ASEAN

 

Digital Trade Agreements in Asia and the Pacific

March 15, 2024

Publication

Digital trade agreements (DTAs) are instrumental in expanding the benefits of the digital economy in emerging Asia. Moreover, economies in Asia and the Pacific have been the key architects of trade rules for the digital era. DTAs set trade rules and economic collaboration in the digital economy and establish the minimum framework in which data and… Read more

 

Asia Times Features Review of ‘Southeast Asia’s Multipolar Future’

September 19, 2023

Media Coverage Post

Asia Times highlights a book review by Southeast Asia regional security expert Benjamin Zawacki, focusing on “Southeast Asia’s Multipolar Future: Averting a New Cold War.” The book is authored by Thomas Parks, the Country Representative of The Asia Foundation in Thailand. A century ago, American humorist Robert Benchley quipped that there are “two… Read more

 

Southeast Asia’s Multipolar Future: A Conversation with Tom Parks and Scot Marciel

August 9, 2023

Blog Post

Southeast Asia is rapidly becoming a competitive space for geopolitical rivalries. Will U.S.-Chinese tensions create a new Cold War divide in Southeast Asia?

 

Applications Open for East Asia Summit Hackathon on Combatting Marine Plastic

San Francisco, October 19, 2022

News Post

The Asia Foundation is teaming up with the ASEAN Foundation, the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization (CSIRO), and the governments of Australia, India, and Singapore to host the East Asia Summit (EAS) Hackathon on Combatting Marine Plastic. The hackathon is calling for applicants aged 18-25 from across the Asia-Pacific to ta… Read more

 

Digital Skills for Inclusive Growth—Reaching the Hard-to-Reach in Southeast Asia

August 31, 2022

Blog Post

Now more than ever, Asia’s smallest businesses and entrepreneurs need to be online. This project has already trained nearly a quarter million.

 

“Go Digital ASEAN” Impact Summary Report: MSMEs, Job Seekers Benefit from Digital Skills Training

June 27, 2022

News Post

The ASEAN Coordinating Committee on Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (ACCMSME) and The Asia Foundation released the Go Digital ASEAN Impact Summary Report today to mark this year’s international Micro, Small and Medium-sized Enterprises Day (MSME) Day. Implemented in ten ASEAN Member States in 2021 and 2022, the US$3.3M “Go Digital ASEAN” public… Read more

 

The Asia Foundation Hosts Southeast Asian Inclusive Cities Dialogues – First Session Focused on Infrastructure and Services

April 8, 2022

News Post

On Thursday, March 24, The Asia Foundation, in partnership with Ramboll, Kore Global, and the Asian Development Bank, brought together more than 120 stakeholders from 14 cities in six Southeast Asian countries for the first in a series of online dialogues under the DFAT-funded ASEAN Australia Smart Cities Trust Fund. The Trust Fund supports city go… Read more

 

Virtual Book Launch: Cambodia’s Chairmanship of ASEAN; Challenging Perceptions, Concretizing Consolidations

Washington, DC, Tuesday, February 8, 2022

Events Post

9:00 am – 10:15 am ET 2022 will be the year of another major task for Cambodia, after being the host of the recent 13th Asia-Europe Summit in November 2021. Cambodia’s upcoming chairmanship of ASEAN will be Cambodia’s 3rd time as chair since its admission to ASEAN in 1999. With The Asia Foundation’s support, CICP has undertaken a major book project… Read more

Thailand's Laem Chabang Port 

Report: Urgent Issues in U.S.–Southeast Asia Relations for 2021

February 3, 2021

Blog Post

A special task force convened by The Asia Foundation has presented its findings on U.S.–Southeast Asia relations to the Biden administration. Here are the headlines.

 

Virtual Event – The Asia Foundation Taskforce Report: Urgent Issues in U.S.-Southeast Asian Relations

Washington, DC, Tuesday, February 2, 2021

Events Post

Southeast Asian leaders are accustomed to fluctuating levels of attention from the United States, but U.S. policy for Southeast Asia in the past four years might be described as more than a fluctuation. Changes in diplomatic direction and trade policy have led to a loss of U.S. focus and influence in the region, while heightened U.S.-China tensions… Read more

 

ASEAN Secretariat Highlights Asia Foundation in Special Edition of The ASEAN Magazine

January 4, 2021

Media Coverage Post

The ASEAN Secretariat profiles The Asia Foundation’s report ASEAN Rapid Assessment: The Impact of Covid-19 on Livelihoods across ASEAN in a special edition of the The ASEAN magazine. To support policymakers in understanding the impacts and developing inclusive policies for the people to resume their lives in the post-pandemic period, ASEAN recently… Read more

