https://www.scmp.com/rss/32909/feed The Association of Southeast Asian Nations, or Asean, was established on 8 August 1967 in Bangkok, Thailand, with the signing of the Asean Declaration by Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore and Thailand. Since then, membership has expanded to include Brunei, Myanmar, Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam. Its aims include accelerating economic growth, social progress and cultural development of its member states and the protection of regional peace and stability. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Sam Beltran Sam Beltran Later this month, Indonesian cinema-goers will finally get to see what audiences in Berlin saw in February: Jokor Anwar’s Ghost in the Cell. The horror-comedy, which had its world premiere at the prestigious Berlin International Film Festival, has been celebrated by influential trade magazine Variety for rising above mere “escapist entertainment” to channel societal anxieties about corruption and environmental destruction. Yet it is only the latest example of Southeast Asia’s creative moment... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3348980/southeast-asia-seeks-soft-power-outlast-us300-billion-buzz?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3348980/southeast-asia-seeks-soft-power-outlast-us300-billion-buzz?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 04 Apr 2026 00:00:16 +0000 Laura Zhou Laura Zhou The compound is modern with air conditioning in every room. Inside are a medical clinic, massage parlour, and Vietnamese barbecue, Chinese hotpot and halal eateries – a full range of conveniences. Yet the residents are gone – and they appear to have fled in haste. Clothes still hang out to dry, while the stench of rotting food lingers. Located in a secluded area in Kampot province near Cambodia’s border with Vietnam, the site is believed to be a telecoms scam centre. Cambodian authorities said... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3348930/game-whack-mole-how-could-scam-industry-bring-china-and-us-together?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3348930/game-whack-mole-how-could-scam-industry-bring-china-and-us-together?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 03 Apr 2026 22:00:10 +0000 Aidan Jones Aidan Jones His makeover from junta chief to president now complete, Myanmar’s Min Aung Hlaing may seek to tiptoe back into the international fold as a civilian leader. But critics say the change is just a “veneer” that poses a challenge for Asean, the regional bloc that has frozen out Myanmar from its top summits, while its military wages war on its own people. On Friday, a parliament stuffed with military loyalists made Min Aung Hlaing president. They were put there by an election held five years after... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3348909/myanmars-junta-chief-min-aung-hlaing-wins-parliamentary-vote-become-president?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3348909/myanmars-junta-chief-min-aung-hlaing-wins-parliamentary-vote-become-president?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 03 Apr 2026 06:00:59 +0000 Hao Nan Hao Nan A month into the Iran war, Washington still says it expects to achieve its objectives in weeks, not months. That may prove optimistic. The terms on offer from the United States and Iran barely overlap, and markets remain unconvinced a durable settlement is close. But one fact is clear: the war’s most consequential effects may be felt not only in the Middle East but across East Asia. It would be a mistake to see this as only an oil story. It is also about hierarchy. In East Asia, the war is... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3348429/how-east-asia-being-quietly-reordered-us-war-iran?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3348429/how-east-asia-being-quietly-reordered-us-war-iran?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 02 Apr 2026 12:30:07 +0000 Maria Siow Maria Siow Asean’s neutrality in the Iran conflict is key to granting access to the coveted Strait of Hormuz, with Tehran likely seeking to win global opinion amid its war with the United States and Israel. Amid boiling tensions in the Gulf, Iran has wielded its control of the strategic channel to choke global oil supplies, especially to the US and its allies. Many countries – including those from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations – have turned to diplomatic efforts to secure safe passage for... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3348759/why-asean-neutrality-iran-war-key-unlocking-strait-hormuz?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3348759/why-asean-neutrality-iran-war-key-unlocking-strait-hormuz?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 02 Apr 2026 05:41:08 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Myanmar cleared the way on Monday for coup-leading General Min Aung Hlaing to become president and maintain his rule in civilian garb, with lawmakers nominating him as a vice-presidential candidate and the junta replacing him as military commander. Min Aung Hlaing has ruled Myanmar since 2021 when he ordered a coup toppling the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi – detaining the Nobel Peace Prize laureate, dissolving her party and triggering civil war. After five years of hardline rule, he... