Asia and Indo-Pacific
Asia and the Indo-Pacific are often presented as the heart of international relations in the 21st century.
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Energy in Southeast Asia: from Networks to Markets Integration
Southeast Asia is one of the world's most dynamic regions and experiences strong economic and energy demand growth rates. In this context, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) is seeking to interconnect the electric grids and gas networks of the countries through two initiatives, the Asean Power Grid and the Trans-Asean Gas Pipeline, in order to pool resources and optimize energy markets integration in the region.
Najib Razak’s Malaysia: A solid economy on a foundation of political tension
Najib Razak began his term as Prime Minister of Malaysia in 2009 amidst a severe global economic crisis, concern over spiraling public debt and fears the country would fall into the ominous “middle income trap”.
Taiwan after the elections: what next?
On 16 January, the independence-leaning Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) won a double victory over the ruling party, the Kuomintang (KMT). DPP candidate Tsai Ing-wen was elected president with 56% of the vote, and for the first time the party won a majority in the Legislative Yuan – Taiwan’s parliament – with 68 of the 113 seats.
The ASEAN Community: The Reality of a Vision
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 indeed modest, even imperceptible.
On the Campaign Trail in Taiwan
Taiwan remains a hyperactive democracy, where political rallies and gatherings of various types are being organized in all directions as the elections draw near. This photo essay shows photos mainly taken during political rallies in Taipei in December 2015, two to three weeks before the presidential and legislative elections on January 16, 2016.
Going Tactical: Pakistan’s Nuclear Posture and Implications for Stability
For decades, the Asian security environment has been characterized by multiple strategic rivalries with cascading effects.
(Dis)integrating Asia? - Interview with Euan Graham
Euan Graham, Senior Fellow in the Maritime Security Programme at Rajaratnam School of International Studies (RSIS), explained Australia's position vis-à-vis regional economic integration in Asia.
How Asia is transforming geopolitical situation and it is most affecting Taiwan today? Interview with Francis Yi-hua Kan
Francis Yi-hua Kan is an Associate Research Fellow at the Institute of International Relations, National Chengchi University.
(Dis)integrating Asia? Interview with Toshiro Iijima
Toshiro Iijima, Deputy Director-General of the Japan Institute of International Affairs (JIIA), expressed his views on the following questions:
- How is the geopolitical transformation of Asie most affecting Japan?
- What is Japan's vision on shaping regional frameworks?
- Which regional entities should be the primary drivers in shaping regional frameworks?
Click here to read the program of the conference.
How is the geopolitical transformation of asia most affecting the United States? Interview with Christopher Johnso
Christopher Johnson, Senior Advisor and Freeman Chair in China Studies, Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), and Managing Director for China, Bower Group Asia, expressed his views on the following questions:
Australia: A New Strategy for a Medium-Size Power
New configurations in Asia suggest to Canberra, as a middle-size power, that it should employ its external strategy as a means to bolster its security and regional stability.
Asie de l’Est : la communauté économique impossible
The East Asian region has long been characterized by its informal structure. Strong economic integration, backed by dense intra-regional trade, has never been accompanied by regional institutional commitments. At the end of the 1990s, there was a vague desire to institutionalize the region, but to no avail.
The Religious Question in Myanmar’s Transition
In March 2011, after a half-century of relative isolation and autocratic military rule, Myanmar took the world by surprise in announcing an unexpected political transition. Less than two years later the emergence of aggressive Buddhist nationalism grabbed the spotlight. The epidemic of violence against Muslims that began with pogroms in June 2012 in the Arakan region of southwest Myanmar has now spread across a large swath of the country and is a testimony to the seriousness of this phenomenon. In a country with a large Buddhist majority, the presence of Muslims is now considered a threat.
Asia-Pacific: China’s Foreign Policy Priority
China is increasingly active in the Asia-Pacific region, an area that makes up the main focus of its foreign policy.
Understanding Political Instability in Thailand: Constitutionalism and Coups d’États
Since 1932, Thailand has been the stage of regular coups d’états and constitutional changes, with the most recent in May 2014.
The Russian-Ukrainian Conflict Seen from Kiev
Moscow has every intention of including Ukraine in its Eurasian Union, with one major playing card: the exchange of Kiev’s sovereignty for economic and financial advantages.
Ifri, a foundation recognized as being of public utility, relies largely on private donors – companies and individuals – to guarantee its sustainability and intellectual independence. Through their funding, donors help maintain the Institute's position among the world's leading think tanks. By benefiting from an internationally recognized network and expertise, donors refine their understanding of geopolitical risk and its consequences on global politics and the economy. In 2026, Ifri partners with over 90 French and international companies and organizations.
European Think-tank Network on China (ETNC)
The European Think-tank Network on China (ETNC) is a gathering of China experts from a selection of European research institutes. It is devoted to the policy-oriented study of Chinese foreign policy and relations between China and European countries as well as China and the EU. It facilitates regular exchanges among participating researchers with a view to deepening the understanding within the European policy and research community and the broader public of how Europe, as a complex set of actors, relates with China and how China’s development and evolving global role is likely to impact the future of Europe. The network’s discussions and analyses take a decidedly ‘bottom-up’ approach, accounting for the various aspects of bilateral relations between European countries and China, and the points of convergence and divergence among EU member states in order to examine EU-China relations in a realistic and comprehensive way. The views presented in ETNC reports are the sole responsibility of the signed authors and do not in any way represent the views of all members of the ETNC, its participating institutions, nor the institutions with which the authors are affiliated.
Center for Asian Studies
Asia is a nerve center for multiple global economic, political and security challenges. The Center for Asian Studies provides documented expertise and a platform for discussion on Asian issues to accompany decision makers and explain and contextualize developments in the region for the sake of a larger public dialogue.
The Center's research is organized along two major axes: relations between Asia's major powers and the rest of the world; and internal economic and social dynamics of Asian countries. The Center's research focuses primarily on China, Japan, India, Taiwan and the Indo-Pacific, but also covers Southeast Asia, the Korean peninsula and the Pacific Islands.
The Centre for Asian Studies maintains close institutional links with counterpart research institutes in Europe and Asia, and its researchers regularly carry out fieldwork in the region.
The Center organizes closed-door roundtables, expert-level seminars and a number of public events, including an Annual Conference, that welcome experts from Asia, Europe and the United States. The work of Center’s researchers, as well as that of their partners, is regularly published in the Center’s electronic journal Asie.Visions.