics. To do so, China employs a diverse set of
economic and political strategies, which are efficient
despite their ruthless nature. Currently, it does not look
like the U.S. and the international community can form a
consensus on how much of a security threat China poses... |
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ISDP |
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G20 and BRICS: Towards a Joint Pursuit of Effective
Multilateralism for the Global South, June 2024.
The Global South is, unarguably, the pivoting point of
debates and deliberations in the G20 grouping. As the baton
of the G20 presidency passes on from India to Brazil, the
greater representation of the Global South, its role in
global governance, and strengthening multilateralism will be
the moot point and pursuit. BRICS remains a pre-eminent
platform for South-South cooperation and its founding
members are some of the most prominent actors within the G20
as well. Moreover, BRICS’ recent enlargement has increased
its relevance as a platform for cooperation among emerging
markets and developing countries... |
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ISDP |
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India’s Position in Iran’s ‘Look to the East’ Policy, June
2024.
Ebrahim Raisi’s administration has prioritized its ‘Look to
the East’ policy. Although the focus is on Russia and China,
India also has a special place in this policy. Iran and
India consider the development of Chabahar port vital for
establishing the International North-South Transport
Corridor (INSTC) and connecting Afghanistan to Central Asia.
The INSTC can strengthen Iran’s relations with India and
Russia and provide these countries with geopolitical and
geo-economic benefits. At the same time, it allows India to
find a suitable route to Central Asia, Eurasia, and Europe,
bypassing Pakistan and competing with China in creating
international corridors, including the Belt and Road
Initiative and the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC)... |
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ISDP |
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Does Soft Power Have Any Value for Taiwan, May 2024.
As a diplomatic tool, soft power conveys the core values and
ideology of a country and serves as its front window abroad
to win sympathy for its beliefs, values, and institutions.
The aim is to garner support for political agendas and
determine the framework of debate and engagement in favor of
the nation that is able to deploy soft power. In the case of
Taiwan, there are limits to how soft power can be used due
to the lack of international recognition of its sovereignty
and the existential threat from China. Still, Taiwan’s soft
power has been deployed with increasing success over the
years. Taiwan has won more and more recognition
internationally, especially from like-minded countries... |
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ISDP |
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Trends in
Southeast Asia 2024 #18: From Paper to Practice: Utilizing
the ASEAN Guide on Artificial Intelligence (AI) Governance
and Ethics. The rapid development of Artificial
Intelligence (AI) technologies has been nothing less of
awe-inspiring. Policymakers are put in a bind as debates
over how the deployment of these AI systems is to be managed
— with good governance and ethical considerations in mind,
and without stifling innovation. ASEAN’s response has been
the formulation of the ASEAN Guide on AI Governance and
Ethics, or the ASEAN AI Guide. This Guide serves more as a
“practical guide” for organizations involved in the
development and deployment of AI for commercial and
non-military or dual-use applications, as opposed to a
policy playbook for governments... |
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ISEAS |
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Trends in
Southeast Asia 2024 #17: Who’s Doing What? A Closer Look at
Methane Climate Impact and Commitments in Southeast Asia’s
Energy Sector. This article draws from a database
of asset-level emissions to identify key methane-emitting
coal, oil and gas facilities in Southeast Asia while taking
stock of the methane commitments of their owners. Coal mines
account for around a third of fossil fuel methane emissions
globally, but in Southeast Asia, they make up more than half
of tracked fossil fuel methane emissions. Over half of
emissions from the coal mining subsector is traced to its
top ten emitters, mostly in East Kalimantan, Indonesia;
while some coal mines in North Vietnam have high emissions
intensities... |
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ISEAS |
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Trends in
Southeast Asia 2024 #16: Understanding Vietnam’s Foreign
Policy Choices Amid Sino-US Rivalry. Vietnam’s
foreign policy towards China and the United States (US)
involves a delicate process of reconciling and balancing
competing perceptions, goals and interests within the
country. This leads to foreign policy decisions that may
respectively lean towards either China or the US, depending
on specific circumstances and issues, while trying to
maintain an overall equilibrium between the two powers.
Vietnam’s foreign policy adopts the paradigm of
“cooperation” and “struggle” in its relations with major
powers, and defines “national security” as encompassing both
national sovereignty and regime security... |
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ISEAS |
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Latest APEC publications:
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Study on the Maritime Transport Sector in the COVID-19 Era:
Challenges, Opportunities, and Way Forward, June 2024
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Sharing Knowledge and Experiences on Small-Scale Marine
Fisheries Data Collection and Management for Sustainable
Development in the APEC Region, June 2024
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APEC Sectoral Symposia on the Holistic Approach of
Decarbonization for Energy Transition, June 2024
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Development of Integrated Timber Data for Enhancing Legal
Timber Trade in the Asia-Pacific Region - Research Paper,
June 2024
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Compendium of Resources for the Facilitation of the Trade
and Distribution of Legally Harvested Forest Products in the
APEC Region, June 2024
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Recent Challenges to Merger Control and Anticompetitive
Conducts Proceedings in order to Protect the Competition
Process, June 2024
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PSU Annual Report 2023, June 2024
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APEC Urban Energy Report 2023 - Driving Cities Through the
Low Carbon Transition, June 2024
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Study on Economy Legal Frameworks for the Implementation of
ODR under the APEC Collaborative Framework, June 2024
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Online Micro-Credentials Toolkit – Addressing Skill Needs
through Online Micro-Credentials in Higher Education, June
2024
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APEC |
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Latest ADB Working Paper Series:
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ADB |
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Latest ADBI Working Paper Series:
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Exploring the Link Between Social Participation, Functional
Health, and Depression Among Older Adult, June 2024
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Climate Change and Corporate Financial Performance, June
2024
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Eliminating Gender Disparities in Firm Performance in India:
Can Globalization Bridge the Gap? June 2024
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Improving Agri-Food Sector Productivity in Indonesia through
Information and Communication Technologies, June 2024
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Building Education Resilience through Parenting Style and
Out-of-School Learning: Field Experimental Evidence from
Rural Bangladesh, June 2024
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Globalization and Equality: A Cross-Country Analysis, June
2024
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Does Digitalization Alleviate Rural Clean Energy Poverty?