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3348416/myanmar-paves-way-junta-chief-be-civilian-president-ruling-iron-fist?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3348416/myanmar-paves-way-junta-chief-be-civilian-president-ruling-iron-fist?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 30 Mar 2026 10:23:09 +0000 Bloomberg Bloomberg Petron, the Philippines’ only refiner, has procured 2.48 million barrels of crude oil from Russia as the Southeast Asian nation scours the world for alternative suppliers to support domestic energy needs with the war in Iran raging. “If the current crisis persists and alternative crude sources remain unavailable or insufficient, Petron may again be compelled to consider purchases of Russian crude oil to augment the national fuel supply,” parent company San Miguel said in a statement to market... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3348321/philippine-oil-refiner-petron-buys-russian-crude-eyes-alternatives?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3348321/philippine-oil-refiner-petron-buys-russian-crude-eyes-alternatives?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 29 Mar 2026 15:37:36 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Indonesia is looking to save up to 40 trillion rupiah (US$2.3 billion) by cutting back on its free meal programme, an official said on Sunday, in a first austerity measure taken in response to price pressures from conflict in the Middle East. The meals, primarily intended for schoolchildren across the country, will be distributed for five days a week instead of six starting March 31 in a move that is expected to save “around 40 trillion rupiah”, National Nutrition Agency deputy head Nanik... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3348319/indonesia-cuts-free-meals-save-us23-billion-fuel-prices-soar?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3348319/indonesia-cuts-free-meals-save-us23-billion-fuel-prices-soar?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 29 Mar 2026 13:36:46 +0000 Elina Noor Elina Noor On March 1, after Israel and the United States initiated attacks against Iran, Amazon Web Services reported drone strikes against data centre facilities in the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain. The strikes caused structural damage to the company’s infrastructure, impairing cloud services for those countries. Iran warned that US tech companies with Israeli links, including Google, Microsoft, Palantir, Nvidia and Oracle, were on Tehran’s list of “legitimate targets” for countermeasures. Strikes on... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3347725/ai-infrastructure-front-line-lessons-asean-iran-war?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3347725/ai-infrastructure-front-line-lessons-asean-iran-war?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 28 Mar 2026 21:30:10 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Singapore has seized over 830kg (1,800 lbs) of Asian pangolin scales hidden in a shipment bound for Cambodia, authorities said on Saturday, calling it the largest haul of its kind discovered in the city state. Falsely declared as “dried fish skin”, the scales – estimated to be from more than 2,200 pangolins – were found in 30 bags on December 29 after officials intercepted an inbound truck carrying sea cargo, Singapore’s National Parks Board said in a statement. The announcement came as... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3348253/singapore-seizes-record-asian-pangolin-scales-disguised-dried-fish-skin?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3348253/singapore-seizes-record-asian-pangolin-scales-disguised-dried-fish-skin?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 28 Mar 2026 09:59:47 +0000 Joseph Sipalan,Ushar Daniele Joseph Sipalan,Ushar Daniele For a few weeks after the bombs started falling on Iran, Southeast Asian governments told their people not to worry. Emergency funds would cushion the blow. Subsidies would hold. Prices would stabilise. A month on, with oil well above US$100 a barrel, long queues for fuel forming at petrol stations across the region and Thailand restarting coal plants it had mothballed years ago, the reassurances have worn thin. Against this backdrop, an old question has resurfaced with fresh urgency: why does a... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3348186/iran-war-energy-shock-revives-aseans-power-grid-plans-its-way-go?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3348186/iran-war-energy-shock-revives-aseans-power-grid-plans-its-way-go?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 28 Mar 2026 00:00:13 +0000 Ushar Daniele Ushar Daniele Massive carbon emissions from military activities and war-driven fossil fuel dependence are undermining the global energy transition, climate advocates warn as they point to the ongoing Iran conflict exacerbating this long-standing blind spot. Activists from Climate Action Network Southeast Asia, Oxfam and the Fossil Fuel Treaty convened in Kuala Lumpur earlier this week to discuss strategies to protect the global environment at the Southeast Asia-South Asia Preparatory Meeting for the Santa... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3348144/wars-threaten-global-climate-activists-push-cop31-discuss-defence-spending?