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Full-Text Articles in Asian Studies
There And Back Again: What The Cold War For Southeast Asia Can Teach Us About Sino-Us Competition In The Region Today, Wen-Qing Ngoei
There And Back Again: What The Cold War For Southeast Asia Can Teach Us About Sino-Us Competition In The Region Today, Wen-Qing Ngoei
Research Collection School of Social Sciences
Expert commentary today typically focuses on the agendas and actions of the two big powers, the United States and China, which misses the bigger picture. During the Cold War, leaders of ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) played a critical role in containing Chinese influence, shaping the terms of Sino-U.S. competition and rapprochement, and deepening the U.S. presence in Southeast Asia. The legacy of ASEAN’s foreign relations during and since the Cold War militates against the popular notion that Chinese hegemony in Asia is inevitable.
A Wide Anticommunist Arc: Britain, Asean, And Nixon's Triangular Diplomacy, Wen-Qing Ngoei
A Wide Anticommunist Arc: Britain, Asean, And Nixon's Triangular Diplomacy, Wen-Qing Ngoei
Research Collection School of Social Sciences
President Richard Nixon’s triangular diplomacy succeeded because a “wide anticommunist arc” of U.S. allies in Southeast Asia had confined the influence of both China and the USSR to the Indochinese states. Beijing and Moscow welcomed détente with Washington in order to accommodate to de facto U.S. hegemony in the region.
George Yeo [Singapore, Minister Of Foreign Affairs], George Yeo
George Yeo [Singapore, Minister Of Foreign Affairs], George Yeo
Digital Narratives of Asia
George Yeo, former Minister of Foreign Affairs who became a business leader, speaks to DNA about his philosophical Taoist worldview, the impact of the rise of China, and the challenges facing ASEAN at its 50th year. He talks on how the soft power of ASEAN's policy of non-interference has yield some successes.
Vu Khoan [Vietnam, Deputy Prime Minister], Vu Khoan
Vu Khoan [Vietnam, Deputy Prime Minister], Vu Khoan
Digital Narratives of Asia
Vu Khoan, former Deputy Prime Minister for Vietnam, shares with DNA how he joined the foreign services, and then took charge of economic reform, where every assignment was a challenge that caused him to grow. He led Vietnam from political isolation to normalizing her international relations, especially with ASEAN countries. Interview and transcript in English and Vietnamese.
Ajit Singh [Malyasia, Asean Secretary-General, Diplomat], Ajit Singh
Ajit Singh [Malyasia, Asean Secretary-General, Diplomat], Ajit Singh
Digital Narratives of Asia
After thirty years as a career diplomat, Malaysia's first ASEAN Secretary-General Ajit Singh, sees his five-year term as the most productive, golden years of his life. He speaks to DNA about the challenges he faced with admitting Myanmar to ASEAN, and the visionary ASEAN leadership. He also expounds on the differences in impacts of work between an ambassador and a bureaucrat.
Ong Keng Yong [Singapore, Ministry Of Foreign Affairs, Civil Service], Keng Yong Ong
Ong Keng Yong [Singapore, Ministry Of Foreign Affairs, Civil Service], Keng Yong Ong
Digital Narratives of Asia
Ong Keng Yong, a law graduate who worked in MFA (Ministry of Foreign Affairs) specialising in Middle East, recalls his initial years working under S. Rajaratnam, and SR Nathan. Having served as the Secretary General of ASEAN, he shares with DNA the strategic contributions of ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) and AEC (ASEAN Economic Community) to Singapore, highlighting the uniqueness of ASEAN socialisation at the leadership level.
Asean: Integration, Internal Dynamics And External Relations, Clara Portela
Asean: Integration, Internal Dynamics And External Relations, Clara Portela
Research Collection School of Social Sciences
Throughout its evolution, ASEAN has consistently maintained its attachment to the full respect of national sovereignty and the principle of non-interference in internal affairs, which translates into consensual decision-making, political rather than legally-binding agreements and the lack of sanctions for non-compliance. A major breakthrough in terms of institutionalisation came about with the signing of the ASEAN Charter of 2007, which has enhanced ASEAN’s standing as a rule-based organisation and approximated it somewhat to structures typical of the EU. Unfortunately, the persistence of consensual decision-making and non-confrontational habits has slowed down some of ASEAN’s integration projects and hindered the development of …