June 2024
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Ring of Progress: Examining the Impact of the Intensity of
Mobile Phone Use on Female Labor Force Participation in
India, June 2024
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Do
Remote Learning Tools Reduce Learning Loss during School
Closure? Experience from Central Asia and the Caucasus
during the COVID-19 Pandemic, May 2024
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What Happens to the Learning Outcomes of Left-Behind
Children When Parents Are Away? Evidence from Four Pacific
Island Countries, May 2024
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Unlocking Inclusive Growth: The Nexus of Digitalization,
Formalization, and Global Value Chains, May 2024
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ADB |
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Latest ADB Publications:
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Fostering Export Diversification in Bangladesh: Issues and
Way Forward, June 2024
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Harnessing the Economic Potential of India’s Cities. June
2024
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An Innovative and Climate-Resilient Approach to Coastal
Management and Adaptation for India, June 2024
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Mainstreaming Aid for Trade for Structural Reforms in the
Changing Landscape of the Global Economy, June 2024
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Plotting from Above: Enhancing Agricultural Mapping in Asia
and the Pacific, June 2024
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Basic Tool Kit for Cybersecurity in Education Management
Information Systems, June 2024
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Fiscal Policy and Sustainable Finance: Enhancing the Role of
the Financial Sector in Achieve the Sustainable Development
Goals, June 2024
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Strengthening Regional Cooperation and Integration through
Economic Corridor Development: Proceedings of the 2023
Regional Cooperation and Integration Conference, Published
2024
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Mobilizing Revenue: Digital Transformation of Revenue
Administration in Singapore, Published 2024
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Powering Nepal: 5 Decades of ADB–Nepal Partnership in the
Energy Sector, Published 2024
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Asia Bond Monitor, June 2024
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ADB |
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June 2024 |
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Outrage Is Not a Policy: Coming to Terms With Myanmar’s
Fragmented State, May 2024.
This paper analyses the evolution of Myanmar’s civil war with a
view to identifying optimal international policy responses. The
sharp escalation of armed resistance since late 2023 holds out
the tantalising prospect that the once seemingly invincible
military regime could be defeated. Yet it remains an open
question whether anti-junta forces will be able to carry the
momentum from their recent victories in the forest-covered,
mountainous borderlands across the open plains of central
Myanmar to take the capital or other major cities. Even if
resistance forces ultimately emerge victorious, the goal of
building a genuine federal democracy will likely take years of
highly complex and politically fraught negotiations... |
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Lowy |
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Being Chinese in Australia, 2023 Edition.
In this third nationally representative survey of the Lowy
Institute’s Being Chinese in Australia series, we asked
Chinese-Australians about Australia and the world. As in the two
previous surveys, we explored three broad themes: how
Chinese-Australians see Australia and their place in it; how
they consume news and information; and how they view the wider
world. The survey also compares the sentiments expressed by
Chinese-Australians with those of the broader Australian
population. Most Chinese-Australians have a positive view of
Australia. A majority say that Australia is a good place to live
and are proud of the Australian way of life and culture. Three
quarters say they feel a moderate or strong sense of belonging —
an increase from the 2021 survey. Fewer Chinese-Australians say
they have been called offensive names or physically threatened
or attacked because of their heritage in the last year... |
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Lowy |
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Nobody Wins Unless Everybody Wins: The Coles Review Into the Sustainment
of Australia’s Collins-Class Submarines, May 2024. In
2003, Australia became the proud owner of the last of six new-build
Collins-class submarines. Less than a decade later, the fleet was in a
poor state of repair, and at times only one or two of the boats were
available to the Royal Australian Navy. This account by Andrew Davies
explains how the situation was remediated by bringing in a team of
highly experienced naval professionals to take an uncompromising look at
the arrangements in place to manage a vital national defence asset.
Despite a public perception that the submarines were inherently
defective, the problems were in fact almost entirely due to
dysfunctional and often rancorous organisational dynamics between the
key players... |
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ASPI |
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Deterrence, Escalation and Strategic Stability: Rebuilding Australia’s
Muscle Memory, May 2024. To build an effective
deterrence strategy, Australia needs urgently to improve its skills and
understanding of deterrence, and raise the topic’s profile in our public
and policy discussions. Despite having previously been a global thought
leader on nuclear weapons and deterrence half a century ago, Australia
today doesn’t have a strong grasp of the basics of modern deterrence.
Knowledge of and literacy in deterrence are vital for adapting and
applying such concepts to meet today’s extraordinarily complex,
multidomain and multidimensional requirements. A lack of understanding
of deterrence can critically undermine the ability to get strategy and
policy right. The implications for Australia’s national interests are
urgent and serious... |
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ASPI |
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AUKUS Pillar 2 Critical Pathways: A Road Map to Enabling International
Collaboration, May 2024. The AUKUS trilateral
partnership presents Australia with an unprecedented opportunity to
achieve national-security goals that have eluded it for decades. It
could offer access to cutting-edge technologies. It can further
integrate Australian, US and UK military forces, allowing more unified
action to maintain deterrence against national and transnational actors
who threaten the global rules-based order. Perhaps most importantly,
AUKUS—in particular its Pillar.2 objectives—is an opportunity for
Australia to pursue the long-sought industrial capacity necessary to
defend its borders and its interests across a range of probable conflict
scenarios... |
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ASPI |
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Turning Back the Clock: The Changing Nature of North Korean Food
Insecurity, May 2024.
Over the past several years, North Korea has adopted legal
changes that are increasing the centrality of the Workers Party
of Korea and the state in agricultural production, distribution,
and consumption. This development changes the basic nature of
food insecurity in North Korea from one in which access to food
is determined by the ability to purchase it in the market to one
in which access to food is determined by political status. This
development is of potential policy relevance: Although current
conditions do not appear to be severe, if and when North Korea
experiences another food crisis, foreign partners are likely to
encounter a state dominated model more closely resembling the
system that existed in the early 1990s at the onset of the
famine and with it the attendant problems that
humanitarian-relief agencies confronted at that time. |
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EWC |
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From Bandung to Hindutva: How the Palestine Question Shows
India’s Alternative Foreign Policy Futures, May 2024.
