Southeast Asia Insights

Ten years after the 2016 ruling on the South China Sea, one question still stands: can international law stop powerful states like China from ignoring the rules?   In 2016, a United Nations-backed tribunal ruled clearly that China’s “nine-dash line” has no legal basis under international law. The decision was final and binding. It strongly affirmed the Philippines’ rights in the West Philippine Sea.   Yet yea...

A quiet front in the South China Sea dispute is moving online.   Cybersecurity researchers and Philippine officials say suspected China-linked groups have embedded themselves inside government agencies, telecom networks, and potentially military-linked systems across the Philippines and parts of Southeast Asia.   Unlike smash-and-grab cybercrime, these operations are slow, patient, and strategic. The goal is to gain access, collect ...

According to new reports, the Philippines is expected to see economic growth in 2026, with GDP projected at 5.3%, up from 4.4%in 2025. The projected improvement reflects a gradual recovery in business activity and consumer spending. However, this outlook is increasingly shaped by global risks, especially rising oil prices linked to conflict in the Middle East.   While the headline numbers suggest progress, the truth is that the average Fil...

The Philippines' new executive order on maritime naming will not alter realities at sea, but it does reinforce Manila's position at a decisive moment in its competition with China.   The new executive order mandates that Philippine government agencies adopt official Philippine names for 131 maritime features in the Kalayaan Island Group, part of the wider archipelago internationally known as the Spratly Islands. The Spratlys are part of th...

The war in the Middle East is beginning to disrupt food markets across Southeast Asia, exposing how dependent regional supply chains are on global shipping, fuel, and fertilizer flows. Thailand, Malaysia, and the Philippines are already seeing exports fall, costs rise, and production come under pressure.   From rice and canned tuna to vegetables and bananas, the impact highlights deeper vulnerabilities in how food systems are structured. C...