East Asia Forum

The Stand News verdict highlights an intensified crackdown on press freedoms, punishing journalists with prison sentences under colonial-era sedition laws now incorporated into national security measures. The judge’s ruling redefined the boundaries of acceptable journalism in Hong Kong, where political diversity in the media was common until recently. This selective judgment blurs the lines on permissible speech, fostering self-censorship. Independent media outlets persist despite the verdict, publishing content on sensitive topics like the Umbrella Movement anniversary, but they operate in a grey area with no guaranteed protections. With harassment of journalists on the rise and financial challenges threatening independent media, maintaining journalistic integrity is a major challenge in Hong Kong.

Ken Heydon London School of Economics and Political Science Back

The United States has changed, and so should US allies’ assumptions about how congruent their interests and values are with Washington as it falls into the grip of Trumpism. Trump is as committed to tariffs as he was in his first presidency, raising fears about their potential impact on the US and the global economy, including the highly trade-dependent economies of Asia. Key US allies will need to affirm their commitment to working together as partners in multilateral action on trade, climate and global economic governance.

China's gig economy highlights the struggles of over 12 million delivery workers facing low wages, precarious conditions and limited access to essential services. The surge in gig work, driven by the COVID-19 pandemic, has revealed systemic inequalities within an evolving labour market during China’s economic slowdown. Characterised by a race to the bottom due to consumer demands for cheap and fast delivery, the gig economy emphasises the need for substantial government reforms to ensure fair treatment, job security and better protections for these vulnerable workers.

After campaigning on an anti-India platform, Maldivian President Mohammed Muizzu’s economic and development concerns have led to a policy shift towards New Delhi given India’s important role in the region. With Muizzu's recent visit, New Delhi has regained some lost ground in the Maldives. While the episode shows that neighbouring states cannot fully decouple ties from New Delhi, India must be careful to ensure that it is seen as a reliable and accommodating partner.

The informal international forums — known as 'informals'— such as the G20 and the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation, have provided crucial opportunities for leaders to hold bilateral meetings and advance diplomatic relations. Against a backdrop of rising geopolitical tensions, the informals can build on their track record of facilitating productive meetings between US and Chinese leaders, and highlighting their importance in advancing global policies and maintaining international peace in a fragmented global order.

Indonesia aims to transform its naval forces from a green-water to a blue-water navy capable of projecting power beyond its maritime territory. But the country faces significant challenges, including limited outer naval bases, insufficient ocean-going vessels and budget constraints. With little funding allocated for 2025, Indonesia needs sustained investment in vessel procurement, domestic shipbuilding capacity and infrastructure development. Under President Prabowo Subianto, achieving this transformation will require increasing the defence budget, developing maritime technology and expanding naval infrastructure.

P Marph Daryl O Porras Mindanao State University–Iligan Institute of Technology Back

Signed in 1976, ASEAN's Treaty of Amity and Cooperation was ASEAN's first legally binding treaty and serves as its organisational pillar. It drives the ASEAN traditions of non-interference, peaceful dispute settlement and consensus-based diplomacy — the famous 'ASEAN way'. In recent decades, the TAC has helped maintain ASEAN's process of slow dialogue even amid an unprecedented regional expansion. This pragmatic approach, while slow, should serve ASEAN well in a future of growing great-power competition.

Japan's balance sheet recession, brought on by its asset bubble burst in 1990, persevered for over twenty years as businesses and households paid off debt and increased savings. While Japan’s non-financial corporate sector has cleaned its balance sheets, it maintains a fiscal surplus despite low interest rates. The corporate aversion to debt poses challenges to reviving economic growth and stimulating borrowing without compromising Japan’s monetary policy and fiscal consolidation goals.