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3348144/wars-threaten-global-climate-activists-push-cop31-discuss-defence-spending?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 27 Mar 2026 08:57:30 +0000 Sam Beltran Sam Beltran Philippine lawmakers have implored President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr to postpone this year’s Asean summit, as the country grapples with soaring fuel prices amid a global energy crisis. Analysts warn, however, that such a move would undermine Manila’s chairmanship of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations. Leaders in the Philippine Senate have backed calls to study the postponement option, originally proposed by ex-finance secretary Gary Teves to cut government spending and redirect funds... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3348048/philippines-battles-fuel-crisis-will-marcos-postpone-asean-summit?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3348048/philippines-battles-fuel-crisis-will-marcos-postpone-asean-summit?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 27 Mar 2026 04:30:08 +0000 Kolette Lim Kolette Lim In recent weeks, Singaporean Cindy has been troubled by an odour lingering in the air during her evening walks to the gym. “It’s the same situation every year, but I would say that the fogginess and burning smell have been getting stronger for the last year or so,” said the 33-year-old resident who lives in the southern estate of Telok Blangah. “I have a baby, so it concerns me a lot, and I know many other families feel the same,” she said. “I always keep our windows closed, which is not very... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3348070/haze-returns-singapore-crisis-quietly-accepted-asean-inevitable?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3348070/haze-returns-singapore-crisis-quietly-accepted-asean-inevitable?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 27 Mar 2026 03:00:13 +0000 Ji Siqi Ji Siqi While China appears better prepared than other countries to deal with the shocks brought by the US-Israel war on Iran, its economy would still come under pressure in the short term if its regional partners suffer, an executive with a global consultancy has said. “China might be more resilient, but China is not resilient to a demand shock,” said Denis Depoux, a global managing director at consultancy Roland Berger. “For example, if the economy is slowing down in Southeast Asia, if people stop... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3347932/demand-shock-china-cannot-escape-impact-long-iran-war-analyst-warns?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3347932/demand-shock-china-cannot-escape-impact-long-iran-war-analyst-warns?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 26 Mar 2026 08:00:09 +0000 Ji Siqi Ji Siqi As the US-Israeli war on Iran continues, China’s top legislator, Zhao Leji, has told the Boao Forum for Asia – a high-level gathering of governments and business leaders – that power politics should be rejected in favour of economic development and conflicts should be resolved through negotiations. “The people of Asia, having endured the scourge of war and chaos, deeply understand the value of peace and stability,” said Zhao, chairman of the National People’s Congress Standing Committee, China’s... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3347963/iran-war-rages-china-links-peace-economic-growth-boao-forum?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3347963/iran-war-rages-china-links-peace-economic-growth-boao-forum?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 26 Mar 2026 06:39:36 +0000 Haining Gao Haining Gao – https://www.scmp.com/plus/economy/china-economy/article/3347653/china-starts-going-global-southeast-asia?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/plus/economy/china-economy/article/3347653/china-starts-going-global-southeast-asia?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 24 Mar 2026 02:31:36 +0000 Mia Nurmamat Mia Nurmamat As China undergoes a sweeping economic transition, its regions are also in the process of embracing change. The powerhouses of yesteryear must adapt or risk falling behind, as traditional industries become less reliable growth drivers and new sectors take prominence. In this series, we explore three representative areas of the country as they attempt to navigate this rapidly changing environment. After Joyce Wu moved from Hainan province to Hong Kong in 2013, she marvelled for years at the... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3347581/chinas-hainan-wants-more-beach-tourism-will-new-customs-rules-cause-sea-change?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3347581/chinas-hainan-wants-more-beach-tourism-will-new-customs-rules-cause-sea-change?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 23 Mar 2026 22:00:10 +0000 Chietigj Bajpaee Chietigj Bajpaee When the late Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe gave his landmark speech in the Indian parliament in August 2007 referring to the “confluence of the two seas”, he gave birth to the concept of the Indo-Pacific as a strategic space connecting East and South Asia. But the latest conflict in the Middle East illustrates how South Asia’s interconnectedness increasingly lies to its west. Some of these connections are deeply rooted in history: South Asia is home to the world’s largest Muslim population... