APEC’s Gyeongju Moment: Turning Promises into Progress

[Bahauddin Foizee] 2025 APEC Summit framed its agenda around three priorities—namely, Connect, Innovate, Prosper—a structure that mirrors the region’s core dilemmas.

What APEC 2025 Reveals About Global Trade

[Zephyr Quinn] As global institutions falter and domestic populism surges, even the act of agreeing on principles—no matter how bland—becomes an act of defiance against fragmentation.

U.S.-Vietnam Recent Deal Built on Compulsion

[Zephyr Quinn] Vietnam has asked the U.S. to recognize it as a market economy and to lift restrictions on high-tech exports, longstanding requests Washington continues to ignore.

Street Food’s Vital Role in Southeast Asia’s Identity and Economy

[Natalie Morales] Local governments and communities should recognize the value of street food as a vital cultural practice that supports economic growth, social inclusion and sustainable food systems.

Is Australia Striking a Balance Between Economic Interests and Development Goals in Southeast Asia?

[Zephyr Quinn] How Australia positions its involvement in Southeast Asia’s energy transition will be critical in shaping its long-term relationships in the region.

U.S. and Malaysia’s Air Defense Partnership in South China Sea

[Adrian Paul Pereira] As the South China Sea continues to be a focal point for geopolitical tensions, collaborations like this one play an essential role in ensuring that the airspace and maritime regions of the Indo-Pacific remain secure.

Germany’s Balancing Act with China in a Shifting Global Landscape

[Bahauddin Foizee] Approximately 60% of German businesses operating in China are taking steps to enhance supply chain reliability, with many looking to Southeast Asia as a new frontier.

The Promise of the BURMA Act

[Bahauddin Foizee] The effectiveness of this law ultimately depends on the cooperation of regional state actors such as Bangladesh, India and Thailand.

Fleeing from Persecution, Fleeing for Safety

[Bahauddin Foizee] Although Rohingyas found safety in Bangladesh, their lives have never been the same, courtesy to the experiences they had to go through in Myanmar and the challenges they continue to face in Bangladesh,

India’s Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative Requires Concerted Effort among Littoral Countries

[Dr. Pankaj Jha] India’s Indo-pacific Oceans Initiative is a work in progress and requires concerted effort among littoral countries of the Indo-Pacific region.

Asia-Pacific’s Coastal Communities Becoming more Vulnerable by the Day

[Bahauddin Foizee] While coastal areas of countries like Bangladesh, India, the Philippines and Sri Lanka would disappear gradually, other small island nations like Micronesia and the Maldives would be submerged under water almost completely, turning millions of inhabitants living in these countries into climate refugees.

Bay of Bengal Countries Losing Coastal Areas to Rising Sea Level

[Bahauddin Foizee]
If the environment of the Bay of Bengal region continues to deteriorate due to climate change, millions of inhabitants living in coastal areas would become climate refugees.