CSIS Southeast Asia Sit-Rep
This issue includes a preview of U.S. relations with Laos as the country chairs ASEAN this year, analyses on Vietnam's foreign policy and reform trajectory following its Party Congress last month, assessment of the recent U.S. freedom of navigation operation in the South China Sea, and much more. Links will take you to the full publications, multimedia, or to registration for upcoming programs when available. To jump to a section, select one of the following:
Commentaries
Deep insight into developments that move the dial
"Leadership Changes and Upcoming Obama Visit Give U.S. New Opportunities in Laos," by Murray Hiebert (@MurrayHiebert1)
Leadership changes announced at a recently completed congress of the ruling Lao People’s Revolutionary Party and President Barack Obama’s planned visit to Vientiane in September, the first ever to Laos by a sitting U.S. president, give Washington an important opportunity to boost ties with this landlocked nation of less than 7 million people along China’s southern flank... Read more >>
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CogitAsia
The CSIS Asia blog features insights on policy around the Asia Pacific
"Vietnam’s Foreign Policy after the 12th National Party Congress: Expanding Continuity," by Ngo Di Lan
In the end, Vietnam’s 12th National Party Congress did not turn out to be the watershed moment some anticipated. Incumbent general secretary Nguyen Phu Trong retained his post and nothing seemed to have fallen out of line. However, there is every reason to believe that Vietnam’s foreign policy would largely continue in the same direction... Read more >>
"South China Sea FONOP 2.0: A Step in the Right Direction," by Gregory Poling (@GregPoling)
The Navy destroyer USS Curtis Wilbur passed within 12 nautical miles of Triton Island, the southernmost of the Paracel Islands, on January 30 in the second operation in the South China Sea in recent months under the Department of Defense’s Freedom of Navigation Program. And despite significant disappointment in some quarters, the operation was a considerable improvement over the October 26 transit of the USS Lassen near Subi Reef in the Spratly Islands... Read more >>
"Vietnam’s Reform Drive Goes On, Despite Testy Party Congress," by Phuong Nguyen (@PNguyen_DC)
Views in Washington on the outcomes of Vietnam’s 12th Communist Party Congress, held January 21-28, center on what the new leadership lineup means for Vietnam’s economic reforms and participation in the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), its future strategy toward Washington and Beijing, and Vietnam’s overall trajectory. The United States and Vietnam have made great strides in their partnership in recent years, and there are good reasons to expect the new leadership to support deeper cooperation... Read more >>
"Assessing Xi Jinping’s Middle East Tour," by Megan Kelly
Xi Jinping’s first Middle East tour as president (and the first of any Chinese president since 2009) seems to have passed without a snag — not a small task given the current climate between Saudi Arabia and Iran, as well as the region more broadly. The fact that it was Xi Jinping, rather than Premier Li Keqiang, who undertook the tour highlights its importance in China’s foreign policy... Read more >>
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The Leaderboard
Two-minute read on the real people that are making news
Serbini Ali, new ambassador of Brunei to the United States
Serbini on January 23 was appointed ambassador of Brunei to the United States. He assumed his new position just days before Brunei and 11 other states signed the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) agreement. The landmark Pacific trade deal will foster greater economic diplomacy among signatories, and create new opportunities for Serbini to diversify trade cooperation with the United States... Read more >>
Thongloun Sisoulith, deputy prime minister and foreign minister of Laos
Thongloun in late January was named as the new prime minister of Laos and is expected to take his post in April after National Assembly elections. Outgoing prime minister Thongsing Thammavong announced at the recent congress that he was stepping down. Thongloun’s elevation to the prime minister post will be critical as Laos prepares for a year of heightened diplomatic activity... Read more >>
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Recent Programs
CSIS programs are designed to expose you to policymakers through open and honest dialogue
Australia's Opportunities in Security and International Development
Andrew Shearer, former Australian National Security Adviser, sits down with Daniel Runde, William A. Schreyer Chair in Global Analysis and director, CSIS Project on Prosperity and Development, to discuss how Australia views opportunities and challenges through the lens of international development, and how Australia works with diverse stakeholders, including the private sector, to achieve its development and security objectives. Watch/Listen >>
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For more on the Chair for Southeast Asia Studies, check out our website, follow us on Facebook and Twitter, visit our blog CogitAsia, and listen to our podcast at CogitAsia and iTunes. Thank you for your interest in U.S. policy in Southeast Asia and CSIS Southeast Asia. Join the conversation!
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