Association of Southeast Asian Nations

Report

Maritime Issues in the East and South China Seas: Summary of a Conference Held January 12–13, 2016

This conference summary presents key insights from a January 2016 conference focusing on maritime disputes in the East and South China Seas.

Commentary

The Legacy Obama Leaves His Successor in Asia

The U.S. pivot to the Indo-Pacific has improved U.S. popularity and influence, and positioned it for gains in regional economic, diplomatic, and military cooperation. The incoming administration would be wise to embrace these gains and build on them to preserve and further develop U.S. interests and influence in the region.

Report

Towards a Universal Arms Trade Treaty: Understanding barriers and challenges in South-East Asia

This report aims to support universalisation of the Arms Trade Treaty by identifying barriers and obstacles to its ratification and by generating a set of proposals to overcome these barriers at the national, regional or international level.

Commentary

The Importance of Sunnylands for U.S.-ASEAN Relations

The first ever Association for Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit held on U.S. soil took place earlier this month. Its success should be measured by the fact that the U.S. prioritized relations with the region enough to host its first summit. It should be regarded as the beginning of a new era in U.S.-ASEAN relations.

Commentary

China's Airfield Construction at Fiery Cross Reef in Context: Catch-Up or Coercion?

Even if China really sees itself as undertaking legitimate activities to protect its rightful interests, it is not surprising that its rival claimants, as well as the United States and other countries in the region, see Beijing's island building activities as efforts to improve China's abilities to bully its neighbors.

Commentary

China and America's Coming Battle for Southeast Asia

Although China and the United States are both in a position to influence the process of ASEAN integration, ultimately it will be up to the Association itself to cement internal cohesion, achieve centrality, and thereby remain a relevant player in the emerging Asian order.

Blog

China's ASEAN Outreach

Chinese President Xi Jinping called for greater cooperation between his country and the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) during remarks delivered Oct. 3 before the Indonesian parliament. But Angel Rabasa, a RAND senior political scientist, says improved relations between China and its neighbors will depend more on action than on words.

Commentary

The Changing Face of Chinese Diplomacy

One of the most curious and underexamined aspects of the evolving North Korean nuclear crisis is the active and leading role played by China in the last nine months. Breaking with years of traditional Chinese passivity on global-security challenges, Beijing has helped to walk both Pyongyang and Washington ...

Report

Security and economics: the military expenditures of the ASEAN countries

A full discussion of the economic conditions and military expenditures of the five ASEAN countries (Thailand, Indonesia, the Philippines, Singapore, and Malaysia). Though these countries feel strong defense pressures, they have held their military sp...

Report

ASEAN: What It Is, What It Is Not, What It Can Be

Discusses demographic trends in ASEAN countries (Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand), economic problems and successes, political interests, labor supply and the creation of jobs, trade prospects, and national security ...

Report

ASEAN Trends and Problems in the 1980s

The paper first presents an historical look at ASEAN and the nations (Thailand, Indonesia, the Philippines, Malaysia, and Singapore) that are included in the organization.

Report

The ASEAN energy scene in global perspective

Reviews the energy plans and prospects of Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, and Thailand. Despite the availability of coal and hydropower in all ASEAN countries except Singapore, they all depend at present on domestic or imported oil....

People

Rafiq Dossani

People

Richard Silberglitt

People

Austin Wyatt