On January 26, 2024, in the midst of ongoing global protest
against Israel’s siege of Gaza, the International Court of
Justice (ICJ) ordered that Israel must “take all possible
measures” to prevent genocide against Palestinian people living
in the Gaza Strip. Justice Dalveer Bhandari, the only Indian
justice of the fifteen judges who overheard the case, concurred
with the ruling, writing, “It must, in this case, take into
account the widespread destruction in Gaza and loss of life that
the population of Gaza has thus far endured.” Soon after, on
February 21, 2024, the Water Transport Workers Federation (WTWF),
representing fourteen thousand workers, including 3,500
stationed at eleven of India’s twelve major ports, declared they
would refuse to handle weaponry destined for Israel... |
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EWC |
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Latest AsiaPacific Issues:
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EWC |
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South Korea’s Road to Carbon Neutrality: Solutions and
Obstacles, May 2024.
Globally, energy security policies are gaining prominence as
geopolitical tensions and climate concerns intersect. The
escalating impacts of climate change, evident through
extreme weather events like heatwaves, heavy snowfall,
typhoons, and forest fires, underscore the urgency for
action. In response, major developed countries are hastening
their transitions towards a green economy to mitigate
climate related disasters and their socioeconomic fallout.
Carbon neutrality has emerged as an irreversible
international imperative, symbolizing a shift towards “low
carbon, green growth” as a strategy for environmental
conservation... |
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ISDP |
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The Kingdom of Sweden: A Long History of Sustainable
Practices, May 2024.
Sweden has been one of the pioneering countries in the field
of sustainability, green transition, and environmental
conservation. Notably, in 1964 and 1967, Sweden passed the
Nature Conservancy Act and the Environmental Protection Act,
respectively, becoming the first country ever to pass such
legislation. Additionally, in 1972, Sweden was the host of
the United Nations Conference on the Human Environment, the
first conference to raise the issue of environmental
conservation. From then on, Sweden has taken major leaps in
promoting policies, practices, and legislation aimed at
substantially reducing greenhouse gas emissions and other
pollutants. As of 2023, Sweden is a leading hub for
environmental research and green technologies, spearheading
decarbonization efforts through clean energy sources and
becoming a model globally... |
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ISDP |
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Maldives Walking Tight Rope between India and China, May
2024.
Like all the South Asian small states, the Maldives has been
subjected to great power politics. There are five principles
of Maldives’ foreign policy (mostly reciprocating with
India’s ‘Panchsheel’) and six goals that revolve around
sovereignty, identity, and Islamic nationalism. But due to
the increasingly tense geopolitical environment, foreign
policy adaptation has been a challenging task for the
Maldives. As a result, Maldives’ internal political
environment is largely polarized to ‘Anti or Pro- India or
China’ when it comes to managing the changing geopolitical
discourse. This issue brief aims to untangle the sources of
Maldives’ foreign policy toward China and India so as to
identify how the Maldives has adjusted to the changing
geopolitical environment in South Asia. |
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ISDP |
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Positive Paranoia: Chinese Interpretations of Indo-Pacific
Geopolitics, May 2024.
This Focus Asia paper seeks to interpret Chinese narratives
on Indo-Pacific geopolitics by reviewing Chinese state media
and scholarly opinions on Indo-Pacific geopolitics. For this
purpose, the paper also examines the PRC’s interpretation of
the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (the ‘Quad’ comprising
Australia, India, Japan, and the U.S.) and the interplay
with the three middle-power Quad partners. Similarly, it
explores China-Europe dynamics in Chinese state media and
official discourse, given the expansion of the European
Union’s strategic interest in Indo-Pacific geopolitics.
Chinese scholars share many views with those of official
state media. This is particularly evident in views of U.S.
motives to contain China, dismissals of any U.S. success,
and fault-finding with U.S. traditional and potential
allies. Yet, Chinese scholars reveal different
interpretations of the evolution of U.S. Indo-Pacific
policies and the space for U.S.-China cooperation within the
Indo-Pacific strategy confines... |
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ISDP |
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Why Taiwan Matters to Europe, May 2024.
The Taiwan issue is known to be sensitive for Beijing, one
of its so-called core interests. Taiwan has no diplomatic
recognition among European Union member states but informal
relations and cooperation between Taiwan and Europe are
nevertheless extensive in many areas. The position that
Europe should steer clear of a conflict over Taiwan
presupposes that it does not have a clear stake in
maintaining peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait.
European interests are, however, far more intertwined with
Taiwan and its security than what its lack of geographical
proximity would initially suggest. Understanding Taiwan’s
significance to Europe is increasingly important in order to
understand the foundations on which current relations rest
and what Europe’s stake in the Taiwan Strait is. To examine
and expound on why Taiwan matters to Europe... |
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ISDP |
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Trends in
Southeast Asia 2024 #15: Party of Hardship: The Evolution of
Malaysia’s Parti Keadilan Rakyat. The People’s
Justice Party (PKR) may in many ways be synonymous with its
larger-than-life leader, Anwar Ibrahim, who, although only
president for six of the party’s twenty-five years, has
always been its de facto leader and adviser. However, PKR is
much more than only about Anwar, and this paper traces the
evolution of the party independently of Anwar as a
person.PKR’s evolution can be broken down into four main
periods: 1998–2004 (formative), 2005–13 (golden era),
2014–18 (all-in for power), and 2019–22 (lessons on
restraints). From 1998 to 2022, PKR tended to adopt a
big-tent approach (internally and externally), ideological
synthesis to find a middle ground, and a loose organization
led by a charismatic personality at the top and
self-organization at the grassroots... |
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ISEAS |
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Trends in
Southeast Asia 2024 #14: Delivering Development, Enforcing
Shariah: PAS’s Dilemma in Terengganu. Whenever the
Islamist party PAS comes to power in Terengganu, its
political agenda has been to combine populist-type
development programmes with the wish to turn Terengganu into
a shariah-compliant state. Terengganu’s state budget is
however heavily dependent on the federal government, to the
tune of 80–90 per cent. This hinders the state government’s
policymaking and implementation, especially when the federal
government is controlled by its political opponents. This
article argues that the politics of development play a more
central role in determining the durability of the PAS state
government in Terengganu than it does in neighbouring
Kelantan... |
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ISEAS |
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Trends in
Southeast Asia 2024 #13: Malaysia’s Responses to Issues
Pertaining to Palestine. Malaysia’s support for
Palestinian independence has always been based on religion.
