Asia Right Now

ASEAN & the multipolar future in Southeast Asia: This podcast’s guest is Thomas Parks, the Asia Foundation’s country representative in Thailand, where he manages programme addressing inequality, education, digital tech, and international relations. He also oversees the Foundation’s regional cooperation programs in Southeast Asia, with a strong focus on ASEAN. He’s been based in Thailand since 2008, and has spent time  in the Philippines, Myanmar, Indonesia, and Cambodia. His latest book is entitled “Southeast Asia’s Multi Polar Future – Preventing a new Cold War.”

Asia Right Now : Japan & The Indo-Pacific . In late 2022 Japan released its new security and defence policy. It swept away much of the self-restraint that had characterised Tokyo's attitude to security since 1945, and saw the Kishida Administration bringing defence and security issues to the fore. Today on the podcast we speak with Japanese foreign policy experts Professor Akiko Fukushima and Professor Ken Jimbo, on Japan's new national security strategy, the progress made on the "Free & Open Indo-Pacific" initiative (the FOIP) , and Japan's role in shaping the regional order.  

Asia Right Now : Singapore's Andrew Tan :Singapore-based Andrew Tan has spent 28 years in the public sector where he's held key positions across various Singapore government agencies, from the Ministry of Information and the Arts, Ministry of Defence, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and in the Prime Minister’s Office as the Private Secretary to Lee Kuan Yew. He is also a former CEO at Singapore’s National Environment Agency, and Chief Executive of the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore. He's spent time as Director of Singapore's Centre for Liveable Cities, and has most recently been working as a managing director at global investment company Temasek. Andrew was in New Zealand recently to address the China Business Summit held in Auckland, and following his address he spoke to Suz Jessep and James To from the Asia New Zealand Foundation about Singapore's development model, and the challenges ahead across the region.  

Asia Right Now: A "Scrambled Re-Globalisation" in Asia: Professor Nick Bisley is an international relations professor and the Dean of Humanities at Melbourne’s La Trobe University. He’s researched and written extensively on political economy and globalisation in Asia. Nick was in NZ recently for a series of lectures looking at the post-Covid economic reformation underway in Asia, he joins us to discuss what he describes as the “scrambled -re-globalisation" and how it will shape the future in Asia and elsewhere. 

Asia Right Now: Dato Erywan Yusof: Brunei's 2nd Foreign Minister Dato Erywan Yusof was in New Zealand recently, and sat down for a brief chat on the current relationship between the two countries, the new upgrade to the ASEAN-Australia-NZ FTA, and the on-going challenge ASEAN is facing in de-fusing the Myanmar conflict.

Asia Right Now: Dr Subramanyam Jaishankar: India's External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar has been in New Zealand for discussions with government officials and public events in Auckland and Wellington. It's the first visit by an Indian EAM for twenty years and he was keen to discuss India's future, its upcoming presidency at the G20, and how New Zealand and India can improve their relationship.

- Asia Media Centre