It is no coincidence that Southeast Asia has appeared more prominently in Canada's economic consciousness recently. For federal officials, Southeast Asia is a major focus for pursuing business opportunities, and they say that is unlikely to change in the near future.

Japan will open the way to channel aid to foreign militaries under a new charter for overseas development assistance, as the nation seeks to bolster regional security ties amid a territorial dispute with China. The Development Cooperation Charter will allow Japan to provide overseas aid for non-combat purposes, according to a copy of the document obtained by Bloomberg News. 

Ask someone in Southeast Asia what comes to mind when you mention "Korea," and the answer is more than likely to be the "Korean Wave." (...) The first ladies of the ASEAN member nations got a look at the place where the wave originated during this week's Korea-ASEAN Summit.

MOFA will follow up with a wide range of activities next year, such as sending performance groups on cultural diplomacy tours throughout the region, according to the director-general. 

Japan's top foreign aid official looks back on six decades of official development assistance and airs his vision for "cooperation with a face" and the kind of ODA that will be remembered for years to come.

Public diplomacy is a key pillar of a country’s foreign policy toolkit. In a world where non-state actors – foreign publics, media, NGOs, civil society organizations and multinational corporations — are increasingly important, soft power initiatives — outreach activities directed at foreign nations to enhance a country’s international reputation — are increasingly prominent in the foreign policy landscape. The public diplomacy landscape has traditionally been dominated by rich developed nations like the United Kingdom, Germany, the Netherlands, France, Japan, Spain and the United States.

China and Southeast Asia are more intertwined than ever. Trade between these two regions is booming, and Chinese investors are pouring into Southeast Asia. China is fully involved in most regional security meetings organised by Asean. This era of Sino-Southeast Asian relations should therefore be a golden age bringing mutual peace and prosperity for all concerned.

Emerging donor South Korea has high hopes for Myanmar, and the latest step is to establish a new think tank to assist in policy, capacity building and research efforts in the country, as well as boost Seoul’s own development footprint in Southeast Asia.