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ISEAS-Yusok Ishak Institute

ISEAS-Yusok Ishak Institute
ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute: A government-run research institute and statutory board in Singapore dedicated to the study of socio-political, security, and economic trends in Southeast Asia and its wider geo-strategic environment. Established in 1968 by an Act of Parliament, it aims to stimulate research, enhance public awareness, and facilitate solutions for regional challenges. The institute was renamed in 2015 to honour Singapore’s first President, Yusof Ishak.
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi with Vietnamese counterpart Bui Thanh Son, in Hanoi on March 17. They co-chaired a meeting on bilateral cooperation. Photo: Xinhua
South China Sea

Why China and Vietnam are shifting from confrontation to calm in South China Sea

Disagreements continue, but the two sides are showing notable restraint in contrast with Beijing’s fierce exchanges with Manila.

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Asean

Burning daylight: Asean’s power grid plans get an Iran war jolt

Asean

Can Asean break free from US-China supply chain grip?

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Asean

‘We will go to war’: why #SEAblings became a Southeast Asian rallying cry

The hashtag went viral following a row over a South Korean band’s concert in Kuala Lumpur in January and protests in Indonesia last year.

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A social media post using #SEAblings and an illustration over a row following South Korean rock band Day6’s concert in Kuala Lumpur. Photo: X/Boju
Asean

Opinion | Fatigue is rewriting the US-China soft power contest, starting in Asean

At a time when no one has bandwidth left, soft power is being won by being the partner that feels usable, steady and low-risk.

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China's military weapons

Can China find a market for its fifth-generation J-35 warplanes?

Analysts are uncertain how much demand there will be for the fighter in the face of competition from the US F-35 or cheaper alternatives.

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Asean

How far can Asean engage Myanmar without legitimising military rule?

The bloc’s foreign ministers meet in Cebu amid concerns that diplomacy could slide into tacit acceptance of military rule.

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Asean foreign ministers pose for a group photo in Cebu City on Thursday where they discussed the bloc’s response to the Myanmar crisis. Photo: Reuters
Asean

Just 1 visa to rule them all? How European-style pass could help Asean tourism

While Asean members such as Malaysia and Vietnam have shown strong post-pandemic growth, tourist numbers have lagged in the Philippines.

Vietnam

Efficiency or autocracy? What To Lam’s power grab will mean for Vietnam

The Communist Party’s general secretary is already behaving as if he ‘expects a mandate’ to add the presidency to his portfolio, experts say.

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US-China relations

Can US-led bloc ease China’s ‘vice-like grip’ on rare earths?

Washington is working with its allies to accelerate projects in rare earths and diversify their supply in response to China’s export curbs.

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A rare earth mine in Ganxian county in central China’s Jiangxi province. Photo: AP
Myanmar

Philippine minister’s ‘premature’ Myanmar visit casts doubts over Asean’s role

Critics say the visit may be viewed as the bloc’s new chair endorsing a controversial junta-led election in Myanmar.

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A woman casts a ballot during the second phase of Myanmar’s election in Yangon on Sunday. Photo: EPA
Vietnam

As Vietnam’s US trade surplus outpaces China, Trump tries to fix ‘imbalance’

Jennifer Wicks McNamara is set to replace Marc Knapper as US ambassador to Vietnam as Hanoi’s trade surplus with US surpasses Beijing for first time.

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2025 Cambodia-Thailand conflict

Malaysia: Cambodia, Thailand set for Christmas Eve truce talks after Asean push

The breakthrough was quickly threatened as Cambodia accused Thailand of bombing border provinces with F-16s just hours later.

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Asean

Thailand, Cambodia clash at UN mine ban talks as ‘fragile’ border truce teeters

Analysts warn relations are in a ‘fragile place’ as the neighbours trade barbs and leverage international law at a UN meeting in Geneva.

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A member of the Thailand Mine Action Centre shows a landmine during a media visit to the border province of Surin, Thailand, in August. Photo: Reuters
Singapore

Like a ‘debt collector’? US ambassador irks Singaporeans by justifying tariff

While Anjani Sinha has called on Singapore to help ‘rebalance’ trade, the US also benefits from its ties with the city state, analysts say.

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Then ambassador-nominee to Singapore, Anjani Sinha, facing questions from Illinois Senator Tammy Duckworth at a US Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing in July. Photo: YouTube/Tammy Duckworth
US-Asean relations

What US anti-scam ‘strike force’ means for Southeast Asia’s cybercrime fight

Analysts say the US initiative can serve as a coordination blueprint to push back against transnational criminal enterprises.

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Indonesia

Why Indonesia’s hero status for ‘successful autocrat’ Suharto splits opinion

Supporters laud his three-decade rule for drastically cutting poverty, saving Indonesia’s economy and delivering national pride.

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Malaysia

Madani or Mamdani? New York mayor’s name mix-up goes viral in Malaysia

Prime Minister Anwar has spent three years promoting Malaysia Madani, a slogan using the Arabic term for ‘civil’, as the heart of his government.

New York mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani meets reporters during a conference in San Juan, Puerto Rico, on Thursday. Photo: AP
China's military weapons

Indonesia is still ‘considering’ buying Chinese J-10 fighter jets

Jakarta’s plan generates geopolitical buzz as it would mark the country’s first acquisition of Chinese military hardware, analysts say.

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Asean

Did Asean members get short-changed by Trump on ‘strings attached’ trade deals?

The individual deals signed by Trump with Malaysia, Cambodia, Thailand and Vietnam may lead to long-term economic costs, analysts say.

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China-Asean relations

China-Asean free-trade pact gets upgrade as Beijing touts regional ties

The bloc has expanded its free-trade agreement with China, a boon for Beijing as it seeks stronger partnerships amid US trade war.

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China’s Premier Li Qiang, front left, and Malaysia’s Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, front right, ahead of the signing of an upgraded China-Asean free trade agreement. Photo: AP
Asean

Asia’s youngest nation nears the end of its epic quest to belong

With East Timor finally poised to join the Asean family, its leaders and people are clear-eyed about the hard work ahead.

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East Timorese activists hold a pro-independence protest in the capital of Dili in 1999. Photo: Reuters
Indonesia

‘Can I meet Eric?’: Prabowo’s hot mic moment amplifies private-public debate

The Indonesian president’s request to meet Eric Trump has stirred debate about whether he was acting out of national or personal interest.

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US-China trade war

US-China trade flare-up a short-term scare as both sides seek off-ramp: analysts

While US President Donald Trump’s threat of 100 per cent tariffs triggered alarm bells, experts said neither side wants to derail talks.

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Chinese offshore investment

Will a Chinese firm’s Bali beach lift project alter the local landscape?

182-metre glass lift will transport tourists down the cliffside at popular Kelingking Beach in symbolic project backed by Chinese investment.

Tourists look at a partly built lift above Kelingking Beach on September 24. Photo: Ralph Jennings
Asean

Anwar’s Trump card: why Malaysia wants US president at Asean summit

Despite Washington’s support for Israel, Malaysia’s PM Anwar Ibrahim is letting trade ambitions trump ideology, analysts say.

US President Donald Trump speaks to the media in the White House on September 19. He is slated to attend the Asean summit set for October 26 to 28 in Kuala Lumpur. Photo: EPA
US-China trade war

Is China’s ‘going global’ strategy at risk after US widens its trade blacklist?

The impact on Chinese firms operating overseas could be significant, analysts say.

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Asean

US tariffs will cost Asean billions in lost trade, UN says. Is China the answer?

A new UN report forecasts a punishing 9.7 per cent drop in Southeast Asian exports to the US, potentially costing the region billions.

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