President Jokowi’s ‘Ordinary’ Style: Simplicity and the ‘Wealth of Poverty’?
Synopsis
Indonesia’s recently-elected President Joko Widodo has captured the attention of the world media by his manner of dress and unassuming character. But this simple self-presentation has a long history in Southeast Asia, where assuming an ordinary character is also a form of cultural capital that carries huge symbolic power.
PM Modi in Fiji: India’s Strategic Foray in the South Pacific
Synopsis
Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s just concluded visit to Fiji marks the beginning of a strategic Indian approach to the South Pacific. Beyond reconnecting with the Indian diaspora, Delhi is looking to forge a development partnership with the Pacific islands.
Sino-Japan Ties: Progress at the APEC Summit?
Synopsis
While the visual impact of the meeting between Xi Jinping and Shinzo Abe was uninspiring, the communiqué regarding the disputed East China Sea islets is a positive step. The test of success, however, will be to see what effect it has on the two countries’ rhetoric and behaviour.
Food Sovereignty Discourse in Southeast Asia: Helpful or Disruptive?
Synopsis
The Indonesian government’s recent endorsement of food sovereignty as its formal policy framework signals a turn in food policy discourse in Southeast Asia. Is this helpful or a disruptive development?
How China Sees Itself and Its Role in Asia
Synopsis
The recently published collection of speeches by China’s leader Xi Jinping offers a rare glimpse into the workings of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and how the country’s leadership sees China’s role in the coming Asian century. Tellingly, the speeches foreground China’s place and role in the development of an integrated and prosperous Asia, but makes little mention of the West.
South China Sea: Time for India To Mark Its Presence
Synopsis
India has been overly cautious about increasing its interest in the Western Pacific. Recent developments under the Modi Government, however, hint at a greater political will in playing a part in shaping the changing security architecture.
Asia Pacific Economic Leadership: Shifting from the US to China?
Synopsis
A hectic week of high-level diplomacy in Beijing has seen China asserting its weight and snatching the region’s economic leadership from traditional leader, the United States. The implications will not be missed as ASEAN leaders meet in summit in Myanmar this week.
Syphoning Confidence: Piracy and Fuel Theft in Southeast Asia
Synopsis
A spate of fuel-syphoning attacks on small tankers in the Straits of Malacca and South China Sea is helping to perpetuate a misleading narrative of resurgent piracy in Southeast Asia. However, they reveal transnational dimensions to maritime crime that require a concerted stakeholder response.
Retaining Leadership in the Asia-Pacific: Why the US Should Work With China
Synopsis
Despite all 21 APEC leaders having endorsed Beijing’s move to promote the FTAAP, President Obama continues to harbour hopes that the TPP will serve as a key pathway towards the proposed free trade area in the region. American opposition to Beijing’s APEC stance is indicative of US wariness of China’s growing stature.
The African Cup and Ebola: Morocco’s Refusal Rooted in Fear and Prejudice?
Synopsis
Morocco’s refusal to host the 2015 African Cup of Nations soccer tournament for fear that it could import the Ebola virus from West Africa goes beyond concern about a spreading pandemic. It also spotlights the complex relations between the continent’s Arab and sub-Saharan nations.