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3346933/why-middle-east-volatility-presents-enhanced-risk-south-asia?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3346933/why-middle-east-volatility-presents-enhanced-risk-south-asia?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 23 Mar 2026 21:30:07 +0000 Kevin Li Kevin Li US importers have cut orders and shifted to short-term contracts amid a global oil crisis triggered by war in the Middle East, according to Hong Kong business leaders, who warn that profit margins are eroding and liquidity is becoming strained. Executive Council member and businessman Jeffrey Lam Kin-fung said on Sunday that the US-Israel war on Iran had driven up fuel costs, raising operating expenses for local firms. He urged the Hong Kong government to bolster ties with Central Asian and... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3347479/hong-kong-firms-face-profit-squeeze-us-importers-cut-orders-amid-oil-crisis?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3347479/hong-kong-firms-face-profit-squeeze-us-importers-cut-orders-amid-oil-crisis?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 22 Mar 2026 09:53:31 +0000 Sam Beltran Sam Beltran As the Philippines forms partnerships with several countries to harness its potentially huge wealth of critical minerals, analysts have called for a coherent road map to develop the country’s mining industry to globally competitive standards. President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr’s administration has signed multiple agreements over the past months, including a memorandum of understanding with the United States to cooperate on diversifying global critical mineral supply chains. The accord, signed during... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3347369/why-philippines-struggles-tap-its-us1-trillion-mineral-wealth?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3347369/why-philippines-struggles-tap-its-us1-trillion-mineral-wealth?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 20 Mar 2026 12:30:03 +0000 Brian McFeeters Brian McFeeters When the Trump administration rolled out sweeping tariffs on “Liberation Day” in April 2025, the reaction across Southeast Asia was swift: markets dipped, supply chains scrambled and governments went into damage control. Governments had a choice: retaliate or negotiate. They negotiated. Southeast Asian countries including Indonesia, Malaysia and Cambodia have signed Agreements on Reciprocal Trade with the United States. Those deals lowered tariffs from their peak levels and opened market access... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3346872/why-tariffs-arent-biggest-factor-holding-back-us-asean-trade?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3346872/why-tariffs-arent-biggest-factor-holding-back-us-asean-trade?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 18 Mar 2026 14:30:09 +0000 Sam Beltran Sam Beltran The United States’ inclusion of Southeast Asian countries among economic partners it intends to investigate for unfair trade practices is expected to push the region further from Washington’s orbit. The probes, announced last week, could lead to new levies imposed on countries, based on allegations of forced labour and trade surpluses, even as the Donald Trump administration rails against a Supreme Court ruling that shot down sweeping tariffs imposed earlier. Seven countries from the Association... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3347044/us-trade-probes-risk-alienating-asean-casting-doubt-future-deals?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3347044/us-trade-probes-risk-alienating-asean-casting-doubt-future-deals?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 18 Mar 2026 10:28:55 +0000 Sam Beltran Sam Beltran A framework proposed at an Asean ministers’ meeting is set to propel disaster management to the top of the bloc’s agenda, further easing cooperation and decision-making in a region facing nearly US$18 trillion in disaster risk exposure. Analysts say the proposal, if implemented, would strengthen anticipatory action – potentially enabling the bloc to act before a formal request from a member state is even made. At the 35th Asean Socio-Cultural Community Council Meeting in Manila on March 5, bloc... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3346934/asean-bets-new-framework-remedy-uneven-disaster-response?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3346934/asean-bets-new-framework-remedy-uneven-disaster-response?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 18 Mar 2026 02:30:08 +0000 Frank Chen Frank Chen China’s leading planemaker is seeking to replicate the C909 regional airliner’s success in Laos, drawing on the experience as it steps up its sales pitch in Southeast Asia – a vital step in its effort to eventually rival Boeing and Airbus. The Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China (Comac) has ambitious plans in the region and beyond and is laying the groundwork through technical adjustments and regulatory adaptations, according to a company document seen by the South China Morning Post. To... https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3346906/china-adapts-c909-jet-operations-laos-blueprint-southeast-asia-and-beyond?