Nareerat Wiriyapong
Acting Asia Focus Editor
Acting Asia Focus Editor
Big powers ardently wooing Asean
The Association of Southeast Asian Nations once more found itself serving as a shock absorber between great powers last week. The occasion was an online summit of Chinese and Asean leaders, where President Xi Jinping emphasised Beijing's strong commitment to the bloc and announced a "new milestone" in relations.
Securing our digital future
Paying bills and transferring money using a mobile phone is now second nature for most people in the digital era. My own digital journey started later than some, when the Covid-19 pandemic started to affect my life profoundly. Banks and restaurants were closed and commuting on public transport made me uncomfortable.
Xi-Biden summit a hopeful sign
As the US and China stake out rival security strategies in the Asia-Pacific region, notably on Taiwan, the world takes heart from comments by Chinese President Xi Jinping that Beijing is ready to manage differences with Washington as the leaders of the two superpowers prepare to meet virtually today, the first since US President Joe Biden took office in January.
Not just empty words, hopefully
Countries across the world orchestrated similar commitments last week with the aim of reversing the adverse impacts of the greatest threat facing humanity today, which is climate change.
Assertive Asean more vital than ever
While Myanmar's "unusual crisis" dominated talks at the summits of Asean and its dialogue partners last week, the group's centrality and relevance in the new world order were also highlighted as the 10-country bloc has been dealing with critical challenges both at home and abroad.
Asean's bold Myanmar move
The whole world is now looking at the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) in hope that the regional group is ready to carry a bigger stick in addressing the crisis facing one of its members -- Myanmar.
The Squid Game K-shock
When I saw the K-pop sensations BTS taking centre stage at the United Nations headquarters in New York ahead of the General Assembly last month, I was surprised by the cheerful mood of the world-renowned boy band from Asia.
Facebook needs a serious fix
Over the years, we have seen an increasing number of people worldwide becoming hugely reliant on Facebook, using the platform of the social media giant to connect with loved ones or reconnect with lost ones.
Huge tasks for Japan's new leader
When I first heard that two women -- Sanae Takaichi and Seiko Noda -- were seeking the leadership of Japan's ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), I was blessed with a hopeful thought that maybe the result of last Wednesday's election could bring real change to Japanese society.
Trade politics get very messy
Geopolitics in Asia Pacific have become increasingly complex and drawn growing interest from outsiders since the US, the UK and Australia announced a new alliance known as AUKUS to enable Australia to build nuclear-powered submarines.