Historically, Malaysia has had warm relations with
Palestinian leaders including the Palestine Liberation
Organization—during Hussein Onn’s and Mahathir Mohamad’s
administrations—and Hamas since Najib Razak’s
administration. However, Malaysia’s support is not just
based on their affinity to Palestinians as fellow Muslims
but is also a matter of domestic politics. Support for
Palestine has been used as a political tool for various
quarters to prove that they are more Islamic than the
other... |
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ISEAS |
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Trends in
Southeast Asia 2024 #12: Why Young Malay Voters in Malaysia
Are “Turning Green”. There is an increasing trend among
young Malay voters in Malaysia to support the Perikatan
Nasional coalition, with a particular emphasis on the
Islamist party PAS. Despite recognition of the weak economy
as a significant national concern, young Malay voters
continue to place a higher emphasis on Muslim leaders who
assert their commitment to safeguarding the rights of Islam
in Malaysia. Consistent with theories on political
socialization, the influence of family members significantly
affects young Malay voters in Malaysia, particularly due to
their limited political awareness of alternative channels
like formal schooling... |
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ISEAS |
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Latest APEC publications:
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Youth Involvement in the Development of Sustainable and Safe
Tourism in Rural Areas of APEC Economies, May 2024
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Win, Lose or Draw: Estimating the Impact of Trade
Disengagement on APEC Trade, May 2024
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Sharing Best Practices and Capacity Building on the Role of
Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) Standards in Promoting
Safety, Energy Resilience and Sustainability, May 2024
-
APEC Workshops for Capacity Building in Self-Declaration of
Origin for FTAs/RTAs - Workshop Series Report, May 2024
-
APEC Regional Trends Analysis, May 2024
-
Reducing Food Loss and Waste by Strengthening Resilience of
APEC Food System and Enhancing Digitalization and Innovative
Technologies, May 2024
-
A New Look at the Free Trade Area of the Asia-Pacific
(FTAAP): Review of APEC’s Collective Progress, May 2024
-
Webinar on Standards of Product Circularity Data Exchange
among APEC Economies, May 2024
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APEC |
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Latest ADB Working Paper Series:
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ADB |
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Latest ADBI Working Paper Series:
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ADB |
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Latest ADB Publications:
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Gender Equality and Disability Inclusion: Guidelines to
Address the Specific Needs of Women and Girls with
Disabilities, May 2024
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Leveraging Online Job Portal Data in Asia and the Pacific,
May 2024
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How to Build Nonperforming Loan Trading Platforms in Asia
and the Pacific: Issues and Processes, May 2024
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Low-Cost Carrier Opportunities, Air Transport
Liberalization, and Post-Pandemic Recovery in CAREC, May
2024
-
Deep-Tier Supply Chain Finance: Unlocking the Potential, May
2024
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Assessment of the Legal Status of Sexual and Gender
Minorities in 17 Countries in Asia and the Pacific, May 2024
-
A Study on Nepal’s National Health Insurance Program, May
2024
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The Bond Market in the Republic of Korea: An ASEAN+3 Bond
Market Guide Update, May 2024
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Artificial Intelligence in Action: Selected ADB Initiatives
in Asia and the Pacific, May 2024
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Aging Well in Asia: Asian Development Policy Report, May
2024
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Assessment of Natural Capital and Ecosystem Services: Two
Cases of Ecosystem Restoration in the People’s Republic of
China, April 2024
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ADB |
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May 2024 |
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Pacific Perspectives on the US Indo-Pacific Strategy, April 2024.
The Pacific and its ocean people’s heritage need to be featured
more prominently in the US Indo-Pacific strategy. Pacific island
states are large, gigantic if you will! If you consider the area
where these states have sovereign rights, their exclusive
economic zones (EEZs), then 5 of the 20 largest states in the
world would be Pacific Island states. Three of those are in the
North Pacific. Considering its EEZ, the Federated States of
Micronesia (FSM) is equivalent to the size of the entire US
mainland. Obviously, this assertion challenges the “land
dominates sea” maxim in international discourse. However, a
saying from our traditional navigators, “The seas are highways
of life, they do not separate us, they connect us,” better
encapsulates the strategic value of our ocean territory... |
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EWC |
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Enhancing the ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific through
Sub-Regional Initiatives: The Case of the BIMP-EAGA Initiative,
April 2024.
Effectively managing geopolitical competition in Southeast Asia
has arguably become the most pressing concern for maintaining
regional peace and stability. In recent years, US-China tensions
have escalated across multiple facets of the region’s
multilateral institutions. As a result, managing strategic
competition has become an ever more complex affair, testing the
overall effectiveness of ASEAN centrality. The United States has
taken a series of steps to strengthen its relations with its
Indo-Pacific partners and allies through multilateral and
minilateral frameworks—namely the Quadrilateral Security
Dialogue, or the QUAD, and AUKUS, a trilateral security
partnership between Australia, the United Kingdom, and the
United States... |
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EWC |
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The Open Gap in the “Free and Open” Indo-Pacific, April 2024.
