Southeast Asia Insights

Growing public support for an anti-political dynasty law in the Philippines reflects rising frustration over corruption and entrenched political power. Yet experts warn that passing a law alone will not solve deeper governance problems rooted in inequality, weak political institutions, and uneven political awareness.   A recent Pulse Asia survey found that 64% of Filipinos support legislation limiting or banning political dynasties, up fro...

China has built a 100-meter observation megatower in the northern South China Sea, near the country's southern coast. According to Chinese media, the structure is designed to monitor typhoons and collect real-time meteorological data.   Its size and location, however, suggest it could serve a broader strategic purpose. China has increasingly used civilian infrastructure to reinforce its presence in one of East Asia's most sensitive maritim...

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) has spent years treating Myanmar as its great credibility test. But the more consequential test now sits on the Cambodia-Thailand border, where two members of the bloc have turned a territorial dispute into armed conflict.   ASEAN was not created to make its members democratic, liberal, or morally consistent. It was created to keep the region stable enough for governments to survive, econo...

Germany has now said aloud what many governments won't: any major crisis in the South China Sea would quickly spill across the global economy.   Speaking in Manila beside Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier warned that Europe is closely watching the rising tensions in the disputed waters. His message was not only about expressing support for the Philippines in light of Chinese aggression, but...