ASEAN centrality gets an Australian touch-up
The ASEAN-Australia special summit showcased the value that Australia places on Southeast Asia - but more can be done, both…
Prabowo and Jokowi on a unity ticket to dampen election criticism
Prabowo Subianto won an unprecedented victory in last month's Indonesian election, but the conduct of the campaign created concerns about…
Taiwan’s soft power surge
A soft power push reinforced by democratic values can help Taiwan impose a unique impression on the international community. ...
Understanding Taiwan beyond geopolitics
Amid US–China strategic competition, it is important that the West understands Taiwan on its own terms — not just as…
Japan’s slush fund scandal unlikely to take the LDP down with PM Kishida
Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida hasn't been able to claw back his approval ratings with his response to the slush…
Hope is fading for democracy in Bangladesh
Despite hopes for a democratic revival, the Awami League used Bangladesh's 2024 election to tighten its increasingly authoritarian grip on…
Timor-Leste hits the democratic reset button
In the latest electoral cycle, Timor-Leste’s citizens rejected former president Francisco ‘Lu-Olo’ Guterres’ approach to governance and returned candidates to…
Balancing internal and external obligations in the Maldives’ foreign policy
President Mohamed Muizzu’s government looks to strengthen the Maldives' relationships with foreign nations as it develops economically and democratically. ...
Can Marape fashion stability in PNG?
PNG's riots and looting in January 2024 were symptomatic of deep-seated problems — rampant unemployment, law enforcement breakdown and citizens'…
Ejecting the military from Pakistan’s politics
Pakistani voters resoundingly rejected the military's influence in the recent election, but a political crisis might only further entrench economic…