The Indo-Pacific Strategy (IPS) opens with President Biden’s
words at the Quad Leader’s Summit: “The future of each of our
nations, and indeed the world, depends on a free and open
Indo-Pacific flourishing in the decades ahead.” The emphasis on
a free and open Indo-Pacific maintains the “rules-based
international order” label wherein the United States aims to
strengthen democratic institutions, the rule of law, and
accountable democratic governance... |
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EWC |
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Australia’s 2024 Independent Intelligence Review: Opportunities and
Challenges: Views From the Strategist, April 2024. Australia
has a recent history of intelligence community reform via independent
intelligence reviews (IIRs) commissioned by government on a regular
basis since 2004. The latest IIR is being undertaken by Dr Heather Smith
and Mr Richard Maude. In the lead-up to the announcement of the 2024 IIR,
and afterwards, ASPI’s The Strategist has served as a valuable forum for
canvassing publicly the most significant issues and challenges to be
addressed by the reviewers... |
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ASPI |
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Reclaiming Leadership: Australia and the Global Critical Minerals Race,
April 2024. Climate policy, geopolitics and market
forces are coalescing to deliver Australia a global leadership
opportunity in critical minerals. To grasp that opportunity, Australia
needs both to utilise its domestic mineral endowment and its mining
knowledge and technology and to leverage the global footprint of
Australian companies to help build a global supply chain network. How
Australia responds will not only determine economic benefits to the
nation but will also affect the world’s ability to achieve minerals
security and the sustainability required for the global energy
transition and inclusive economic growth... |
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ASPI |
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Regional Security and Pacific Partnerships: Recruiting Pacific Islanders
Into the Australian Defence Force, April 2024. The
security and stability of the South Pacific and Australia are deeply
intertwined. Australian Government policies have for more than a decade
consistently prioritised the Pacific for international engagement,
including in defence, development and diplomacy. The Australian
Government’s ‘Pacific Step-up’, first announced in 2016, delivered a
heightened level of effort by Canberra in the region, as did Australia’s
strong support for the Pacific Islands Forum’s Boe Declaration. The
Albanese government’s increased policy focus on the region, and on a
coordinated whole-of-government approach to the Pacific, demonstrates
the centrality of our immediate region to the Australian Government’s
strategic planning... |
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ASPI |
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High
Frequency Macroeconomic Forecasts Current Quarter Model:
2024Q2, April 2024. Given the tightness in the
labour market, it is projected that the unemployment
rates for 24Q1 and 24Q2 will remain at 2.9%
respectively. Hong Kong's external trade is expected to
maintain its positive momentum, with exports and imports
of goods projected to increase from 4.1% and 1.9% growth
in the 24Q1 to 6.5% and 5.2% growth in 24Q2. Hong Kong's
services exports is expected to increase by 5.9% in
24Q2, thanks to the resumption of normal travel.
However, the surge in consumption by Hong Kong residents
abroad has led to a significant increase of 7.5% in
services imports during the same period, entirely
offsetting the contribution of service exports to the
overall economic growth... |
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HKU |
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Trends in
Southeast Asia 2024 #11: Myanmar’s Resistance and the Future
of Border Trade: Challenges and Opportunities. Since the
start of Operation 1027, Myanmar’s resistance groups have
gained control over large parts of key overland trade routes
and a number of important border crossings, fundamentally
changing the realities in the control of border trade.
Despite these losses, the State Administration Council (SAC)
retains control-of-trade-related institutions that are vital
for accessing an international trading system characterized
by state-to-state interactions... |
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ISEAS |
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Trends in
Southeast Asia 2024 #10 : Beyond Slacktivism: The Dynamic
Relationship between Online and Offline Activism among
Southeast Asian Youths. Despite a surge in youth
activism across Southeast Asian countries, comparative
analysis in this region remains scarce. Using data from the
World Values Survey of several studies, and case studies on
Indonesia, this article examines the extent to which online
political activism serves as a catalyst for mobilization,
awareness and community building among young people in
Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and the Philippines... |
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ISEAS |
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Trends in
Southeast Asia 2024 #9 : Shifting to a Higher Gear: The Saga
of Malaysia’s National Carmaker Proton. Newly
independent Malaysia’s economic growth was driven mainly by
the export of primary products such as rubber, timber and
tin. However, in light of the steadily declining non-oil
commodity prices in the early 1980s and informed by the
ongoing structural transformation in Japan and South Korea,
the country’s then Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad
reoriented the national growth model to one that put heavy
industries—steel, cement, petrochemicals, machinery and
equipment and automotive—at the forefront. To garner public
support, he promulgated the idea of a “national car”,
employing it as an expression of technological modernism and
national pride... |
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ISEAS |
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Trends in
Southeast Asia 2024 #8 : Scrutinizing the DAP’s Success in
the 2023 Malaysian State Elections. Using granular
polling station and polling stream data for forty-seven
seats contested by the Pakatan Harapan (PH) member
Democratic Action Party (DAP), this paper explores the
effect of this relationship on voter support. This Trends in
Southeast Asia finds that, contrary to expectations, DAP
actually gained voter support from campaigning with UMNO... |
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ISEAS |
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Asian Development Outlook, April 2024 (Full Report,
Highlights).
Growth in developing Asia and the Pacific is expected to remain
resilient, propelled by strong domestic demand, improving
semiconductor exports, and the ongoing recovery in tourism.
Regional inflation will moderate further, as global food and
fuel prices stabilize. However, several risks warrant attention.
Escalating conflicts and geopolitical tensions may disrupt
supply chains and impact commodity prices. Uncertainty
surrounding US monetary policy, potential further weakness in
the property market in the People’s Republic of China, and
extreme weather events could present challenges for the region.
Policymakers should intensify efforts to bolster resilience by
fostering trade, cross-border investment, and commodity supply
networks... |
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ADB |
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Latest ADB Working Paper Series:
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ADB |
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Latest ADBI Working Paper Series:
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Financial Development and the Capital Flow Allocation Puzzle
in Developing Asia, April 2024
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Balancing the Needs of Energy Security, Economic Growth, and
Climate Sustainability in ASEAN, April 2024
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The Multidimensional Well-Being of Asian Senior Citizens: A
Systematic Review, April 2024
-
Learning Disruptions during the COVID-19 Pandemic: Evidence
from Household Surveys in Southeast Asia, April 2024
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Self-Learning at the Right Level, COVID-19 School Closure,
and Non-cognitive Abilities, April 2024
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Financial Literacy and Fintech Use in Family Business, April
2024
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Asia's Sectoral Transformation, Evolving Diets, and the
Consequences for Climate Change, April 2024
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ADB |
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Latest ADB Publications:
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Transforming ASEAN: Strategies for Achieving Inclusive and
Sustainable Growth, Published 2024
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Blue Finance Development in Shandong Province, People’s
Republic of China, April 2024
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Regional Action on Climate Change: A Vision for Central Asia
Regional Economic Cooperation, April 2024
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Basic Statistics 2024
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Fiscal Incidence in Timor-Leste: Impact of Taxation and
Public Expenditure on Poverty and Inequality, April 2024
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Expanding and Diversifying Exports in Bangladesh, April 2024
-
Smart Tourism Ecosystem Development Readiness in Southeast
Asia, April 2024
-
Pollution Characterization and Quantification in the
Agriculture Sectors, April 2024
-
Multilateralism, Regionalism, and Unilateralism
Retrospectives: Case for Hybrid Multilateralism for Trade
Liberalization in Developing Countries, April 2024
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Article XXIV of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade
in Light of Regional Trade Integration in Eurasia, April
2024
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Mobilizing Capital Markets for a Climate-Responsive and
Inclusive Southeast Asia, April 2024
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ADB |
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Asian Development Review, Vol.
