Topic: Association of Southeast Asian Nations

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War with Iran? 5 ways events overseas could shape Obama's second term.

The threat posed by Iran’s nuclear program is the most urgent example of the foreign-policy challenges that face President Obama in his second term. Here are four others.
Reforms in Myanmar: 4 reasons the military changed course

For more than half a century, Myanmar’s military governments were synonymous with brutality and corruption, but a year ago the military stepped aside, handing power to a nominally civilian government. Here are four reasons why this change occurred.
East Asia's top 5 island disputes
Japan earthquake: 5 ways the international community is helping
Photos of the Day: Photos of the Day 03/02

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Back from Asia, Obama weighs strategic partnerships, China's economic muscle

Obama's stops in India and Indonesia balanced security with economic pressures. But back-to-back global summits in Japan and South Korea underscored the administration’s weaker hand with China.
Obama's Asia visit: Do free trade deals really boost economies?

President Obama hopes to ink a US-South Korea free trade agreement Thursday. Trade deals among Asian countries are all the rage, but some say they may not have much impact.
Opposition cries foul over Burma (Myanmar) election

Unofficial results say the pro-junta party won 80 percent of the vote in the Burma (Myanmar) election. Critics charge systematic rigging and voter intimidation.
Obama arrives in Indonesia to fanfare, but Mount Merapi ash will cut visit short

President Obama's visit to Indonesia, the world’s fourth-largest democracy and the country with more Muslims than any other, is expected to cover a broader range of issues than his trip to India.
Photos of the Day: Photos of the Day 10/29
China, US calm regional tensions at ASEAN defense conference

China-US defense chiefs met Tuesday for the first time since Beijing severed links earlier this year. The nations worked to ease tensions over a string of recent maritime disputes in East Asia.
Obama puts Asia on his agenda. Will it make a difference?

Obama holds meetings with Asian leaders at UN on economic and security issues. But some analysts say he is doing no better than his predecessors at resolving the region's challenges.
In Pictures: Travels with Hillary Clinton
How a minor China-Japan fishing dispute blew into a diplomatic hurricane

The confrontation in disputed waters between a Chinese fishing boat and Japanese Coast Guard vessels have quickly soured China-Japan relations. Neither governments appear ready to lose face in the standoff.
Five things Obama will do at the UN

President Obama hasn’t had much time lately for anything other than the economy, jobs, and maybe a little worrying about the midterm elections. But he’ll focus a good chunk of this week on foreign affairs when he decamps Washington for the United Nations in New York, spending the better part of three days – from Wednesday afternoon to Friday evening – on many of the bigger issues on his international plate. Here are five things Mr. Obama will do while in New York.
Criticize Vietnam's rights record – just not in Thailand

Blocking debate on Vietnam’s rights record represents a break from Thailand’s tolerant tradition. Bangkok has been seen as more open to critical debate on regional affairs than more authoritarian countries like Vietnam.
As Iran sanctions threaten, Iran sees new friend in Cambodia

Leaders from Iran and Cambodia met this month in their most senior exchange to date. Some say it is a sign that Iran sanctions are pushing Tehran to develop new trade partners.
China and the US battle to assert presence in South China Sea

US warships are staging their third set of exercises in less than a month off the coast of China, in a show of force that has prompted fears of prolonged maritime tensions in the region.
US-Vietnam ties strengthen with military exercises, to China's chagrin

This week, the USS John McCain is engaged in military exercises in the South China Sea - setting a new threshold in US-Vietnam ties.
North Korea warns of 'physical response' to US-South Korea war games; Clinton shrugs

A North Korea diplomat said there would be a 'a physical response to the threat imposed by the United States militarily.' He spoke as US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton visited the Southeast Asia regional security forum (ASEAN) to build support for new sanctions against North Korea.
North Korea denounces war games, but is still game for six-party talks

North Korea denounced joint US and South Korean exercises on Thursday in a volley of rhetoric that analysts believe was sure to increase regional tensions, but not fresh clashes.
Gallery: World's biggest energy hogs
Opinion: Elections in Burma (Myanmar) won't be fair, but they will be significant

Efforts to further isolate the military junta won’t succeed. Instead, world leaders should make the best of a flawed situation and work to reintegrate Burma with the community of nations.
China, Taiwan to sign breakthrough trade deal

China and Taiwan are completing an agreement to increase bilateral trade. Taiwan's government says the trade deal will boost economic growth; the opposition party says it will erode sovereignty.
The fuel behind Thailand red-shirt protesters' fire

Thailand's red-shirt protesters accepted a government reconciliation roadmap on Tuesday. But they refused to end their demonstrations, which have left 27 people dead.
Opinion: In Asia, the US should look beyond China and India

Future opportunity for US growth depends on whether President Obama focuses on Southeast Asia, not just China and India.
Can foreign mediators defuse Thailand’s red shirt protests?

Thailand’s red shirt protesters on Thursday asked the European Union to send monitors to prevent a violent crackdown, one day after they clashed again with soldiers. Nobel peace laureate and East Timor President Jose Ramos-Horta, whose country sought foreign aid against political violence, offers advice on outside mediators.
ASEAN holds tongue on Burma election. What options remain for Suu Kyi?

During this week's ASEAN summit, Asian leaders fell short of criticizing the rules that ban Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi from participating in the upcoming Burma election. But hope remains for moderate voices.
Exiled Thaksin in Cambodia kicks up trouble for Thailand

Ousted Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra has long provoked Thailand's government by rousing opposition at home. Now he's inflamed regional tensions by becoming an economic adviser to rival Cambodia.
Obama's Asia trip: In Singapore, a focus on US staying power

On the second stop of Obama's Asia trip, the president will meet with the 10 ASEAN leaders in a region that welcomes the US presence as a counterbalance to China.