In­done­sia hosts south­east Asian re­gion­al fo­rum with Chi­na, Rus­sia and the US at­tend­ing, too. Published on 14 July 2023. “We don’t want ASEAN to become a proxy for other countries.” These were the words of Indonesia’s President Joko Widodo, as foreign ministers from 10 regional countries that are members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations met in the capital, Jakarta. Running through the region are major fault lines of disputes between east and west. The arrival of top diplomats from China, Russia and the United States underline the importance of the region, as well as its potential flashpoints – Taiwan, North Korea, Russia’s war in Ukraine, territorial disputes in the South China Sea. to name just a few. So is ASEAN at risk of being used by more powerful countries? Or is it normal diplomatic engagement? Presenter: Emily Angwin Guests: Ja Ian Chong – Associate professor of Political Science, National University of Singapore Shirley Yu – Senior visiting fellow, London School of Economics Einar Tangen – Aenior fellow, Taihe Institute

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