41, No. 1, March 2024 (Full
Report):
The first paper presents harmonized methodologies used to
estimate health capacity to work, followed by seven country
papers. The four other papers in this issue cover topics related
to intergovernmental fiscal systems, population and geospatial
data, regional inequalities, and well-being, and the “Belt and
Road” initiative.
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ADB |
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Latest APEC publications:
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Project Summary Report: Capacity Building on GHS
Implementation Convergence Practices, April 2024
-
Advancing the Trade and Distribution of Legally Harvested
Forest Products: Navigating to Legal Timber, April 2024
-
Guidelines and Recommendation on Vessel Innovation to Combat
Marine Debris, April 2024
-
The Innovating for Public Urban Technology Transformation
(INPUT2) Competition Report, April 2024
-
Research Outcomes: Summary of Research Projects 2023
-
Services Domestic Regulation: Envisioning Next Generation
Technical Standards Principles - At A Glance, April 2024
-
Building a Resilient and Sustainable Cruise Industry Post
COVID-19, April 2024
-
An Overview of GHG Monitoring: Objectives and Technologies,
April 2024
-
Review of Traceability Systems Applied to the Value Chain of
Fisheries and Aquaculture in APEC Economies, April 2024
-
APEC Public-Private Dialogue on Challenges, Opportunities,
and Digitally-enabled Recovery in the Post-COVID Era, April
2024
-
APEC Energy Handbook 2021, April 2024
-
APEC Energy Statistics 2021, April 2024
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APEC |
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April 2024 |
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Mind the Gap: Ambition Versus Delivery in China’s BRI
Megaprojects in Southeast Asia, March 2024.
China has become Southeast Asia’s largest infrastructure
financing partner. Yet there is an enormous gap between what
Beijing promises and what it has delivered, amounting to more
than $50 billion in unfulfilled project financing with more than
half of this reflecting projects that have either been
cancelled, downsized, or otherwise seem unlikely to proceed. The
reasons for this gap include China’s almost exclusive focus on
financing ambitious megaprojects especially prone to problems
and delays but also political instability in partner countries,
weak stakeholder consultation, and increasingly stranded fossil
fuel projects... |
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Lowy |
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Papua New Guinea’s Fiscal Decentralisation: A Way Forward, March
2024.
Fiscal decentralisation in Papua New Guinea (PNG) has been a
contentious topic for much of the country’s history. PNG has had
several attempts at decentralising fiscal responsibilities,
without much success in improving governance or service
delivery. This is concerning, given sub-national funding has
increased in the past decade. Governance has deteriorated over
time as more responsibilities and funds are channelled to lower
levels of government, including through unaccountable transfers
to members of parliament (MPs) to use at their discretion.
Government effectiveness and service delivery have suffered as a
result, leading to poor development outcomes. This paper
examines the weaknesses in the decentralisation process and how
these mechanisms can be strengthened... |
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Lowy |
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The Trade Routes Vital to Australia’s Economic Security, March 2024. A
recurrent theme in Australia’s defence strategy has been our reliance on
and need to defend Australia’s trade routes in a globalised world. The
vulnerability of Australia’s limited stockpiles of critical goods and
its concentrated sources of supply have driven military capability and
planning for decades and remain a justification for strategic
investments. The 2023 Defence Strategic Review argued that the danger of
any power threatening to invade the Australian continent was remote, but
that an adversary could implement military coercion at a distance with
threats against our trade and supply routes. With limited resources and
finite defence capability, yet vast interests at sea, it’s important
that Australian security and economic planning is trained on the most
critical pain points in our sea lines of communication. Strategy and
planning must derive from up-to-date and accurate data about what we
trade, via which routes, and to and from which specific locations... |
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ASPI |
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Deterring an Attack on Taiwan: Policy Options for India and Other
Non-belligerent State, March 2024. India has a
vital role to play in deterring China from unifying Taiwan by military
force, a new Australian Strategic Policy Institute report finds,
highlighting New Delhi’s significant economic, diplomatic, legal and
strategic narrative levers. The report looks beyond traditional thinking
on military preparations to dissuade Beijing from taking the island by
force and offers six ways for India, with its great strategic and
economic weight, to “help shape Beijing’s calculus away from the use of
force”. The author writes that the use of such long-term measures is
vital to New Delhi’s own interests, as the economic and regional
security impacts of a major war would be devastating for India itself.
India and other “non-belligerent states” could apply a range of measures
to persuade Beijing that the time is not right for a military attack... |
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ASPI |
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EU-Thailand FTA Negotiations: IUU Fishing and Human Rights
Remain Obstacles, March 2024.
Thailand’s fishing industry, which at its height saw as many
as 200,000 migrant workers from neighboring Laos, Myanmar,
and Cambodia caught in a brutal system of abuse, withered
global criticism until eventually, the European Union (EU)
issued a “yellow card” to Thailand aiming to crack down on
both systemic abuse and illegally caught fish ending up in
European supermarkets. With a semi-democratic government
replacing the military-backed establishment that ruled
Thailand for nearly a decade, negotiations for a mutually
desired free trade agreement (FTA) have resumed. However, as
the new Srettha Thavisin government seeks fast economic
remedies to a flagging economy, reforms to its fishing
industry may come undone, compromising FTA talks and putting
the Kingdom again under international scrutiny... |
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ISDP |
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Trade, Connectivity and Supply Chains in EU-India Relations,
February 2024.
In the decade and a half since 2007 when the EU and India
first started their FTA negotiations, the world economic
order has undergone a sea change. During that period, Europe
has also sought to position itself as a strategic actor
seeking to create a secure and rules-based Indo-Pacific
through its 2021 Strategy for Cooperation in the
Indo-Pacific (SCIP). The release of the Global Gateway
strategy in December 2021 holds the potential to leverage
China’s increasingly controversial Belt and Road Initiative
(BRI) — Italy’s recent withdrawal from the project
constitutes another major blow to the venture. Relying on
partner states like India to be a ‘gateway’ to Asia’s
infrastructure markets is a natural evolution of the EU’s
focus on the region. Proof of this is the MoU signed by the
EU and India, among others, as a prelude to the launch of
IMEC in September 2023... |
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ISDP |
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Report of the Webinar on “SOUTH KOREA, INDIA, AND THE
EMERGING QUAD PLUS CALCULUS”, February 2024.
