Pharaohs, Maharajas, and the Making of a Multipolar World
As the era of U.S. primacy comes to an end, academics and policymakers have quite naturally been debating what comes next. Will the emergence of a multipolar world prove inherently ...
Tag: Southeast Asia
Beijing’s Dominance of the South China Sea Is Not Inevitable
As a heavily laden, Danish-owned container ship leaves Singapore’s port and enters international waters, it pings China’s Zheng He vessel identification system, providing an update on its cargo and intended ...
Why Marco Rubio’s Asia Visit Was a Total Bust
Marco Rubio’s first visit to the Indo-Pacific as secretary of state last week was an entirely forgettable, regrettable affair. The original plan was for Rubio to travel to Japan and ...
Rubio Walks Diplomatic Tightrope in Southeast Asia
Welcome back to World Brief, where we’re looking at an unenviable diplomatic trip in Malaysia, the Trump administration’s U.S. State Department overhaul, and a new deal to allow aid into ...
Why Southeast Asia Is Flocking to BRICS
At the BRICS summit in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on July 6 and 7, the group’s leaders will celebrate a significant expansion of their organization. Since 2024, the core BRICS ...
Rivals Unite in Myanmar’s Southeast
MON AND KAYIN STATES, Myanmar—Before the 2021 military coup in Myanmar, Nai Kyi San’s only firsthand combat experience was fighting against another rebel group: the Karen National Liberation Army (KNLA). “I ...
Hegseth Fails to Reassure Asian Allies at Shangri-La
Onstage in Singapore on May 31 at the annual Shangri-La Dialogue defense forum, U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth told Indo-Pacific leaders that the United States was “here to stay.” He ...
Trump’s Volatility Is Pushing Asia Toward Beijing
This could be the most volatile geopolitical moment in the Indo-Pacific since World War II. Extreme uncertainty surrounding the Trump administration’s policies is prompting U.S. allies and partners alike to ...
The Haunting Legacy of the Vietnam War
Fifty years ago on Wednesday, North Vietnamese forces took Saigon’s presidential palace, marking the end of the Vietnam War—a two-decade-long conflict that shaped the second half of the 20th century. ...
Countries Face Pressure to Pick Sides in U.S.-China Trade War
Welcome to Foreign Policy’s China Brief. The highlights this week: The U.S.-China trade war puts other countries in a painful position, the death of Pope Francis jeopardizes a Chinese agreement with ...
