Xiaolong (James) Wang
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ACFTA at a Crossroads: Balancing Growth and Dependency in ASEAN-China Trade Relations
The strategic partnership between the United States and ASEAN has never fully recovered from the shock of the Trump administration’s 2016 turn away from multilateralism, erratic diplomacy, and rising protectionism. Years of unpredictable US policy have eroded trust, leaving ASEAN leaders doubtful about Washington’s long-term reliability. Into this vacuum steps…
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The China-Thailand Crackdown on Myanmar’s Scam Hubs: A Long-Overdue Reckoning or Another Short-Lived Fix?
The sprawling networks of scam operations in Myanmar’s border regions, particularly in Shwe Kokko and Myawaddy, have long been an open secret. These illicit compounds, operated primarily by Chinese criminal syndicates, have trafficked tens of thousands of individuals, coercing them into fraudulent online schemes that have siphoned billions of dollars…
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The US Aid Freeze: A Strategic Blunder That Strengthens China’s Hand in Southeast Asia
On January 20th 2025, President Trump signed an executive order initiating a 90-day suspension of US foreign development assistance programs to reassess their alignment with American interests. This was soon after accompanied by the dismantling of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), the government agency responsible for foreign…
Sino-Southeast Initiative 