Southeast Asia Program

As it always does a year prior to a general election, Malaysia has entered in a period of intense political maneuvers and negotiations between parties.

Southeast Asia is one of the world’s most natural disaster-prone regions. The United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific estimates that natural disasters drain the region of upwards of $86.5 billion in average annual economic losses.

Secretary Austin’s itinerary in Singapore and Thailand is meant to reinforce the United States’ commitment to the Indo-Pacific as a priority theater amid the Biden administration’s global security priorities.

Cambodia’s June 5 commune elections came and went without much in the way of surprises.

In Tokyo on May 23, President Biden announced the formation of the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework for Prosperity (IPEF). The framework will bring together the United States and a dozen other Indo-Pacific countries.

During this time of global energy instability, the United States is uniquely positioned to provide critical assistance in the Mekong region. The mechanisms for doing this already exist, including the Japan-U.S.-Mekong Power Partnership (JUMPP).