But It Must Change to Earn Their Confidence By Mehmet Enes Beşer ASEAN has been at the very center of Southeast Asia’s political, economic, and diplomatic order for over five decades. It has preserved peace in a region formerly shattered by strife, facilitated trade integration, and become a convenor of dialogue between great powers. But in recent years, its influence ...
The annual meetings are organized by the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS). By Orçun Göktürk, from Beijing / China The Shangri-La Dialogue 2025, Asia’s largest and most comprehensive security forum held annually in Singapore, has concluded. In addition to the US-China tension, new contradictions and fault lines between Europe and the US also drew attention at the Forum. The ...
It Can Pay For Its Own Future. By Mehmet Enes Beşer As the pecking order in the world’s capital economy, Europe has long been at the top of the list as one of the safest and most developed sources of foreign direct investment (FDI). For most of the developing world, European capital has been a capital with credibility, technology transfer, ...
A Strategic Balancing Act By Mehmet Enes Beşer As the world hurtles towards a green energy, electric mobility, and high-technology future, rare earth elements (REEs) have emerged as the unsung cornerstone of the global green economy. These metals—vital to wind turbines, EV motors, semiconductors, and military uses—have emerged as a valuable asset on which economic and geopolitical competition is increasingly ...
Both Nations’ Best Interest By Mehmet Enes Beşer As the world’s alliances are being recalibrated and old friends have proven themselves unreliable, one bilateral relationship is ready to be reborn and reenergized: China and Thailand. Historically linked by cultural affinity, economic interdependence, and regional interest, the two countries are now exceptionally well positioned to move their relationship in a more ...
The path forward is to reconcile various national interests in upholding ASEAN solidarity. By Mehmet Enes Beşer The resurgence of economic nationalism under the Donald Trump administration has reignited tensions in the trade relations between China and the US, casting a shadow on the stability of the global economy. Strategically located between these two economic behemoths, Southeast Asia is faced ...
ASEAN has traditionally enjoyed regional stability through diplomacy and consistency. Yet, with transnational crime, stability cannot be achieved through silence or soft coordination. By Mehmet Enes Beşer Southeast Asia is a center of global trade, digital technology, and urban growth. But it is increasingly also at the epicenter of transnational crime. From cyber-enabled fraud and human trafficking to drugs, environmental ...
ASEAN countries hope to pragmatically benefit from the rivalry between the two global powers By Orçun Göktürk, Beijing / China President of the People’s Republic of China, Xi Jinping, paid visits to Vietnam, Malaysia, and Cambodia during a period when the trade war with the United States was intensifying. These countries hold great significance for China. Since the first trade ...
Motivations, challenges and future trajectories. By Mehmet Enes Beşer The global geopolitical landscape is undergoing significant transformations, prompting regional blocs like the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) to reassess their strategic alignments. A notable development in this context is the deepening engagement between ASEAN member states and the BRICS consortium—comprising Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa. This evolving ...
The Pragmatic Middle Ground: Navigating Superpower Pressures By Mehmet Enes Beşer Malaysia follows a complex and highly challenging foreign policy as it strives to balance economic relations with China while maintaining strategic cooperation with the United States, particularly concerning sovereignty claims and regional security in the South China Sea. This balancing act is shaped by Malaysia’s geopolitical dynamics and national ...