Singapore 

Applications Open for YSEALI Workshop on Future Workforce

December 31, 2020

News Post

The Asia Foundation is inviting applications for the 2021 YSEALI Future Workforce Workshop implemented by the Foundation with the U.S. Embassy in Singapore. The Workshop, for students, entrepreneurs, and young professionals ages 20-35 from across ASEAN will be held virtually from May 16 to May 23, 2021. The virtual workshop will include a series of… Read more

 

ASEAN Rapid Assessment: The Impact of Covid-19 on Livelihoods across ASEAN

December 9, 2020

Publication

The ASEAN Rapid Assessment is a product of the partnership between The ASEAN Secretariat and The Asia Foundation and with support from The Rockefeller Foundation and the Australian Government’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. It has informed the development of ASEAN post-2020 sectoral work plans as well as the Implementation Plan of ASEAN… Read more

 

Nikkei Asian Review Highlights Go Digital ASEAN

June 30, 2020

Media Coverage Post

Nikkei Asian Review features The Asia Foundation and the Go Digital ASEAN initiative in an op-ed written by President of Google Asia Pacific Scott Beaumont. Third, in places where there are intractable digital access gaps that need special attention, we should put in place more targeted programs to rebalance the scales. The Asia Foundation — with… Read more

Man training woman 

ASEAN and The Asia Foundation, with Support from Google.org, Collaborate to Equip 200,000 Micro and Small Enterprises with Digital Skills and Tools Amidst the Covid-19 Crisis

San Francisco, June 22, 2020

News Post

The ASEAN Coordinating Committee on Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (ACCMSME) and The Asia Foundation have come together, to launch the Go Digital ASEAN initiative. Supported by a USD3.3m grant from Google.org, the initiative is designed to equip micro and small enterprises as well as underemployed youth, particularly those in rural and isolate… Read more

 

Factsheet – Go Digital ASEAN: Digital Skills to Address the Economic Impact of Covid-19

June 19, 2020

Publication

The project “Go Digital ASEAN: Digital skills to address the economic impact of COVID-19” was approved for implementation by the ASEAN Coordinating Committee on Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (ACCMSME) during its 8th Meeting in November 2019. The collaboration between the ACCMSME and The Asia Foundation, supported by Google.org demonstrates sy… Read more

 

Thomson Reuters Spotlights Digital Gap for Women-Led Microbusinesses

May 14, 2020

Media Coverage Post

A Thomson Reuters Foundation feature article, “Digital lifeline for women running Asia’s small businesses,” examines digital access for marginalized groups across Southeast Asia, facing financial pressures long before Covid-19. Go Digital ASEAN is a new digital literacy initiative supported by Google.org, Google’s philanthropic arm, to train up to… Read more

a woman in blue uses a cell phone in her house 

Southeast Asia’s Microbusinesses Go Digital to Compete

May 13, 2020

Blog Post

Covid-19 in Southeast Asia is hitting small, mom-and-pop businesses particularly hard. As other enterprises move online to survive, can the region’s microentrepreneurs compete without digital tools? It will be a challenge.

 

Stemming Asia’s Plastic Tide One Banana Leaf at a Time

February 19, 2020

Blog Post

From the white sand beaches of Thailand to the lush mountains of Laos, tourism in Southeast Asia has brought more trash to nations already wrestling with solid waste. Can ecotourism stem the tide?

 

Al Jazeera Interviews Tom Parks on ASEAN Summit

November 5, 2019

Media Coverage Post

Al Jazeera highlights developments from the 35th ASEAN Summit in Bangkok, including the delay in signing what would have become the world’s biggest trading bloc. The segment features analysis by Thomas Parks, country representative for The Asia Foundation in Thailand. View the entire interview. 

 

Forbes Op-Ed Examines ASEAN Regional Development Cooperation

October 30, 2019

Media Coverage Post

Forbes publishes an opinion piece co-authored by Thomas Parks, country representative for The Asia Foundation in Thailand. Ahead of the 35th ASEAN Summit in Bangkok, the article “ASEAN Can Lead Sustainable And Inclusive Economic Development, Here’s How” examines regional development cooperation as a crucial arena for ASEAN. Read related report.

