ASEAN
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Partnerships
Indonesia advancing role in Southeast Asia’s defense vision
Gusty Da Costa The Vientiane Joint Declaration, adopted in the Laotian capital at the 18th Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Defence Ministers’ Meeting (ADMM) in November 2024, reflects ASEAN member states’ efforts to address regional security challenges. As a founding ASEAN member and regional leader, Indonesia plays a key role in advancing the bloc’s objectives. By leveraging ASEAN platforms…
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Global Commons
Maritime security group examines Southeast Asian challenges, accessible U.S. technology
FORUM Staff A new public-private plan to transform maritime security in Southeast Asia will commit about $95 million annually for low-cost, commercially available solutions to strengthen maritime domain awareness (MDA), sustainment and security in the region. The United States Department of Defense (DOD) launched the Maritime Security (MARSEC) Consortium in November 2024. It will unite Southeast Asian government leaders, U.S.…
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Conflicts - Tensions
North Korea-Russia military ties require coordinated response to maintain Indo-Pacific stability
U.S. Army 8th Theater Sustainment Command, National Security Law Team North Korea’s increasing military support for Russia, including arms shipments and deployment of 10,000 troops for Moscow’s illegal war against Ukraine, raises significant strategic and legal concerns for the Indo-Pacific. It signals a deepening alliance between two authoritarian regimes seeking to counter the influence of the United States and its…
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Features
Securing the Digital Future
FORUM Staff Modern warfare won’t be limited by borders or conventional military maneuvers. With computer keystrokes, skilled hackers can bring down telecommunications networks, water and sewage systems, airports, highways, hospitals, and other critical infrastructure in mere minutes, experts warn. In recent years, cyberattacks linked to the People’s Republic of China (PRC), in particular, have increased and Beijing has expanded its…
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Free and Open Indo-Pacific/FOIP
ASEAN leaders want South China Sea consensus, peace in Myanmar
FORUM Staff Amid rising regional tensions, leaders of the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) at their October 2024 summit called for speeding up adoption of a long-awaited code of conduct for the South China Sea. They also demanded an end to Myanmar’s civil strife that has killed at least 5,350 civilians and displaced more than 3.3 million people…
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Partnerships
Indonesia-Vietnam meetings signal enhanced defense, regional security cooperation
Tom Abke Indonesian Defense Minister and President-elect Prabowo Subianto’s recent visit to Vietnam marked a significant step in strengthening defense ties between the two Southeast Asian nations as they prepare to upgrade relations to a comprehensive strategic partnership in 2025. Prabowo met with Vietnamese leaders, including recently appointed President Tô Lâm, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and National Assembly Chairman…
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Global Commons
Southeast Asia prepared to cope with natural disasters, survey shows
Voice of America Southeast Asia is among the world’s most disaster-prone regions, but a recent analysis shows its residents feel among the best equipped to deal with natural calamities. The survey by Gallup for the Lloyd’s Register Foundation found the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations has played a key role in disaster risk reduction, with the regional approach including…
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Oceania
Australia pledges funds for maritime cooperation as ASEAN summit begins
Radio Free Asia Canberra will invest $41.8 million during the next four years to expand maritime cooperation in Southeast Asia, Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong said in early March 2024. Wong made the pledge on the sidelines of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)-Australia Special Summit in Melbourne, which marked 50 years of partnership between Australia and the 10-member…
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Partnerships
Southeast Asian nations strengthen regional unity
FORUM Staff Southeast Asian nations are increasingly willing to act on issues requiring collective defense and cooperation, as evidenced by the mid-January 2024 talks in Hanoi between Vietnamese President Vo Van Thuong and Indonesian President Joko Widodo on strengthening joint maritime security and commerce. The leaders “reaffirmed the importance of peace, stability … and freedom of navigation” in the contested…
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Free and Open Indo-Pacific/FOIP
ASEAN demonstrates solidarity as PRC drags feet on South China Sea code of conduct
FORUM Staff Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) members are reinforcing partnerships that uphold stability in the South China Sea. Recent diplomatic efforts come as an increasingly aggressive People’s Republic of China (PRC) claims decadeslong talks on a code of conduct (COC) for the crucial waterway are “going smoothly.” Indonesian President Joko Widodo and Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. met…
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