Between the Two Seas of Indo-Pacific : From Kra Isthmus to Thai Canal and Landbridge in Southern Thailand
Suthiphand CHIRATHIVAT and Charit TINGSABADH, ASEAN Studies Center, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok
Recent regional strategic changes have generated an exceptional relooking of two seas’ linkages of Indo-Pacific, in conjunction with the revival of Kra Isthmus in Southern Thailand. The issue is not new as it is the narrowest part of Malay-Thai peninsular and could represent the most (...)

Digital Connectivity in ASEAN : Opportunities and Challenges
Sineenat SERMCHEEP, Faculty of Economics, Chulalongkorn University
Digital connectivity is a crucial component for ASEAN’s post-pandemic recovery and competitiveness. During the COVID-19 pandemic, many economies and industrial sectors have accelerated the adoption of digitalization to respond to the pandemic and to mitigate its effect. Improving digital connectivity helps to enhance the regional digital transition. It is also a (...)

Cross-Border Electricity Trade and Climate Stabilization : Key Policy, Regulatory and Market Challenges in South and Southeast Asia
Venkatachalam ANBUMOZHI, Economic Research Institute for ASEAN and East Asia (ERIA), Jakarta
Recognising the various benefits of Cross Border Electricity Trade (CBET) for meeting energy security and climate stabilization, both ASEAN and SAARC member states formulated directions. As the political climate is becoming increasing more conducive for CBET, the (...)

Asia’s Post-Pandemic Order and Regional Integration : ASEAN Perspectives
Anupama DEVENDRAKUMAR, Faculty of Arts and Sciences, VinUniversity, Vietnam
The Covid-19 pandemic is raising difficult political-economic, socio-cultural, institutional questions. The ongoing impact of the pandemic has not only questioned the integration processes but also has laid bare the loopholes in them. The leaders, scholars, academia, businesses, and the public are divided on the future of integration and the (...)

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Session 6 / ASEAN amidst Competing Connectivity Strategies and Integration Challenges
Chair : Prof. Prabir DE, ASEAN-India Centre (AIC), Research and Information System for Developing Countries (RIS)
ASEAN is still far from clear that new geopolitical changing landscape and implications from major power rivalries will turn out to be positive for the future of region building. The prime objective of the Indo-Pacific is often seen as focussed on the security issue, and not (...)

Divide and Rule : China’s Responses to the various Indo-Pacific Initiatives
Jean-Pierre CABESTAN, Department of Government and International Studies, Faculty of Social Science, Hong Kong Baptist University
This paper focus on China’s responses to the various Indo-Pacific initiatives that have been made public since Shinzo Abe coined the very idea of Indo-Pacific in 2016 and how these responses have impacted on China-ASEAN relations. Actually, it is China’s rise and, in 2013, Xi Jinping’s (...)

Security issues and strategic challenges in the Indo-Pacific
Vice Admiral Pradeep CHAUHAN, Director-General of the National Maritime Foundation (NMF), New Delhi
The “Indo-Pacific” has been gaining new geopolitical construct over the last few years. There is also a growing consensus in understanding the geographical scope and economic and strategic approaches towards Indo-Pacific. The Indo-Pacific obtained renewed vibrancy when ASEAN, in June 2019, and India, in November 2019, came out with (...)

The South China Sea disputes in a Covid and Indo-Pacific context
Éric FRÉCON, visiting academic, Universiti Brunei Darussalam and Research Institute on Contemporary Southeast Asia (IRASEC CNRS)
For years, clashes off the Spratleys and Paracels Islands have given plenty of food for thought, for many conferences. Nowadays, is it time to admit that the South China Sea disputes should fall into the category of the endless conflicts – and that the idea of a proper Code of Conduct is becoming (...)

From Covid-19 Pandemic to Cyber Pandemic : What do we have now and how do we cope ?
Arabinda ACHARYA, Rabdan Academy in Abu Dhabi
The pandemic Covid-19 has more wide-ranging and pervasive effects on the world, its inhabitants and its ecosystems than the terrorist attacks (9/11/2001). It has changed life patterns besides indefinite closures of most business. At the same time, the criminal enterprise and extremists and terrorist organizations are exploiting the emerging vulnerabilities in (...)

Mekong Subregion : Great powers’ new strategic competition
Kavi CHONGKITTAVORN, veteran journalist on regional affairs, Bangkok Post
Since the putsch on Feb. 1 in Myanmar, both the military coup-makers and the widespread public opposition movement do not appear to perceive that they have reached an intolerable mutually hurting stalemate and are still pursuing unilateral strategies in hopes of prevailing over the other. Myanmar’s crisis thus far resists any efforts – through either direct (...)