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3346906/china-adapts-c909-jet-operations-laos-blueprint-southeast-asia-and-beyond?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 18 Mar 2026 02:00:14 +0000 Sam Beltran Sam Beltran As trade tensions and new US tariff investigations rattle global supply chains, Southeast Asian economies are looking to broaden their options. But analysts say that the region’s deep links with the United States and China mean any shift will be gradual rather than a clean break – and may yet work in Asean’s favour. The disruption could accelerate supply-chain diversification, drawing more manufacturing to the region from markets such as Europe, India and the Middle East. For now, however, the... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3346594/how-asean-can-loosen-dependence-us-china-amid-trade-war-fallout?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3346594/how-asean-can-loosen-dependence-us-china-amid-trade-war-fallout?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 16 Mar 2026 02:00:11 +0000 Barbora Valockova Barbora Valockova What does the world’s digital economy rest on? Thousands of kilometres of fibre-optic cable lying on the ocean floor and, increasingly, in the crosshairs of great-power rivalry. The confluence of recent subsea cable disruptions, gaps in the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (Unclos) and intensifying great-power competition has elevated this underwater infrastructure from a technical and commercial concern to a security issue – characterised as “this century’s hidden battleground”. It has... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/opinion/article/3346525/underwater-and-unprotected-why-asean-and-eu-must-secure-subsea-lifelines?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/opinion/article/3346525/underwater-and-unprotected-why-asean-and-eu-must-secure-subsea-lifelines?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 15 Mar 2026 04:00:08 +0000 Sam Beltran Sam Beltran For many of those rescued from Southeast Asia’s scam compounds, escape is not the end of the ordeal. They leave behind the locked gates, surveillance and violence, but often return home carrying injuries, trauma and the stigma of having been forced to scam others. Just as difficult is what comes next: trying to explain the experience to the people waiting for them. “Some of them are not able to tell their family members or their community what has happened,” said human rights advocate Andrey... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3346532/southeast-asias-scam-compound-survivors-suffer-stigma-and-silence?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3346532/southeast-asias-scam-compound-survivors-suffer-stigma-and-silence?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 15 Mar 2026 00:00:08 +0000 Ben Dunant Ben Dunant Myanmar’s new parliament will convene next week, following an election tightly stage-managed by the junta. The Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP) will enjoy a commanding majority and the party of former generals can be expected to preserve the interests of the military and its associates. It’s unclear just how closely these broader interests align with the political ambitions of junta chief Senior General Min Aung Hlaing. He does not formally lead the USDP, whose majority means it can... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/opinion/article/3346527/myanmars-junta-staged-election-it-couldnt-stage-legitimacy?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/opinion/article/3346527/myanmars-junta-staged-election-it-couldnt-stage-legitimacy?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 14 Mar 2026 04:00:13 +0000 Reuters,Bloomberg Reuters,Bloomberg Asean should position itself as a safe haven for investment amid worsening global volatility, the host country said as the region’s economic ministers kicked off their meeting in Manila on Friday. “Let us ensure that Asean remains a region where investment is met with certainty and where cooperation creates genuine opportunity for our people,” Philippine Trade Secretary Cristina Roque said in her opening speech. Energy and financial markets worldwide have been upended with the Iran war in its... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3346445/philippines-urges-asean-be-global-investment-safe-haven-middle-east-war-rages?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3346445/philippines-urges-asean-be-global-investment-safe-haven-middle-east-war-rages?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 13 Mar 2026 04:28:30 +0000 Sam Beltran Sam Beltran Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr’s pitch for a United Nations Security Council seat this week was notable for his sidestepping of an issue at the core of Manila’s foreign policy in recent years. As he appealed to UN members in New York, Marcos framed the Philippines as a bridge connecting developing countries and middle-income economies, without making any direct reference to the South China Sea dispute. The president’s restrained speech, which avoided mentioning China despite ongoing... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3346401/philippines-bid-un-security-council-seat-sidesteps-maritime-row?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3346401/philippines-bid-un-security-council-seat-sidesteps-maritime-row?