South-east Asia is a culturally and geographically diverse region, notable for its proximity and economic ties to China. Though the political structure of the region’s 11 countries varies from democracy to autocracy, many cooperate through organisations such as the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), and BRICS.

This week, Mark Leonard welcomes Lynn Kuok, the Lee Kuan Yew Chair in Southeast Asian Studies at the Brookings Institution, and senior fellow at the University of Cambridge, to discuss how such organisations are shaping regional politics. What impact is membership having on the foreign policy of member states? Why are certain south-east Asian countries attracted to specific organisations? And how might competition between China and the United States benefit the region?

This podcast is part of Re:Order and was produced with support from Stiftung Mercator.

This episode was recorded on 9 August 2024.

Bookshelf

Southeast Asia in the New International Era, by Robert Dayley

Southeast Asia: An Introductory History, by Milton Osborne

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