Southeast Asia Archive

YANGON, Myanmar—Beginning in the early 2000s, China’s rise buoyed commodities markets and improved the fortunes of many resource-rich countries. Myanmar was no exception: Bilateral trade has expanded considerably, with China now accounting for approximately 40 percent of Myanmar’s imports and 15 percent of its exports. Although estimates vary significantly, data provided by Myanmar authorities to the World Trade Organization indicate that China, including Hong Kong, made up nearly 60 percent of approved investments in its southwestern neighbor between 2005 and 2012. Cumulative Chinese foreign direct investment in Myanmar has since exceeded $14 billion, with much of that bound for the […]

Ahead of Singapore’s general elections on Sept. 11, both major parties contesting the poll have said it will be definitive, even historic. At a press conference on Sept. 1, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong of the People’s Action Party (PAP), which has ruled Singapore since the city-state was founded five decades ago, told reporters, “The country is at a turning point. Question is, in what direction do we now go?” That sentiment was echoed by Sylvia Lim, one of the leaders of the main opposition Workers’ Party. In some ways, election day will indeed be historic. For one, it is […]

In late June, the Thai navy told reporters it had elected to buy three submarines from China. The billion-dollar purchase has yet to be officially finalized, and specifics regarding the decision remain murky. While the deal will move Bangkok one step closer to acquiring a capability it has lacked for more than six decades, it has become caught in a broader debate about Thailand’s perceived drift away from the United States and toward China following a coup last year. Thailand’s submarine quest is neither new nor surprising. The country has lacked a submarine capability since 1951 and has tried since […]