Risks on the horizon

Danger zone: Vessels identified by the Philippine Coast Guard as Chinese maritime militia vessels travel near Thitu Island in the South China Sea on March 9. — AFP

IN addition to economic woes and the climate crisis, the possibility of war has been weighing on the minds of many South-East Asians, according to a 2023 report on the state of the region by the ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute in Singapore. Recent reports of growing defence budgets, increased procurement of arms and buzzing military activity in major sea lanes around the region have added to the concerns, as well as the war in Ukraine, which has sent ripples around the globe.

International relations analysts believe Asean and its member states would be far from ready to respond effectively if an open conflict were to break out in the Indo-Pacific today.