https://www.scmp.com/rss/522352/feed Lowy Institute: An independent, non-partisan international policy think tank based in Sydney, Australia, the Lowy Institute is dedicated to providing fresh thinking on Australia’s international policy challenges and deepening public debate. It conducts high-quality research on global political, strategic, and economic issues, with a significant focus on the Asia-Pacific region. Recognised as Australia’s leading think tank, it publishes influential analyses, including the Lowy Poll and Asia Power... en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com 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 Maria Siow Maria Siow At a high-level conference in Washington last month, the US State Department unveiled an “America first” aid strategy that ties development dollars directly to the commercial and security goals of the world’s largest economy. This shift away from decades of framing the United States’ foreign assistance as a moral undertaking is a reflection, analysts say, of the Trump administration’s view that foreign assistance should advance America’s national interest above all else. Officials at the... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3339382/us-strips-moral-framing-foreign-aid-america-first-pivot?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3339382/us-strips-moral-framing-foreign-aid-america-first-pivot?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 11 Jan 2026 08:00:19 +0000 Orange Wang Orange Wang China and the US are “peer powers” in Asia, as Beijing closes the gap in the region with Washington and records the highest diplomatic influence score among countries measured, an Australian think tank’s latest annual gauge indicates. According to the 2025 edition of the Sydney-based Lowy Institute’s Asia Power Index, the United States remains the most powerful nation in the region. However, its comprehensive power score fell to 80.5 out of 100 – the lowest since the rankings began in... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3335937/peer-powers-china-closes-capacity-and-influence-gap-us-asia-annual-index-finds?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3335937/peer-powers-china-closes-capacity-and-influence-gap-us-asia-annual-index-finds?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 10 Dec 2025 12:41:48 +0000 Alex Lo Alex Lo The late president of Namibia Hage Geingob once lectured Norbert Lammert, the former president of the German parliament, about China’s pragmatic foreign aid and business approaches in contrast to Western arrogance and dominance, in a video clip that went viral. “Every time a Westerner comes, it’s all about the Chinese,” he said. “Why does it become your problem, heh! It looks like it’s more a European problem than our problem. You feel sorry for us? We will handle our own country …” Germany, of... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3333863/how-china-goes-toe-toe-west-and-softly-softly-rest?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3333863/how-china-goes-toe-toe-west-and-softly-softly-rest?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 23 Nov 2025 14:15:56 +0000 Orange Wang Orange Wang Australia should lead the creation of a formal Five Eyes-style intelligence club in the Pacific amid China’s growing presence in the region, a prominent foreign policy think tank has suggested. Dubbed “Pacific Eyes”, the proposed intelligence-sharing alliance could help to plug institutional gaps that “external powers” – particularly Beijing – were eager to exploit, the Sydney-based Lowy Institute said in a report released on Tuesday. It recommended that the dedicated framework initially consist... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3329818/pacific-eyes-intelligence-body-would-offset-chinas-growing-presence-region-report?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3329818/pacific-eyes-intelligence-body-would-offset-chinas-growing-presence-region-report?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 21 Oct 2025 11:30:08 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Papua New Guinea’s cabinet has approved a bilateral defence treaty with near neighbour Australia, paving the way for the nations’ leaders to sign a landmark agreement that US allies hope will curb Chinese influence in the region. Papua New Guinea Prime Minister James Marape confirmed on Thursday that the treaty had been formally approved by his cabinet. “Australia has only one other mutual defence treaty of this type and at our request Papua New Guinea will now sign this treaty,” Marape said in... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3327653/australia-and-papua-new-guinea-forge-historic-defence-pact-counter-china?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3327653/australia-and-papua-new-guinea-forge-historic-defence-pact-counter-china?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 02 Oct 2025 09:52:28 +0000 Sam Beltran Sam Beltran Southeast Asia is set to be the region hardest hit by American tariffs, according to a new UN report, with observers saying the fallout could push Asean deeper into China’s orbit as the US raises the price of entry to its vast consumer market. The report from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) forecasts a 6.4 per cent slump in exports to the United States from the wider Asia-Pacific, driven by price increases from tariffs. But for Southeast Asia – a linchpin in global supply chains... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3327338/us-tariffs-nudge-asean-closer-china-un-says-billions-exports-line?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3327338/us-tariffs-nudge-asean-closer-china-un-says-billions-exports-line?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 30 Sep 2025 05:30:08 +0000 Kandy Wong Kandy Wong With China’s economic clout still its “strongest card” in Southeast Asia, Beijing is continuing to gain prominence in all corners of the region as its leading external partner, according to a study released on Wednesday. According to the Lowy Institute’s Southeast Asia Influence Index, China has an overall score of 65 out of 100, a one-point lead over its nearest rival, the United States, making it the “most influential power” in six of the region’s 11 countries: Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia,... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3326622/china-now-southeast-asias-leading-partner-us-influence-wanes-report-says?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3326622/china-now-southeast-asias-leading-partner-us-influence-wanes-report-says?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 24 Sep 2025 13:00:12 +0000 Sohail Akhtar Sohail Akhtar It is sometimes argued that democracy suffers when autocrats manipulate legal frameworks or when institutions are weakened. Yet in liberal democracies such as Australia, a quieter but similarly corrosive danger is emerging: the normalisation of street-level hostility. This hostility, particularly towards migrants from the Indo-Pacific region, is an early warning signal of democratic erosion. In late August, thousands joined coordinated rallies across major Australian cities under the banner of... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3325677/australias-anti-immigrant-rage-sign-democratic-erosion?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3325677/australias-anti-immigrant-rage-sign-democratic-erosion?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 17 Sep 2025 21:30:08 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Australia and Papua New Guinea’s defence forces will be integrated under a new security pact that will be signed this week, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has said. Albanese said on Monday that he and his Papua New Guinean counterpart, James Marape, would sign the pact on Wednesday, a day after celebrating the South Pacific island nation’s 50th anniversary of independence from Australia. US Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau will also be in PNG capital, Port Moresby, for... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3325557/australia-upgrade-defence-ties-png-chinas-pacific-influence-grows?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3325557/australia-upgrade-defence-ties-png-chinas-pacific-influence-grows?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 15 Sep 2025 05:31:04 +0000 Alyssa Chen Alyssa Chen Beijing may be prompted to fortify its defences in the disputed South China Sea, observers have warned, after new satellite images showed Vietnam had stepped up island-building in the Spratly Islands. Vietnam occupies the most features on the contested Spratlys, which China claims as the Nansha Islands. Rival claimants over all or part of the archipelago include Malaysia, the Philippines and Brunei. Satellite images released on August 22 by the US think tank Centre for Strategic and... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3323781/how-will-china-react-vietnam-deepens-military-footprint-disputed-spratlys?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3323781/how-will-china-react-vietnam-deepens-military-footprint-disputed-spratlys?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 01 Sep 2025 01:02:01 +0000 Sam Beltran Sam Beltran China pledged US$30.5 billion in development aid to the Philippines between 2015 and 2023 – the most for any Southeast Asian country – but only a sliver of that funding ever arrived, according to new data from an Australian think tank report. Of the total pledged, just US$700 million was actually disbursed – a shortfall analysts attribute to derailed infrastructure projects, changing political winds in Manila and rising tensions with Beijing. These factors have not only stalled flagship ventures... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3319654/china-promised-philippines-billions-development-aid-why-did-it-fall-so-short?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3319654/china-promised-philippines-billions-development-aid-why-did-it-fall-so-short?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 25 Jul 2025 13:51:03 +0000 Jeoffrey Maitem Jeoffrey Maitem The South China Sea is about to become more militarised as the United States commits to deploying cutting-edge missile and drone systems in the Philippines. US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth confirmed the move during high-level talks with Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr on Monday US time, signalling Washington’s push to create a “strong shield of real deterrence” against growing Chinese influence and prepare for potential crisis scenarios. The new weapons would form part of a broader... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3319250/will-more-us-missiles-philippines-deter-or-provoke-south-china-sea-conflict?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3319250/will-more-us-missiles-philippines-deter-or-provoke-south-china-sea-conflict?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 23 Jul 2025 07:13:38 +0000 Nicholas Spiro Nicholas Spiro US President Donald Trump’s administration has Asia’s economies in its sights. The region has become more trade-dependent since the 2018-19 US-China trade war. Asia ex-China’s trade surplus with the US doubled from September 2019 to US$400 billion at the end of last year. However, it is not just the widening trade imbalance that has incurred the Trump administration’s wrath. The surge in Asian, particularly Southeast Asian, exports to the US was accompanied by a sharp increase in Chinese imports... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3318955/what-does-trumps-transshipment-crackdown-mean-asian-industrial-property?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3318955/what-does-trumps-transshipment-crackdown-mean-asian-industrial-property?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 21 Jul 2025 08:30:51 +0000 Maria Siow Maria Siow The United States’ approval of Malaysia’s purchase of dozens of fighter jets is set to bolster the Southeast Asian country’s air capabilities – especially in the South China Sea – as part of a strategy to “quietly” build deterrence while also preserving cordial ties with China. Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF) chief General Tan Sri Asghar Khan Goriman Khan confirmed during a June 17 briefing that Washington had approved Malaysia’s request to acquire up to 33 used F/A-18C/D Hornet fighter jets... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3317779/malaysias-south-china-sea-defences-set-fighter-jet-boost-quiet-military-build?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3317779/malaysias-south-china-sea-defences-set-fighter-jet-boost-quiet-military-build?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 11 Jul 2025 03:30:11 +0000 Jeoffrey Maitem Jeoffrey Maitem The United States has deployed its most advanced fighter aircraft, the F-35, to the Philippines for the first time, a move analysts say signals Washington’s intent to stress-test forward combat readiness in a region increasingly shaped by China’s maritime assertiveness. The arrival of the stealth jets for the Cope Thunder joint air drills – launched on Monday at Clark Air Base and running until July 18 – reflects a more tangible form of deterrence, experts say, as the Philippines becomes further... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3317354/f-35-drills-philippines-signal-us-ramp-combat-readiness-asia-pacific?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3317354/f-35-drills-philippines-signal-us-ramp-combat-readiness-asia-pacific?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 08 Jul 2025 08:00:16 +0000 Maria Siow Maria Siow In recent years, the term “like-minded countries” has often been used as a shorthand to mean the United States and its allies. But lately, the definition appears to have been expanded to include simply those with similar interests – even if they stand at opposing sides of the spectrum. Used by commentators and academics to describe “the West”, “like-minded countries” refers to states that share similar values such as democracy, human rights, the rule of law and a rules-based international... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/opinion/article/3315918/are-minded-countries-now-more-diverse-ever?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/opinion/article/3315918/are-minded-countries-now-more-diverse-ever?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 27 Jun 2025 02:30:09 +0000