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 13 Mar 2026 00:00:23 +0000 Iman Muttaqin Yusof Iman Muttaqin Yusof Southeast Asia is facing a growing cyber spillover risk from the widening US-Israel war with Iran, with security experts warning that state-linked hackers and criminal groups are seeking to exploit turmoil around energy, shipping and banking networks to hit targets far beyond the Middle East. The assessment comes as Iran said it would target economic and banking interests linked to the United States and Israel in the region after an attack on an Iranian bank, while the United Arab Emirates said... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3346342/southeast-asia-faces-spillover-cyber-risk-iran-war-blast-radius-widens?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3346342/southeast-asia-faces-spillover-cyber-risk-iran-war-blast-radius-widens?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 12 Mar 2026 09:00:12 +0000 Sam Beltran Sam Beltran Vietnam’s new law regulating artificial intelligence could become Southeast Asia’s first real test of whether governments in the region are ready to move from voluntary guidelines to binding regulation, a shift analysts say could reshape how companies deploy AI across the region. The legislation, which took effect on Sunday, introduces a risk-tiered model where AI providers – both local organisations and foreign entities with a presence in the country – must classify their systems as low, medium... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3345650/why-vietnams-landmark-ai-law-first-major-regulatory-test-southeast-asia?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3345650/why-vietnams-landmark-ai-law-first-major-regulatory-test-southeast-asia?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 08 Mar 2026 06:00:10 +0000 Sam Beltran Sam Beltran #SEAblings – short for “Southeast Asian siblings” – has increasingly been used by young Southeast Asians to signal regional solidarity, be it over a controversial concert or a political event. Whether such moments are fleeting or have the potential to morph into a sustainable movement is a subject of debate. The hashtag’s latest surge in use followed a dispute over camera rules at a K-pop concert in Kuala Lumpur, which escalated into a much wider online clash. For some sociologists, the point is... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3345477/why-seablings-became-southeast-asias-symbol-digital-solidarity?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3345477/why-seablings-became-southeast-asias-symbol-digital-solidarity?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 05 Mar 2026 03:30:09 +0000 Haining Gao Haining Gao - https://www.scmp.com/plus/economy/china-economy/article/3345498/chinese-companies-expand-globally?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/plus/economy/china-economy/article/3345498/chinese-companies-expand-globally?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 05 Mar 2026 02:33:47 +0000 Orange Wang Orange Wang Singapore and China share “common interests” in safeguarding international order amid profound changes in the global landscape and uncertainties from trade wars, according to the city state’s top envoy to Beijing. The world has faced increased challenges, with huge pressure on multilateralism, free trade, and openness since the beginning of last year, Peter Tan Hai Chuan, Singapore’s ambassador to China, warned at an event at Renmin University in Beijing on Tuesday. “But Singapore and China have... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3345391/singapore-and-china-have-common-interests-safeguarding-global-order-says-ambassador?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3345391/singapore-and-china-have-common-interests-safeguarding-global-order-says-ambassador?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 04 Mar 2026 09:00:08 +0000 Samer Elhajjar ,Niraj Dawar Samer Elhajjar ,Niraj Dawar For years, debates about US-China competition have defaulted to the obvious categories: ships, chips, tariffs and security pacts. Soft power was often treated as America’s home turf, the domain of Hollywood, top universities, global brands and a political ideal that still attracts even when it disappoints. That assumption is getting riskier. The world has entered a new emotional weather pattern: fatigue. It’s a structural condition shaped by overlapping shocks: pandemic after-effects, inflation... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3344992/fatigue-rewriting-us-china-soft-power-contest-starting-asean?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3344992/fatigue-rewriting-us-china-soft-power-contest-starting-asean?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 04 Mar 2026 08:30:08 +0000 Enoch Yiu Enoch Yiu Hong Kong and Shanghai have signed an accord deepening their collaboration in promoting digitised cargo trade finance and strengthening mainland China’s connection to the global data ecosystem. The Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) on Monday signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the Shanghai Data Bureau and the National Technology Innovation Centre for Blockchain, according to a statement from Hong Kong’s de facto central bank. “This marks an important milestone in the collaboration... https://www.scmp.com/business/banking-finance/article/3345160/hong-kong-shanghai-sign-pact-digital-trade-finance-cross-border-data-link?