Border tensions between Thailand and Cambodia flare with rhythmic predictability. Every few years, a clash, standoff, or troop movement reignites nationalist sentiment and triggers hurried diplomacy. Quick fixes follow—some bilateral, some externally encouraged—but calm rarely endures. The pattern is clear: the conflict recurs because the system governing it remains unchanged.

If you are experiencing a sense that the world has entered an unstable and troubled era you are not alone.

Competition for power and influence in Southeast Asia is nothing new, writes Joseph Liow, the Asia New Zealand Foundation’s Non-Resident International Fellow. Unity between Southeast Asian states is key to maintaining the region’s independence.

Aware that US containment of China is a persistent feature of Washington’s foreign strategy rather than a temporary political gesture, China has made sure to be prepared since US President Donald Trump’s first term. Academic Gu Qingyang observes that China is reshaping the rules of engagement, driven by shifts in the external environment and the domestic need to ensure economic recovery.