Over the past decade or so Southeast Asia has gone through multiple developments which usher in an era of alarming political uncertainty. While several countries were thought to be heading toward democracy (Myanmar, Thailand), recent events suggest that vested interests die hard and that defending citizens’ hard-won rights is a daunting task. In the wake of the health crisis other countries are faced with serious socio-economic difficulties which threaten their stability and wealth (Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines). In a context of sino-US rivalry, each of the great powers seeks to push its own interests, potentially disrupting local stability. Southeast Asia has undoubtedly become a battleground for bipolar rivalry.
Through its research activities, Ifri's Center for Asian Studies aims to provide a better understanding of the evolutions and main trends of this regions' actors.
Senior Advisor, Center for Asian Studies
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Indonesia is gearing up for its next general election on February 14, with a potential runoff scheduled in late June. This major electoral process will determine the nation’s next president and vice-president since incumbent President Joko Widodo, also known as Jokowi, will step down after ten...
As US-China rivalry reaches its peak and the likelihood of a high-intensity conflict in the region seems greater than ever, this report advocates for a pragmatic recalibration of France’s strategic posture in the Indo-Pacific. This adjustment should be grounded in a realistic reframing of...
The February 2021 coup encountered a level of resistance that the military did not expect: demonstrations, boycotts, and a slide toward an armed resistance against repression from the authorities.
As the world’s center of gravity has shifted to Asia, the European Union must also be present in the region. In particular, it must develop its relations with Asian countries that have long been neglected to the sole benefit of China -- namely India, but above all the countries of Southeast...
For anyone who still harbored doubts, Washington made crystal clear from the announcement of the new trilateral alliance with Australia and the UK (AUKUS) that countering China is its number one priority, and that it will do whatever it takes to succeed. Much has been said about the...
China is now an undeniable heavyweight on the international scene, wielding a remarkable range of political strategies. Studying its position in the surrounding area of Southeast Asia in relation to Japan, Korea, Taiwan, and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) countries, as well...
Tensions at sea are growing and multiplying both in the East and the South China Seas.
The New Southern Policy (NSP), the signature foreign policy initiative by President Moon Jae-in of the Republic of Korea (ROK) that was officially launched in November 2017, has opened a new chapter in Seoul’s relations with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) as well as India.<...>
As a frontline zone and a pivot, Southeast Asia is both a testing ground and a showcase of China’s ambitions in developing a grand cooperative scheme. Creating mutually positive linkages is crucial for both partners, if not for the same reasons.
In February 2020, the Ifri Center for Asian Studies and the Research Institute for Peace and Security (RIPS) held a conference on the Asian security environment.
Annual Conference of Ifri's Center for Asian and Indo-Pacific Studies. As strategic competition becomes an increasingly dominant feature of the international system today, the “de-risking” of interdependent economic ties has emerged as a new mantra for managing geopolitical uncertainty.
A debate with Simon Tay, Chairman of the Singapore Institute of International Affairs (SIIA), Associate Professor at the National University of Singapore, and Singapore’s Ambassador to Greece.
Annual conference of Ifri's Center for Asian Studies. The war in Ukraine has marked the return of high-intensity conflict in Europe and represents a profound, structural shift in the region’s strategic environment. It also takes place against a backdrop of a decades-long...
How India sees France. A conference with Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, External Affairs Minister of India.
The era of hyper globalization is now transforming into an age of geoeconomics, where trade and economic relations are increasingly conditioned by national security concerns. What impact will this shift have on the regional trade architecture and economic strategies in East Asia? <...>
Since 1983, the QUAD gathers every year, the SWP, RAND Corporation, Chatham House and Ifri. The QUAD was set up during the Euromissile crisis and brings together European and American diplomats, military officers, journalists and research fellow to debate on current geopolitical issues.<...>
Close to five months after the February 1 coup that ended Myanmar's democratic experiment and brought the military back to power, the situation in the country remains volatile with an expanding civil war, while international action remains ineffective given divisions between the West and China...
Multilateralism – broadly understood as a form of institutionalized interaction between several states to achieve agreed-upon goal(s) – is an essential tool and process of global political and economic cooperation. Ideally, the number of states involved should be as large as possible.
Since the end of 2019, more than 20 Notes Verbales have been submitted to the UN Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf regarding the claims in the South China Sea (SCS).
The COVID-19 crisis has highlighted the risks of an excessive dependence on one single economic partner.
Partners in the Blue Pacific (PBP) is made up of US, UK, Japan, Australia, New Zealand, with the latter two expected to spearhead cooperation efforts. Some experts say France is already interested despite anger over Aukus security pact; the new PBP will become ‘multilateral rather than...
Since the end of 2019, more than 20 Notes Verbales have been submitted to the UN Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf regarding the claims in the South China Sea (SCS).
Six weeks after a coup the military repression is escalating with human rights activists saying ‘crimes against humanity’ are likely being committed. Foreign Editor David Pratt examines a brutal crackdown by an army with form in committing atrocities
Foreign investors flocked to Myanmar as it began its democratic transition a decade ago, but this week's military coup is likely to accelerate a trend of Western withdrawal -- and China's expansion.
Philippines' President wants to limit islamist groups' capacity after several attacks in the South of the country.
Reports have emerged that China has set up a missile launch base on Woody Island, part of an archipelago disputed with Taiwan and Vietnam. This comes just as the US President was wrapping up an ASEAN summit to strengthen ties after the recent Trans-Pacific Partnership trade deal. How will this...
On December 31, 2015, ASEAN launched its long-anticipated Community with relatively little fanfare. This low-profile attitude surprised many observers: announced as a milestone and the signal of the member-states determination to bring regional cooperation “to a higher plane,” the launch was...
La question des Rohingyas est plus complexe qu’il n’y paraît.
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