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/banking-finance/article/3345160/hong-kong-shanghai-sign-pact-digital-trade-finance-cross-border-data-link?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 02 Mar 2026 10:55:30 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Myanmar’s military junta granted amnesty on Monday to more than 7,000 prisoners convicted of financing or sheltering a “terrorist group”, a designation it has used to outlaw pro-democracy factions opposing its rule. Thousands of dissenting civilians have been swept into jails since Myanmar’s military snatched power in a 2021 coup, ending a decade-long experiment with democracy and detaining elected figurehead Aung San Suu Kyi. Pro-democracy activists backing Suu Kyi and armed groups challenging... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3345128/myanmar-convicts-charged-terrorists-junta-freed-mass-amnesty?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3345128/myanmar-convicts-charged-terrorists-junta-freed-mass-amnesty?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 02 Mar 2026 08:53:23 +0000 Letters Letters Feel strongly about these letters, or any other aspects of the news? Share your views by emailing us your Letter to the Editor at letters@scmp.com or filling in this Google form. Submissions should not exceed 400 words For much of the past decade, Southeast Asia has been portrayed as a strategic prize in the intensifying rivalry between the US and China. Headlines often frame the region as a battleground for influence, as if Asean members are passive actors waiting to be pulled into rival... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/letters/article/3344717/asean-not-choosing-sides-strategically-maximising-space?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/letters/article/3344717/asean-not-choosing-sides-strategically-maximising-space?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 28 Feb 2026 03:30:09 +0000 Laura Zhou Laura Zhou Early in 2021, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi visited Myanmar’s capital Naypyidaw and held talks with both General Min Aung Hlaing, the chief of the armed forces, and Aung San Suu Kyi, the de facto leader of the civilian government. The meeting was a chance for China to voice support for Myanmar’s “national conditions” development path and signal China’s long-term pragmatic approach to ties with its southwestern neighbour, irrespective of who was in power. That strategy, however, came under... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3343830/5-years-and-1-election-later-why-chinas-myanmar-dilemma-still-isnt-over?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3343830/5-years-and-1-election-later-why-chinas-myanmar-dilemma-still-isnt-over?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 27 Feb 2026 22:00:10 +0000 Genevieve Donnellon-May Genevieve Donnellon-May A single policy could redraw global food supply lines and scramble markets from the Americas to Southeast Asia. In early February, the Communist Party of China’s Central Committee and State Council released the annual “No 1 document”, the country’s first policy statement of 2026 and its blueprint for agriculture, farmers and rural areas. As one of the world’s largest agricultural producers, importers and exporters, any shift in Beijing’s food strategy carries global repercussions. Covering... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3344152/china-seeks-cultivate-food-supply-immune-geopolitical-shocks?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3344152/china-seeks-cultivate-food-supply-immune-geopolitical-shocks?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 22 Feb 2026 12:30:09 +0000 The Korea Times The Korea Times A wave of online backlash against South Korea is spreading across Southeast Asia, fuelled by a dispute over fan behaviour at a K-pop concert and intensified by controversial comments from public officials, highlighting how quickly digital tensions can take on a regional dimension. Posts accusing Koreans of discrimination have circulated widely on social media in recent days, with users from Malaysia, Indonesia and Thailand sharing calls to boycott Korean products and culture. A hashtag invoking... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3344189/southeast-asians-unite-digital-boycott-south-korea-seabling-trends?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3344189/southeast-asians-unite-digital-boycott-south-korea-seabling-trends?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 21 Feb 2026 01:20:40 +0000 Daryl Ng Daryl Ng The Hong Kong government has started the year with initiatives that have far-reaching impacts on the city’s long-term growth. Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu announced that he is spearheading Hong Kong’s inaugural five-year plan, which will promote broader integration with China’s five-year plan and ensure a bigger role for the city in the nation’s economic development. He also reaffirmed deeper engagement with countries in Southeast Asia, Eastern Europe and Central Asia to open up new markets... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3343896/building-asean-ties-puts-hong-kong-path-long-term-growth?