Media

“Brexit Scuttles an ASEAN-EU FTA”, a Commentary by Sanchita Basu Das

 

Commentary 2016/28, 27 June 2016

Brexit dims chances for an ASEAN-EU FTA any time soon. The EU and ASEAN free trade talks first launched in 2007 was abandoned after two years and seven rounds. Differences over the scope and depth of the trade pact among 38 countries was compounded by the EU apprehensions about including Myanmar, an ASEAN member, then under five decades of military rule. Instead the EU chose to sign bilateral FTAs with individual ASEAN members, expecting them to play the role of ‘building blocks’ for an ASEAN-EU FTA. It signed trade accords with Singapore in 2012 and Vietnam in 2015 and was in the process to start negotiation with the Philippines, the rising star of Southeast Asia.

 

“Assessing the Impact of Brexit for ASEAN-EU and ASEAN-UK Relations”, a Commentary by Tang Siew Mun

 

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“Assessing the Impact of Brexit for ASEAN-EU and ASEAN-UK Relations”, a Commentary by Tang Siew Mun

 

Commentary 2016/27, 24 June 2016

In a move that would reverberate in the British Isles and around the world, the British electorate voted today to “leave” the European Union (EU) in what was billed as one of UK’s most significant political events in a generation. The BBC reported that the “leave” campaign garnered 52% of the votes against a turnout of 72.2%, signalling the beginning of the end of UK’s flirtation with European integration. Although the results of the referendum is not legally binding, Prime Minister David Cameron has pledged to honour the results, and has even resigned to allow a new Prime Minister to lead the process of the UK exiting the EU. The new Prime Minister would kick-start the process of UK’s withdrawal by triggering Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty through a formal notification to the European Council. As this process is being played out in Brussels and London, what does Brexit mean for ASEAN-EU and ASEAN-UK relations?

 

Tang Siew Mun quoted in The Straits Times: “Singapore caught in the middle as China-Asean country coordinator”

 

The article which was first published online by The Straits Times on June 24, 2016, can be viewed here.

Dr Tang Siew Mun is Head of ASEAN Studies Centre at ISEAS – Yusof Ishak Institute.

Ian Storey quoted in The Wall Street Journal: “Indonesia’s Widodo Wades Into South China Sea Dispute”

 

The article which was first published online by The Wall Street Journal on June 23, 2016, can be viewed here.

Dr Ian Storey is Senior Fellow at ISEAS – Yusof Ishak Institute.

“Between the Norm and the Exception: The ASEAN Way with Joint Statements”, a Commentary by Moe Thuzar

 

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“Between the Norm and the Exception: The ASEAN Way with Joint Statements”, a Commentary by Moe Thuzar

 

Commentary 2016/26, 23 June 2016

ASEAN has recently been in the news, when a joint statement by ASEAN Foreign Ministers was retracted within hours of its issuance. The carefully crafted and negotiated statement on the Special ASEAN-China Foreign Ministers Meeting by ASEAN reflected its collective concern on tensions over territorial claims in the South China Sea, and its adverse impact on ASEAN-China relations. Its retraction was attributed to weak links in ASEAN’s regional chain and was compared to the Phnom Penh failure in 2012 to achieve consensus on the same topic. Whether bureaucratic misstep or deviation from the norm, two main points in the timeline of events merit further consideration.

 

Leo Suryadinata quoted in The Straits Times: “The Natunas incident and Indonesia-China relations”

 

The article which was first published online by The Straits Times on June 23, 2016, can be viewed here.

Dr Leo Suryadinata is Visiting Senior Fellow at ISEAS – Yusof Ishak Institute.

“Covering the Confusion: Southeast Asian Newspapers’ take on the Special ASEAN-China Foreign Ministers’ Meeting”, a Commentary by Jason Salim

 

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“Covering the Confusion: Southeast Asian Newspapers’ take on the Special ASEAN-China Foreign Ministers’ Meeting”, a Commentary by Jason Salim

 

Commentary 2016/25, 22 June 2016

The Special ASEAN-China Foreign Ministers’ Meeting might have concluded a week ago, but its aftershocks continue to rattle ASEAN as it reassesses its strategy in handling the South China Sea (SCS) dispute. If ASEAN member states had any conflicting understanding of China’s growing assertiveness in bulldozing its national agenda on the region, the two-day meeting and the confusion surrounding the issuance and eventual retraction of the “media statement” almost certainly exacerbated those divides.