The webinar addressed several questions: Where does Seoul’s
engagement with the Indo-Pacific stand and where does the
Quad feature therein? What are South Korea’s reasons for
seeking greater cooperation with the Quad? What shape would
South Korea’s cooperation with the Quad take? Would it
emerge as a new ‘Quint’ platform or as a more flexible and
ad hoc ‘Quad Plus’ format? What are the prospects for
India-Korea cooperation in the Indo-Pacific? Considering
their bilateral cooperation, what are the prospects for both
countries to promote and enhance minilateral formats of
cooperation in the region, particularly about the Quad? How
can we envision a strategic convergence between India and
South Korea in Indo-Pacific minilateral frameworks? In other
words, what other minilateral forums could set this example
for quad-plus format cooperation? Please read the report of
this webinar here. |
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ISDP |
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Issues and Trends in U.S. Presidential Election 2024.
The U.S. presidential election, like national elections in
most democracies, is mostly fought and won on domestic
issues that have a direct bearing on the day-to-day lives of
the American people. Foreign policy issues, while still
significant for a global power like the United States, is
largely peripheral and episodic in terms of influencing
voting patterns. Nevertheless, more than any other election
in the world, the process and result of the U.S.
presidential election is keenly watched and has global
repercussions. From the intra-party primaries to the
presidential nominations, and then to the final verdict in
November, candidates will have to grapple with a host of
issues, based on which American voters will elect the next
U.S. president. As the election season heats up, candidates
will become more hyperbolic in asserting their best plans to
save American democracy at home, and American leadership
abroad... |
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ISDP |
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South Korea-India Ties: Between Bilateralism, Minilateralism,
and Multilateralism, March 2024.
In the context of the Indo-Pacific construct, the expanding
gaps in global governance, the rise in minilateralism, the
need to reinvigorate regional and global multilateralism,
and the imperative to strengthen the rules-based liberal
international order, it is important to look at the evolving
trajectory of ties between India and South Korea, both Asian
giants. This paper first discusses the contours of the ROK’s
Indo-Pacific strategy, especially through the India angle.
It then examines South Korea’s importance in India’s foreign
policy and regional/global goals through the prism of
India’s relationship with the Quad partners. It also looks
at their congruence and cooperation in regional, global
organizations and platforms such as the United Nations (UN),
ASEAN, the Group of Twenty (G20), and the Indo-Pacific
Economic Framework for Prosperity (IPEF). Finally, it
explores the prospects of cooperation through select
minilateral forums. |
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ISDP |
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Navigating BRI and Indo-Pacific Strategy: Challenge for
South Asian Small States, March 2024.
This paper explores the intersection of China’s Belt and
Road Initiative (BRI) and the Indo-Pacific Strategy (IPS)
among South Asian Small States, analyzing the interplay
between the two initiatives and their implications for
regional geopolitics. Specifically, it aims to elucidate the
synergies and conflicts between the two initiatives, assess
the strategic significance of South Asian Small States,
including Nepal, Bhutan, Maldives, and Sri Lanka, within
this framework, and examine the implications for regional
stability and national sovereignty. It highlights the
complex interplay between BRI and IPS in the South Asian
Small States, characterized by economic opportunities,
geopolitical tensions, and strategic maneuvering... |
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ISDP |
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Can UAE become an Indo-Pacific Sea Power? March 2024.
Amidst the intensified race over connectivity in the
Indo-Pacific in a competitive infrastructure marketplace,
the UAE is positioning itself to play an important role
through strategic investments in ports abroad and extensive
maritime engagements. Having established a strong presence
in the Horn of Africa through investment in port
infrastructure, the UAE is now keen to expand its regional
influence in the South Asia sub-region of the Indian Ocean,
and beyond into the larger Indo-Pacific. This issue brief
outlines the emergence of the UAE as a sea power through
such investments while highlighting how the Emirates’
limited participation in the governance of the Indo-Pacific
is limiting its influence. It makes a case for the UAE to
take a more proactive role in complementing its economic
investments with participation in regional governance
initiatives to help secure a truly free and open
Indo-Pacific. |
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ISDP |
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Needed, a Framework to Protect Undersea Cables, March 2024.
In the data-driven world we live in, submarine cables are
the arteries that connect nation-states and their people in
literally every human activity, including trade, commerce,
entertainment, and social interactions. Any interference in
that flow of data can disrupt lives and livelihoods and
compromise the capacity of nation-states to trade,
communicate, and defend their interests. There are few
instruments in public international law available to
nation-states for the protection of submarine cables vital
to their national interest. However, private international
law and, in particular, commercial contracts may provide the
basis for a network of contracts that may provide the legal
framework required to defend the network of submarine
cables... |
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ISDP |
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India-Japan-Philippines: A Strategic Maritime Trilateral or
More, March 2024.
Regional states like India, Japan, and the Philippines have
been seeking cooperative solutions with other middle powers
that can both counter the Chinese influence and fulfill
other economic as well as traditional and non-traditional
security objectives. Against this scenario of evolving
geopolitics, is there merit in an India-Japan-Philippines
trilateral? Can it play a strategic role in the Indo-Pacific
maritime domain and keep China in check? Can such grouping
enhance the scope of “third country” partnerships and boost
the multilateralism espoused by ASEAN? This Focus Asia paper
aims to address such questions by exploring the
interconnectedness between the Philippines, India, and Japan
through both the bilateral and regional lens, looking at the
trajectory of the recent high-level interactions... |
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ISDP |
|
The State of Southeast Asia: 2024 Survey Report.
