Southeast Asia
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29.06.2020
US Loses Myanmar to China
For the Southeast Asian state of Myanmar, the decision to expand ties with China despite Western pressure was a no-brainer. Significant economic ties have been expanded and the prospect for several large-scale infrastructure projects have been firmed up. Chinese President Xi Jinping’s recent visit to Myanmar could be considered a victory lap of sorts; the […]
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11.06.2020
Thailand: Key ASEAN Nation Emerges from COVID-19
The Kingdom of Thailand plays a central role in the Southeast Asian ASEAN economic bloc. It has a population of nearly 70 million, the second largest economy in the region and hosts a key leg of China’s One Belt, One Road (OBOR) initiative including high speed rail that will connect China (via Laos) to Malaysia […]
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08.06.2020
COVID-19 will Devastate Indonesia which is Already Collapsing
In Jakarta, doctors are dying, while common people do not know which data to believe, anymore. It appears that even some government officials do not trust government statistics. At the beginning of the pandemic, for weeks, the Indonesian government was pretending that there is no problem whatsoever, insisting that number of cases was zero, thanks […]
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19.05.2020
The COVID-19 Chronicles: ASEAN
The ten Southeast Asian states of ASEAN with a collective population of 622 million people has weathered the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) relatively well. A combination of quick reactions, a hesitation to overreact and strong preexisting economic fundamentals, the region looks well on its way to returning to normal, that is, if it is able […]
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23.04.2020
As Thailand Fights Covid-19, Students Vow to Continue Chaos for “Democracy”
Despite the unprecedented damage global panic over coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) has caused to nations around the world, so-called “pro-democracy” protesters have vowed to immediately resume street mobs as soon as emergency measures are lifted in Thailand. The move will almost certainly contribute to socioeconomic instability and only compound the plight faced by average Thais […]
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16.04.2020
Myanmar is Moving Closer to China
In January 2020, Chinese leader Xi Jinping paid an official visit to Myanmar, where he met Aung San Suu Kyi, the State Counsellor of Myanmar (the de facto head of government of this country). Following negotiations, more than 30 agreements were signed by the two nations. The contracts were all on China’s infrastructure projects in […]
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10.04.2020
Fight against Coronavirus pandemic in Southeast Asian Countries
At present, we are carefully studying all the aspects of the global responses to the Coronavirus pandemic, the biggest challenge facing humanity in the 21 century. In our analysis of the current situation, we would particularly like to focus on the way some Southeast Asian nations have responded to and have been fighting the COVID-19 […]
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19.03.2020
Philippines: Crawling Out From Under America’s Shadow?
President of the Philippines, Rodrigo Duterte, has announced his intentions to end the nation’s security agreement with the United States, specifically its Visiting Forces Agreement. The move puts into question America’s military presence in the Philippines and the influence it projects across Asia with it. In particular, it further complicates US attempts to encircle and contain […]
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04.03.2020
US Complains as Cambodia Pivots Toward China
US State Department-funded front “Radio Free Asia” (RFA) recently complained about plans to proceed with joint Chinese-Cambodian military exercises despite the ongoing coronavirus outbreak. According to Khmer Times, this year’s joint exercises will include up to 200 Chinese personnel and over 2,000 personnel from Cambodia. According to the article the exercises will also include “the […]
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28.02.2020
Thailand Protests: “Students” Fight to Save Washington’s Billionaire Proxy
“Long Live Democracy!” cried “student” protesters at Thailand’s Thammasat University as local and Western media organizations reported “hundreds” gathered to decry the disbanding of Thai political party, Future Forward. However, the Western media’s eager support for the small mob complete with quotes of support from the US Embassy in Bangkok should be the first clue that it […]
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27.02.2020
Traffic Jams and Pollution are Destroying Capitalist Southeast Asian Cities
It is mad, it is insane, but to get from point A to point B in Bangkok or Jakarta can easily take 2 or 3 hours. Often, the traffic comes to a total gridlock. The air quality is now one of the worst on earth. Periodically, life comes to a standstill. On average, people spend […]
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01.02.2020
Chinese President Xi Jinping Visits Myanmar
Chinese President Xi Jinping became the first high-level official from the PRC to pay an official visit to Myanmar in 20 years. He had been invited by President Win Myin and was in the Southeast Asian nation from 17 to 18 January of this year. And although the focus of the talks between the Chinese […]