A fabricated article was used to refute allegations about the negative environmental impact of Chinese dam building, with Beijing’s leaders, hydropower companies, experts emphasising that China is benevolent towards downstream states in its dam operations.

Beijing has advocated the ‘Asian way’ in its approach to Asean-China ties and as contrast to US balance-of-power moves in Indo-Pacific region.

Apart from Singapore, most members of the bloc who rely on Russian arms have shied away from outrightly condemning Moscow’s aggression.

Beijing has supplied 190 million doses of its home-grown inoculations to the region, but public perceptions towards Sinovac and Sinopharm are negative.

Asean remains a bystander to the multitude of environmental challenges and geopolitical dynamics that are unfolding in the Mekong basin, despite being the premier regional grouping for Southeast Asia.

Hoang Thi Ha and Ian Storey examine the (dis)connect between the Asean-China Code of Conduct negotiations and the arbitration ruling.

In negotiating a code of conduct with Beijing to prevent flare-ups in the waterway, Asean risks alienating its global partners with cultural exceptionalism