 

Making Sense of the “Many Mekongs”

October 23, 2019

Blog Post

(Photo: TheLightPainter/Shutterstock) Political leaders are under constant pressure to introduce new initiatives, because new implies better, and that’s the nature of politics. Even clever repackaging of previous efforts is often not enough. So, it was quite a surprise when, in June 2018, Thai prime minister Prayuth Chan-ocha hosted a summit to res… Read more

 

Pompeo to ASEAN: The U.S. Is Committed

August 14, 2019

Blog Post

U.S. secretary of state Mike Pompeo came to the 52nd annual ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in Bangkok with one message in mind: that America is committed to engagement with the region, and with Thailand, a treaty ally, in particular. Speaking to a packed house at the Siam Society on August 1, in the heart of Bangkok, Pompeo said the United States… Read more

 

Asia Foundation Participates in ASEAN Regional Strategic Planning Workshop on Elimination of Violence Against Women and Combating Trafficking-in-Persons

December 1, 2018

Media Coverage Post

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) names The Asia Foundation as a participant in the ASEAN Regional Strategic Planning Workshop held November 21 – December 1. The three-day workshop, “The ASEAN Regional Strategic Planning Workshop: Development of ASEAN Campaign in support of the ASEAN Regional Plan of Action on the Elimination of Vi… Read more

 

ASEAN: Shaping the Future of Regional Development in Southeast Asia

October 24, 2018

Blog Post

Development cooperation is taking on new geopolitical significance. Earlier this month, the U.S. Congress passed legislation to create the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation, which is intended to help stimulate private-sector infrastructure investment in the developing world. Asia is one of the primary targets for this new instituti… Read more

 

Asia Foundation Releases New Report on ASEAN Centrality

September 26, 2018

Blog Post

Despite growing geopolitical pressure in recent years, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) remains a linchpin of the rules-based order in the strategic Southeast Asia region. This week, The Asia Foundation released a new report, ASEAN as the Architect for Regional Development Cooperation, examining ASEAN’s role in addressing regional… Read more

 

ASEAN as the Architect for Regional Development Cooperation

September 24, 2018

Publication

This study examines the role that ASEAN plays in addressing regional development issues and shaping development assistance in Southeast Asia. The main intention of the study is to provide insights and recommendations on how ASEAN can play a more catalytic role in addressing regional development challenges, and maintain ASEAN Centrality through shap… Read more

ASEAN 

ASEAN Centrality and Regional Development Cooperation

Washington, DC, Wednesday, September 26, 2018

Events Post

2:30 pm – 4:00 pm EDT Choate Room, First Floor, 1779 Massachusetts Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20036 50 years since its founding, ASEAN is at an important crossroads. Increasing geopolitical competition is putting new pressure on ASEAN centrality. Neighboring powers, such as China, are finding new methods for exerting influence through soft power an… Read more

 

Strengthening Relations between Thailand and the United States

August 1, 2018

Program Snapshot Post

The Asia Foundation is leading a series of programs to encourage stronger relations between Thailand and the United States. Thailand is America’s oldest friend and ally in Asia, a connection dating to the presidency of James Monroe. However, bilateral relations have been under strain in recent years with the growing influence of China and the chall… Read more

 

Building Critical Thinking in ASEAN Classrooms

July 18, 2018

Blog Post

Traditional classrooms in ASEAN countries are exceptional for turning out high-performing students, well-skilled in memorization, recitation, and deference to seniority, an approach some say doesn’t equip students for a dynamic, entrepreneurial, and rapidly changing world. According to the World Economic Forum, young people will best succeed in the… Read more

smartphones 

Why ASEAN Needs to Invest More in Cybersecurity

May 9, 2018

Blog Post

Last month, heads of state gathered in Singapore for the 32nd annual ASEAN Summit to discuss a wide variety of issues—from the Code of Conduct on the South China Sea and the humanitarian crisis in Myanmar’s Rakhine State, to advancing regional economic integration and navigating geopolitical power shifts. At a time when domestic political transform… Read more

Surin Pitsuwan 

Remembering Surin Pitsuwan: Consummate Diplomat, Accomplished Statesman, and Friend

December 13, 2017

Blog Post

On Nov. 30, 2017, Thailand and Southeast Asia lost a diplomat of great stature, charm, and eloquence when Dr. Surin Pitsuwan suddenly died due to a heart attack at the age of 68. I first learned of Surin almost four decades ago when I lived and worked in Thailand. Surin was a political science professor at Thammasat University in Bangkok, but he wa… Read more

Ship off of Straits of Malacca 

South China Sea Dispute Undermines Maritime Security in Southeast Asia

August 23, 2017

Blog Post

Regional security in Southeast Asia, to a large extent, means maritime security. All but one of the 10 Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) member states are coastal states; two of these are the world’s largest archipelagic nations. The joint communiqué of the recent 50th ASEAN foreign ministers’ meeting in Manila, Philippines, highlighte… Read more

Singapore 

ASEAN at 50: Walking a Tightrope?