The State of Southeast Asia 2024 Survey conducted by the
ASEAN Studies Centre at ISEAS – Yusof Ishak Institute
reveals that Southeast Asia’s top preoccupations are with
unemployment, climate change, and intensifying economic
tensions between major powers. The Israel-Hamas conflict is
the region’s top geopolitical concern, while China has edged
past the US to become the prevailing choice if the region
were forced to align itself in the ongoing US-China rivalry. |
|
ISEAS |
|
Trends in
Southeast Asia 2024 #7: ASEAN Post-2025: Reimagining the
ASEAN Economic Community. ASEAN Economic Community
(AEC) building is a long journey. For continued relevance
and impact, the AEC must remain dynamic while taking into
consideration evolving contexts and emerging opportunities
and challenges. Notable progress has been made under the two
AEC Blueprints (2015 and 2025), particularly in laying down
the frameworks for regional economic integration and
community building. Nonetheless, gaps remain in
implementation, calling for a more streamlined but
result-oriented agenda and stronger institutional
coordination. Today, the AEC is faced with a markedly
different context and unprecedented challenges resulting
from a poly-crisis, involving geo-economic fragmentation,
supply chain restructuring, and climactic changes. Without
adjustment, ASEAN’s pillar and sector-centric approach can
be expected to fall short in effectively responding to these
challenges... |
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ISEAS |
|
Trends in
Southeast Asia 2024 #6: Prosperity or Predicament? Decoding
Certification Challenges in Malaysia’s Palm Oil Industry.
Oil palm was brought to Malaysia from West Africa as part of
British colonial agricultural development initiatives, but
the refining of crude palm oil only began in the 1970s as
part of the move by the Malaysian government to
industrialize the country’s agrarian economy. Malaysia is
the world’s second-largest producer of palm oil, after
Indonesia. Both countries account for about 85 per cent of
total exports. Incidentally, smallholders produce about 40
per cent of the total output of palm oil in Malaysia. The
palm oil industry is mired in controversy. Global campaigns
originating in Europe and the US have branded the crop the
biggest cause of deforestation, with proposed bans to follow
in December 2024... |
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ISEAS |
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Trends in
Southeast Asia 2024 #5: How Thailand’s Move Forward Party’s
Fandom Strategy Shaped the 2023 General Election. The
concept of political fandom, the state of being fans of a
politician or of a political party, played a crucial role
during Thailand’s General Election in 2023. Fandom
contributed to the popularity on social media of
politicians, such as Pita Limjaroenrat, the Move Forward
Party’s leader and prime ministerial candidate. The
strategies involved in achieving celebrity status for
politicians are varied. This paper provides a case study of
the factors behind the success of Pita and the Move Forward
Party and contrasts these with reasons why Pita’s key
political opponents were less effective. It argues that the
digital age and the transcendence of politics into pop
culture, where celebrity status and fandom can drive
electoral outcomes, signify a profound shift in democratic
participation, political engagement and the very fabric of
Thai politics... |
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ISEAS |
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Trends in
Southeast Asia 2024 #4: China’s Cultural Diplomacy in
Indonesia: The Case of a Transnational Singing Contest.
The emphasis on cultural connectivity in China’s growing
presence and involvement in Southeast Asia highlights the
importance China places on people-to-people exchanges as
part of its global engagement strategy. The remarkable
ascension of China over the recent decades has precipitated
a proliferation of anti-China sentiments, particularly
galvanized within the crucible of a “discourse war” with
Western powers, as expressed in the latter’s “China threat”
narrative. In response to such challenges, China has made
substantial investments in cultural diplomacy, to augment
its soft power through orchestrated global outreach
initiatives... |
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ISEAS |
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Latest APEC publications:
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Services Domestic Regulation: Envisioning Next Generation
Technical Standards Principles, March 2024
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APEC Education Officials Dialogue: Schools as Community Hubs
– Project Summary Report, March 2024
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APEC Technology Commercialization Demand Side Program Study
Report, March 2024
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Fostering Digital Competency, Building Re-employment
Capacity, and Enhancing Well-being for Younger Older Adults
in the Digital Economy - Background Paper, March 2024
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Digitalising Trade: The Role of Paperless Platforms, March
2024
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Consensus Framework Resource Guide, March 2024
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Call To Action: Report, March 2024
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Findings and Practices on Smart Customs in APEC Free
Zones/Free Trade Ports, March 2024
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Report on the APEC Roundtable - The Seabird-Safe Longline
Fishing Toolkit, March 2024
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Policies and Tools for Improving Digital Economy and
Competition in Digital Markets: Current Issues, March 2024
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APEC Workshop on Implementation of Online Dispute Resolution
(ODR) in APEC Economies, including through the APEC ODR
Collaborative Framework, March 2024
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APEC Creative Industries in The Post-COVID-19 Pandemic:
General Situations and Policy Responses, March 2024
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Policy Recommendations: Stakeholder Engagement to Promote
Digitalization of Licensing and Permitting Measures in APEC
Economies, March 2024
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Workshop Summary Report – APEC Workshop on Promoting Digital
Transformation in Agriculture, March 2024
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A Workshop for Fisheries Enforcement Strategies to Prevent,
Combat and Deter IUU Fishing Related to COVID-19 Pandemic,
March 2024
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World-Class Circular Economy Industrial Parks: Best
Practices, Challenges, Opportunities, Training and
Collaboration, March 2024
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Progress Evaluation and Future Direction: An Analysis of the
Cebu Action Plan, March 2024
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Study on the Use of Telemedicine to Promote Health Equity in
APEC Region after COVID-19, March 2024
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Gap Analysis of Economic Incentives for Antimicrobials in
APEC Economies, March 2024
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Options Paper: Incentives to Bring New Antibiotics to APEC
Markets, March 2024
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APEC Regional Trends Analysis, February 2024
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Capacity Building on Vessel Innovation Symposium to Combat
Marine Debris, March 2024
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Final Report with Policy Recommendations for APEC
Manufacturing-Related Services: Definitions, Contributions,
Issues, & Challenges, March 2024
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Data Standardization within APEC: Focusing on Health Data,
March 2024
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Microplastic Exposure and Distribution in the Coastal
Aquaculture Input System, March 2024
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APEC FTAAP Work Program: Multistakeholder Engagement for
Trade Agreement Development, March 2024
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Green Chemistry and Sound Chemicals Management Workshop,
March 2024
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Energy Efficiency Policy Workshop on PREE 12:
Electrification and Energy Efficiency, March 2024
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Promoting Compostable Bioplastics in the APEC Region, March
2024
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Research Report on Promoting Green Jobs for a Resilient
Economic Recovery from COVID-19, February 2024
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Latest ADBI Working Paper Series:
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