https://www.scmp.com/rss/524347/feed The latest news and top stories on Ian Storey of the ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute, where he also co-edits the journal *Contemporary Southeast Asia*, focuses significantly on maritime security, particularly the South China Sea dispute. Storey has a background in academia, having held positions at the Asia-Pacific Center for Security Studies and Deakin University. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Ian Storey Ian Storey If everything goes according to plan, Indonesia will be in possession of an aircraft carrier come Armed Forces Day on October 5. When that happens, it will become only the second country in Southeast Asia, after Thailand, to operate such a vessel. But this does not mean Indonesia’s maritime power will increase significantly. The issue here is prestige, not combat power. The warship in question is the Italian navy’s Giuseppe Garibaldi. The 14,000-tonne flat-top was commissioned in 1985 and... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/opinion/article/3347362/indonesias-new-aircraft-carrier-more-vanity-project-war-machine?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/opinion/article/3347362/indonesias-new-aircraft-carrier-more-vanity-project-war-machine?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 22 Mar 2026 02:00:17 +0000 Seong Hyeon Choi Seong Hyeon Choi China’s push to sell its J-35 fifth generation fighter jet in the Asia-Pacific was likely to face stiff competition from US rival the F-35 as well as cheaper alternatives, military analysts said after the plane featured at this year’s Singapore Airshow. They said political and economic considerations apart from performance would weigh on potential buyers, and questioned how many countries would want to buy the Chinese plane. In Singapore this month, the booth operated by China National... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3344208/can-china-find-market-its-fifth-generation-j-35-warplanes?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3344208/can-china-find-market-its-fifth-generation-j-35-warplanes?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 21 Feb 2026 14:00:09 +0000 Amy Chew Amy Chew Indonesia is still “considering” acquiring Chinese J-10 fighter jets, but no decision has been made yet, according to Jakarta’s Ministry of Defence, clarifying earlier reports that the country was set to buy up to 42 units to modernise its military. “It’s still being analysed and reviewed. At the moment, we are considering all platforms that can fulfil our need to help guard our sovereignty and territorial integrity,” ministry spokesman Brigadier General Frega Wenas Inkiriwang said. On October... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3330979/indonesia-still-considering-buying-chinese-j-10-fighter-jets-modernise-its-military?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3330979/indonesia-still-considering-buying-chinese-j-10-fighter-jets-modernise-its-military?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 31 Oct 2025 02:00:16 +0000 Iman Muttaqin Yusof Iman Muttaqin Yusof Russia is looking to Southeast Asia for an economic boost after fresh sanctions from the United States hit its energy sector, with a senior minister saying Moscow sees “mutually beneficial” opportunities with Asean in nuclear technology, logistics and trade. Speaking on the sidelines of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and East Asia summits in Kuala Lumpur on Monday, Deputy Prime Minister Alexey Overchuk said Russia was deepening cooperation with countries such as Malaysia amid what he... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3330522/russia-eyes-southeast-asian-markets-economic-boost-oil-sanctions-bite?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3330522/russia-eyes-southeast-asian-markets-economic-boost-oil-sanctions-bite?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 28 Oct 2025 01:30:13 +0000 Maria Siow Maria Siow Worries about potential international reprisals and censure, on top of being exposed by Kyiv, may have prevented Laos from sending troops to back Russia in the Ukraine war, analysts say. Laotian state media reported this week that the country had refuted recent claims circulating in foreign news outlets suggesting it was preparing for troop deployment to Russia’s military operations in Ukraine. The reports said Moscow had attempted to persuade Laotian soldiers and citizens to fight in Ukraine by... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3318702/did-laos-intend-send-troops-ukraine-back-russia?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3318702/did-laos-intend-send-troops-ukraine-back-russia?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 18 Jul 2025 06:27:40 +0000 Bac Pham,Bennett Murray Bac Pham,Bennett Murray Vietnam breathed a sigh of relief when US President Donald Trump announced a trade deal had been struck between Hanoi and Washington. The Vietnam Stock Index reached its highest level since April 2022, indicating confidence that export stability had been achieved. On the face of it, the deal is highly unbalanced, with US exports to Vietnam enjoying tariff-free market access, while Vietnamese exports in the other direction now face a 20 per cent rate, slightly over twice last year’s average rate... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3317062/vietnams-new-us-trade-deal-sparks-optimism-despite-tariff-challenges?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3317062/vietnams-new-us-trade-deal-sparks-optimism-despite-tariff-challenges?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 06 Jul 2025 04:00:18 +0000