Cementing a New Normal in U.S.-Myanmar Relations

By Murray Hiebert (@MurrayHiebert1), Senior Adviser and Deputy Director, and Phuong Nguyen (@PNguyen_DC), Associate Fellow, Southeast Asia Program (@SoutheastAsiaDC), CSIS

September 1, 2016Aung San Suu Kyi’s visit to the United States on September 13-14 as state counselor and de facto leader of Myanmar will be one of the highlights in U.S.-Myanmar relations since the two countries normalized diplomatic ties in 2012, after the military began political reforms. Now that a democratically elected government has taken office, the next five years will allow the two countries to lay the foundation for a new chapter in their bilateral relations.

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DW

Pakistani PM Sharif has inaugurated a two-day China-Pakistan Economic Corridor summit in Islamabad, hailing the project as a milestone for his country. But opposition to the project is increasing amid new conflicts.

Addressing the inaugural session of the two-day CPEC Summit in the Pakistani capital Islamabad on Monday, August 29, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif said the project would be a “game-changer” for Pakistan. He said the CPEC would also bring peace and prosperity to the entire region.

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Shifting Sands:
What Countries Are Taking Sides After the South China Sea Ruling?

On July 12, a tribunal at the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague issued its long-awaited ruling on Manila’s case against Beijing’s claims in the South China Sea. How many countries recognize the decision as legally binding on both parties and call for it to be respected will determine its ultimate value, as international pressure is the court’s only enforcement mechanism. In recent months, AMTI scoured publicly available, official statements in an effort to determine the real positions taken by countries toward the ruling. It is enlightening to compare the level of global support expressed since the July 12 ruling to the positions of countries in the months leading up to the verdict. A full list of official statements, both pre- and post-ruling, is available at the bottom of this feature.

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Press Trust of India | Updated: August 04, 2016 18:57 IST

The ACA has expressed concern over export of nuclear materials by China to Pakistan. (File Photo)

Beijing:  Defending its nuclear cooperation with its close ally Pakistan, China today claimed that its supply of reactors to Islamabad were in accordance with the principles of Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) and under the supervision of United Nation’s nuclear watchdog.

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CSIS Southeast Asia SIT-REP

This issue includes a look at the new Malaysian political party that could challenge Prime Minister Najib Razak’s United Malays National Organization, analysis of Vietnam’s latest economic reforms, a podcast assessing U.S.-Taiwan relations, and much more. Links will take you to the full publications, multimedia, or to registration for upcoming programs when available. To jump to a section, select one of the following:

• Commentaries on Malaysia
• CogitAsia articles covering Vietnam and Myanmar
• The Leaderboard profiles from Indonesia and the Philippines
• CogitAsia Podcast discussing Taiwan

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For Aussies and New Zealanders, the Battle of Long Tan is the highlight of their wartime experience in Viet Nam, a singular event in which an outnumbered force of ANZAC infantry and artillery held off more than 1500 Viet Cong, inflicting serious casualties while suffering relatively few casualties of their own. Over the years, Vietnamese authorities have quietly permitted groups of Australian and New Zealand veterans to return on special occasions to commemorate the battle at the site near the beach resort town of Vung Tau.

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