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Nov 11, 2024 | 
lowyinstitute.org | Susannah Patton
Over three decades of domestic political turbulence, Thailand has often been dismissed as inward-looking and for failing to live up to its potential leadership role within Southeast Asia. The country’s diplomatic influence has not been commensurate with its size or stature as one of ASEAN’s founding members. But even measured against this low standard, Bangkok’s diplomacy in 2024 appears to be at a new nadir. The weakness of Thailand’s current prime minister can hardly be overstated.
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Nov 10, 2024 | 
lowyinstitute.org | Susannah Patton
Last month, a mini fracas broke out about the symbolism of Anthony Albanese citing a royal visit as cause for missing the Indonesian presidential inauguration. As experts like Greg Fealy have noted, the impact on the bilateral relationship with Indonesia is likely to be limited. After all, ties are already in good shape, with a landmark defence cooperation deal and a trade agreement both inked in the last five years. Perhaps the relationship is not, after all, “condemned to crisis”.
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Oct 8, 2024 | 
realcleardefense.com | Susannah Patton
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Oct 7, 2024 | 
realcleardefense.com | Susannah Patton
In a world of tumult, there is something quietly reassuring about thepredictable summitry of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations. Next week, one of Southeast Asia’s smallest countries, Laos, will play host to its neighbours for the ASEAN Summit. It will also welcome the region’s great powers, including the United States, China and Japan, for the adjoining annual East Asia Summit. The defining backdrop for this year’s summitry is incomplete political transitions in Washington and Jakarta.
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Oct 5, 2024 | 
channelnewsasia.com | Susannah Patton
SYDNEY: Over the next few days, one of Southeast Asia’s smallest countries, Laos, will play host to its neighbours for the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit. It will also welcome the region’s great powers, including the United States, China and Japan, for the adjoining annual East Asia Summit. The defining backdrop for this year’s summitry is incomplete political transitions in Washington and Jakarta.
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Oct 4, 2024 | 
lowyinstitute.org | Susannah Patton
This week, one of Southeast Asia's smallest countries, Laos, will play host to its neighbours for the ASEAN Summit. It will also welcome the region’s great powers, including the United States, China and Japan, for the adjoining annual East Asia Summit. The defining backdrop for this year’s summitry is incomplete political transitions in Washington and Jakarta. Next week’s ASEAN show will come to Laos and then roll on again. Concrete progress on pressing issues will be sorely lacking.
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Oct 2, 2024 | 
lowyinstitute.org | Susannah Patton
This article also appears in a collection of essays, Harris v Trump, written by Lowy Institute experts on the implications for Australia of the US presidential election. The Biden administration sees its Asia policy as an overlooked success story — attracting much less attention than Ukraine or the Middle East, but noteworthy for the administration’s shoring up of alliances and partnerships.
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Sep 22, 2024 | 
lowyinstitute.org | Susannah Patton
Each year, the Lowy Institute Asia Power Index ranks the relative power of states in Asia across eight metrics. The key findings for 2024 are available on the Asia Power Index interactive. However, like every year, there are a handful of results that seem counterintuitive. In this article, we unpack the top five for 2024. Singapore is more powerful than IndonesiaSingapore ranks eighth out of 27 countries for comprehensive power in Asia, besting ninth-ranked Indonesia by one place.
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Sep 13, 2024 | 
foreignaffairs.com | Susannah Patton |Hervé Lemahieu
Debates about the balance of power in Asia typically rely on one of three views. Some analysts believe, fatalistically, that China has become an unassailably dominant force in the region. Others place continued faith in U.S. primacy and see China as weak, vulnerable, and ultimately containable. Still others, including U.S. allies such as Australia and Japan, tout the emergence of a multipolar Indo-Pacific that could arrest China’s ambitions for regional hegemony.
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Sep 11, 2024 | 
publicaccountant.com.au | Susannah Patton
Beijing’s assiduous diplomacy and the promise of future economic rewards are . At the same time, Washington’s approaches, including economic protectionism, support for Israel over its war on Hamas, and continued diplomatic inattention, are pushing countries away.
As worrying as this picture is to Canberra, it is paradoxically creating a new golden age in Australia’s ties with the region.