August 9, 2017

Blog Post

This week marks the 50th anniversary of the founding of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and, in this past May, the 40th anniversary of the United States being a dialogue partner with ASEAN. ASEAN is the number one destination for U.S. direct investment in Asia at $274 billion, more than U.S. investment to China, India, Japan, and… Read more

ASEAN 

Time for ASEAN, and its Partners, to Get Regulatory

August 9, 2017

Blog Post

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) turned 50 yesterday, August 8, which should be cause for celebration. But is 50 an energized mid-life birthday, or is it an ominous marker of faltering health for ASEAN? The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) turned 50 yesterday on August 8. Photo Conor Ashleigh As in all things multila… Read more

Singapore 

ASEAN’s Legal Architecture Critical to Addressing Transboundary Challenges

May 17, 2017

Blog Post

With the geopolitics of Southeast Asia and changing rapidly and substantially, an opportunity presents for a timely and thoughtful deliberation on the role ASEAN can play in the region. This enduring union of 10 member states has made great strides in becoming a formidable regional body. At the same time, the region is facing radically new and comp… Read more

U.S.-ASEAN forum. 

U.S.-ASEAN Forum on Legal Issues of Regional Importance

May 10, 2017

Blog Post

Fifty years after its founding, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) has forged a successful and enduring union of 10 member states, cultivating a common identity and organizational coherence that are unique within the broader geopolitics of Asia. Efforts to build on achievements to date and fulfill the economic growth potential of an… Read more

 

Southeast Asian Ambassadors – The Future of America’s Relationship with Southeast Asia

San Francisco, Monday, May 22, 2017

Events Post

5:30 – 8:00 PM Bechtel Conference Center 500 Washington Street, San Francisco, CA 94131 Southeast Asia was key to former President Obama’s “rebalance” towards Asia, with countries in the region seen as vital partners on issues such as economic integration and trade, balancing an ascendant China, security in the South China Seas, and the nuclear sta… Read more

 

US-ASEAN Conference on Legal Issues of Regional Importance

Singapore, May 8-9, 2017

Events Post

Photo courtesy of Flicker user Dinh Linh Marina Mandarin Hotel 6 Raffles Boulevard Marina Square, Singapore 039594 ASEAN has forged a successful and enduring union of 10 member states, cultivating a common identity and organizational coherence that are unique within the broader geopolitics of Asia. In collaboration with U.S. Embassy Singapore, The… Read more

 

The Role of ASEAN in Addressing Global Ocean Issues

February 22, 2017

Blog Post

On January 28, I arrived in Manila, the capital of the Philippines, one of the 16 cities that make up “Metro Manila,” the most densely populated urban area in the world—reaching an estimated daytime population of 17 million people, or about 1/6 of the country’s population. It was my first visit to Manila and I was excited about meeting with governm… Read more

 

TPP and RCEP: Boon or Bane for ASEAN?

September 9, 2015

Blog Post

2015 is a critical year for the Asia-Pacific region. The Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), backed by the U.S. Senate’s recent approval of “fast-track” authority, is now entering the final round of negotiations in Hawaii. Another Asian free trade agreement (FTA), the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), is also due by the end of 2015, with a round of substantive talks in August and another to come in October.

 

ASEAN Integration: An Economic Community in 2015?

April 9, 2015

Video

Economic integration, embodied in the Economic Community pillar of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) is one of three key pillars that form the Roadmap for an ASEAN Community — in part envisioning a single economic entity by 2015. Difficulties in implementing the Political-Security and Socio-Cultural Pillars could, in some instances… Read more

 

Asian Regional Architecture: Steps Towards ASEAN Integration

October 24, 2014

Video

What issues remain for ASEAN as 2015 integration approaches and how will these issues likely be addressed? Is ASEAN economic integration making progress and how will it fit into the global economy? How will Asia’s rising regionalism through various architecture (EAS, APEC, ARF, ASEAN, etc.) and the United States’ forward presence in the region coex… Read more

 

Q&A with U.S. Ambassador to Indonesia Robert Blake

October 22, 2014

Blog Post

The Asia Foundation hosted four U.S. ambassadors to Asia at its headquarters in San Francisco on October 9 for “ASEAN Matters,” a panel discussion on why Asia is crucial to the United States’ economic growth. In Asia editor Alma Freeman sat down with U.S. Ambassador to Indonesia Robert Blake…

 

A Conversation with Thailand’s Ambassador to the U.S. Vijavat Isarabhakdi

March 26, 2014

Blog Post

The Asia Foundation’s director of Regional Cooperation Programs, John J. Brandon, speaks with Thailand’s Ambassador to the U.S. Vijavat Isarabhakdi, who served as a Congressional Fellow sponsored by The Asia Foundation.