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3343896/building-asean-ties-puts-hong-kong-path-long-term-growth?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 20 Feb 2026 01:30:09 +0000 Reuters Reuters Thailand hopes to bring Myanmar back into Asean nearly five years after a military coup, Thai Foreign Minister Sihasak Phuangketkeow has said after meeting his Myanmar counterpart. “Thailand wants to be a bridge connecting Myanmar back to Asean,” Sihasak told reporters. He also urged civil war-ravaged Myanmar to make moves to adhere to a long-standing Association of Southeast Asian Nations plan to restore stability. “Myanmar must help Thailand as well by responding to Asean’s concerns, such as... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3343937/thailand-seeks-leading-role-restoring-myanmar-asean-fold?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3343937/thailand-seeks-leading-role-restoring-myanmar-asean-fold?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 18 Feb 2026 14:15:26 +0000 Fan Chen Fan Chen If there is one big threat to maritime security in Southeast Asia, it is the growing wariness between the big players in the region. That was the assessment from Kao Kim Hourn, secretary general of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean), at the just-concluded Munich Security Conference. “Overall the main threat would be the increasing strategic mistrust between and among the major powers,” he said during a panel on maritime security on Friday. Kao did not refer to any country... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3343748/why-big-power-rivalry-main-threat-asean-maritime-security?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3343748/why-big-power-rivalry-main-threat-asean-maritime-security?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 17 Feb 2026 08:00:12 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Myanmar ’s military government ordered East Timor ’s senior diplomat to leave the country after judicial authorities from the fellow Southeast Asian country accepted a criminal complaint against Myanmar’s armed forces, state media said on Monday. The move sharply escalates tensions between the two countries and is a rare step between members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, which East Timor joined only last year. There was no immediate response from East Timor’s government when... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3343753/east-timor-triggers-asean-first-accuses-myanmar-war-crimes?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3343753/east-timor-triggers-asean-first-accuses-myanmar-war-crimes?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 16 Feb 2026 10:46:33 +0000 Sophie Wushuang Yi Sophie Wushuang Yi Last month, in the same week that Chinese and Philippine diplomats restarted political dialogue for the first time in over a year, the People’s Liberation Army bombers conducted combat patrols over Scarborough Shoal. China then released a video marking the fifth anniversary of its coastguard law, emphasising the force’s legal mandate and role in maritime governance. It also features footage of the June 2024 confrontation with the Philippines. In the South China Sea, conference rooms and... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3343423/can-manilas-south-china-sea-strategy-defiance-and-diplomacy-hold?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3343423/can-manilas-south-china-sea-strategy-defiance-and-diplomacy-hold?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 15 Feb 2026 21:30:08 +0000 Sharon Seah Sharon Seah Derided by most international observers and the Myanmar diaspora as a sham, the recently concluded three-phase elections in Myanmar have entrenched military rule under a new constitutional government. For Asean, the outcome throws into sharp relief an increasingly uncomfortable question: should it continue to marginalise the intransigent junta until it complies with the bloc’s Five-Point Consensus (5PC), or find a way to re-engage without betraying the Association of Southeast Asian Nations’ own... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/opinion/article/3343518/how-asean-can-resolve-its-myanmar-dilemma-post-election?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/opinion/article/3343518/how-asean-can-resolve-its-myanmar-dilemma-post-election?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 14 Feb 2026 04:30:18 +0000 SCMP Editorial SCMP Editorial Global tension and uncertainty make this a pivotal moment to affirm regional engagement. A gathering in Jakarta this week did just that. The South China Morning Post’s China Conference: Southeast Asia 2026 brought together leaders, policymakers and businesses. It was the first time this flagship conference was held in Indonesia. The mission was to connect the world’s second-largest economy, China, with Southeast Asia’s biggest. Both nations are at critical junctures. China is embarking on its... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/comment/article/3343298/china-and-indonesia-strengthen-ties-hong-kong-has-role-play?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/comment/article/3343298/china-and-indonesia-strengthen-ties-hong-kong-has-role-play?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 12 Feb 2026 23:15:17 +0000