Cambodia-Vietnam relations have always been enveloped by the shadows of a bloody past. This past refers to the Cambodian-Vietnamese War which was an armed conflict between then Democratic Kampuchea and the Socialist Republic of Vietnam. From 1975 to 1977, isolated clashes along the land and maritime borders proved to be a hallmark of this bloodbath, sporadically resulting in division-sized military formations.

Australia’s recent maritime border treaty with Timor-Leste could open a new can of worms for Australia as Indonesia may use Timor-Leste’s recent victory at The Hague to renegotiate Indonesian-Australian maritime boundaries. Last month saw Timor-Leste and Australia finally reaching an agreement over the maritime border between the two nations following a 15-year dispute.

On 28 March 2018, Myanmar’s parliament elected Win Myint as the country’s next president. Win Myint was made president after the resignation of his predecessor, Htin Kyaw the week before Win Myint was elected. Htin Kyaw did not explain his reason for resigning but many believe it was due to his poor health.

The leaders of the world’s two biggest economies are waiting to see who backs down after firing the opening shots in a trade war. U.S. President Donald Trump took aim at China’s plans to dominate strategic technologies Tuesday by slapping tariffs on 1,333 of the country’s products – from semiconductors to lithium batteries. Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping’s government hit back with proposed levies on key American imports including soybeans and Boeing Co.

The South China Sea dispute has for the longest time been a thorn in the flesh of relations between claimant Southeast Asian states and China – and for good reason. It is one of the key arteries of global trade, carrying an estimated one third of global shipping amounting to trillions of dollars. It is also rich in hydrocarbon resources.

The largest democracy in Southeast Asia is gearing up for its upcoming elections season. Indonesians will go to the polls twice, once this year and once again in the following year. The country’s local elections will be held first and is slated for 27 June, this year. These elections are being held to elect 17 governors, 39 mayors and 115 regents across Indonesia. Meanwhile, the Presidential elections will be held on 17 April, 2019.

North Korean dictator, Kim Jong Un’s first foreign trip saw him take a bulletproof train to neighbouring China where he received a lavish welcome from Chinese president, Xi Jinping. Kim’s trip was kept under wraps until it was announced after Kim and his delegation had returned to Pyongyang.The North Korean leader’s visit comes before the proposed summit between the United States (US) and South Korea which is expected to take place in May.

Vietnam and Australia’s strategic partnership marks a new chapter in their 45-year relationship and could help bolster each country’s stand on the South China Sea dispute. The strategic partnership deal was signed during Vietnamese prime minister, Nguyen Xuan Phuc’s visit to Australia ahead of the ASEAN-Australia Special Summit on 15 March.

In December 2017, the president of the Philippines, Rodrigo Duterte requested to extend martial law on the southern island of Mindanao for another year. Citing the need to fight Islamist terrorists and communists, martial law would need to be extended until the end of 2018. “There is a need for me to come up with something, otherwise Mindanao will blow apart,” Duterte told the media then.

In a Utopian world, an obvious solution to the South China Sea dispute would be for the nations involved to align their interests together and jointly pursue maritime exploration of the area. In fact, the idea was once mooted by former Secretary General of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), the late Surin Pitsuwan who advocated a two-pronged approach to conflict resolution.