ASEAN Today
Cambodia gets serious about its illegal ivory trade
The director-general of the Cambodian Department of Customs and Excise, Kun Nhim directed all branch directors to intensify their efforts and crack down on ivory smuggling. In a letter, Mr Nhim reminded branch chiefs: “Importing, exporting and transporting elephant and rhino ivory and furniture made from them ...
Is China meeting its international environmental and human rights obligations on BRI?
On Thursday, April 25, 2019, Chinese President Xi Jinping will deliver the keynote speech at the opening ceremony of the Second Belt and Road Forum (BRF) for International Cooperation in Beijing. Heads of state and other senior government officials from 37 governments will attend, including representatives from ...
Oliver Ward
Courting ASEAN: US influence in the region has diminished but what comes next for ASEAN?
China and the US have long courted Southeast Asian nations, trying to bring them into their respective spheres of influence and establish a foothold in the region. No one nation dominates completely, but over the last couple of decades, China has stepped up its diplomatic ...
John Pennington
Options to mitigate the impacts of the Lower Mekong Basin river damming to fisheries
Newly constructed dams threaten the delicate ecosystem of the Lower Mekong Basin. The solutions are available but as is so often the case, politics stands in the way. Keep reading ...
Why Laos’ reliance on Chinese money could bankrupt the country
Laos remains on the United Nation’s (UN) list of least developed nations. The government wants the country to graduate from this list. To try to achieve this, it has borrowed money from abroad to fund infrastructure projects. The government’s policy is risking short-term prosperity for ...
John Pennington
Industrial development meets environmental risk at the Lancang Mekong Cooperation Summit
The second Lancang Mekong Cooperation Summit (LMC) concluded in January. Six national leaders met in the capital of Cambodia, Phnom Penh. The six leaders were from countries situated alongside the Mekong River. Chinese Prime Minister Li Keqiang was among them. They signed an agreement on ...
Yasmin Rasidi
US bilateral relations in ASEAN
China’s economic strength has grown rapidly. It has threatened the American influence in the Southeast Asia.[]Domestic conditions in Cambodia and Myanmar made partnership harder despite bilateral trade ties. Even so, Cambodia and Myanmar are members of US-led Lower Mekong Initiative programme.Keep reading ...
Fiona Tang
