https://www.scmp.com/rss/507187/feed Pou Sothirak is a retired academic and Distinguished Senior Adviser to the Cambodian Center for Regional Studies (CCRS). Previously secretary of state at the Foreign Affairs Ministry, he remains an adviser to the Cambodian government. He has extensive experience in international relations through his time as a visiting senior research fellow at Singapore’s Institute of Southeast Asia Studies (ISEAS) and as Cambodian Ambassador to Japan. He was Minister of Industry, Mines, and Energy of Cambodia... en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Since the end of the Second World War, the United States has sought to guide, if not dominate, the international system. The rules-based order, economic and trade liberalisation, and promotion of human rights were hallmarks of this era. Today, however, America’s role in the world is undergoing a profound transformation. While many blame this shift on President Donald Trump, his administration is more a symptom of a deeper reckoning with America’s self-image than the cause. There is a growing... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/opinion/article/3307981/trump-world-unravelling-american-global-leadership?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/opinion/article/3307981/trump-world-unravelling-american-global-leadership?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 26 Apr 2025 12:00:09 +0000 Disputes in the South China Sea have heightened insecurity in the Indo-Pacific, with claimant nations pursuing diplomatic and legal resolutions, including arbitration, while non-claimant states have advocated for freedom of navigation and compliance with the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (Unclos). Over the years, Asean and China have sought to maintain peace and stability by resolving long-standing territorial disputes peacefully, first with the Declaration on the Conduct of... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/opinion/article/3300611/south-china-sea-asean-beijing-need-recalibrated-approach-reach-binding-code-conduct?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/opinion/article/3300611/south-china-sea-asean-beijing-need-recalibrated-approach-reach-binding-code-conduct?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 02 Mar 2025 06:00:17 +0000 As next month’s US presidential election approaches, a pivotal question arises: what will the next administration mean for its partnership with Asean? The contours of US engagement with Southeast Asia are ripe for examination, especially in the face of geopolitical uncertainty and Washington’s relentless rivalry with Beijing, which compels it to reinforce its regional presence and partnerships. The foundation of US regional policy, largely driven by the current Indo-Pacific Strategy, is unlikely... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/opinion/article/3281849/strengthening-asean-key-us-boost-its-indo-pacific-strategy?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/opinion/article/3281849/strengthening-asean-key-us-boost-its-indo-pacific-strategy?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 11 Oct 2024 05:30:08 +0000 The coming US presidential election is a matter of deep interest around the world as there is hardly any region where American leadership does not have an impact. The United States has a big stake in the ongoing Ukraine and Israel-Gaza wars. US-China relations have deteriorated and tensions in the Indo-Pacific region have increased over issues such as the South China Sea dispute, cross-straits relations, trade and tech. Washington and Beijing are locked in an intense rivalry that has... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/opinion/article/3273005/second-trump-presidency-have-major-impact-indo-pacific-trade-and-security?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/opinion/article/3273005/second-trump-presidency-have-major-impact-indo-pacific-trade-and-security?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 03 Aug 2024 02:00:35 +0000 A groundswell of public enthusiasm has met Cambodia’s launch of the 180km Funan Techo Canal project, which proponents say will propel the nation towards becoming a thriving, modern economy. But sceptics have raised concerns over the plan’s possible spillover effects, arguing that it could jeopardise the health of the vital Mekong River and trigger geopolitical tensions. The US$1.7 billion belt and road project is set to be built over the next four years under a build-operate-transfer agreement,... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/opinion/article/3263140/cambodias-us17-billion-china-backed-canal-sparked-unease-heres-how-it-can-soothe-concerns?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/opinion/article/3263140/cambodias-us17-billion-china-backed-canal-sparked-unease-heres-how-it-can-soothe-concerns?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 18 May 2024 03:00:16 +0000 Asean is preparing a new strategic vision to guide the bloc over the next two decades, but to succeed it must strengthen its autonomy and ability to manoeuvre skilfully between the world’s two largest powers: the United States and China. The Asean Community Vision (ACV) 2045, to be implemented next year, aims to be “visionary, inspirational, robust, comprehensive, inclusive, and forward-looking” and “address current and future challenges” both within and beyond the region, while reflecting the... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/opinion/article/3248265/why-us-china-competition-will-shape-aseans-vision-next-20-years?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/opinion/article/3248265/why-us-china-competition-will-shape-aseans-vision-next-20-years?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 14 Jan 2024 02:00:32 +0000 US President Joe Biden’s meeting with Southeast Asian leaders in the days ahead herald fresh optimism for US-Asean relations. But the extent of any progress and the future of engagement fundamentally depends on whether both sides will be able to move closer on long-standing, unresolved commitments. Washington will host the US-Asean Special Summit on May 12-13 to examine opportunities to revitalise cooperation in critical areas of non-traditional security. That includes the response to Covid-19... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/opinion/article/3177477/biden-must-emphasise-washingtons-commitment-asean-and-blocs?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/opinion/article/3177477/biden-must-emphasise-washingtons-commitment-asean-and-blocs?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 12 May 2022 08:38:32 +0000 South Korea’s New Southern Policy (NSP) has been a welcome addition in Southeast Asia and has significantly expanded Seoul’s economic, cultural and developmental role in the region. But it needs a “boost” to capture more traction with Asean. As President Moon Jae-in’s government prepares to unveil NSP 2.0 later this year, efforts are needed to explain Seoul’s southern pivot more clearly and identify what challenges and opportunities lie ahead. The NSP, which Moon unveiled in 2017, was a... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/opinion/article/3106500/south-koreas-asean-strategy-needs-sturdy-pillars-understanding?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/opinion/article/3106500/south-koreas-asean-strategy-needs-sturdy-pillars-understanding?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 22 Oct 2020 00:00:12 +0000 Vietnam’s chairmanship of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) will take centre stage during the coming Asean Regional Forum (ARF) through videoconference this weekend. Foreign ministers of 27 nations, including Australia, China, India and the United States, are expected to find out how Asean will promote its centrality towards the theme and priorities under Vietnam’s chairmanship. Asean has many pressing challenges today, including maritime disputes in the South China Sea; the... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/opinion/article/3100975/asean-chair-vietnam-must-deepen-regional-solidarity-amid-us-china?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/opinion/article/3100975/asean-chair-vietnam-must-deepen-regional-solidarity-amid-us-china?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 11 Sep 2020 01:00:08 +0000