What some see as obstacles to the Belt and Road Initiative may only be operational challenges along the route as the massive project finally begins to take shape.

US-China relations are of great concern to much of the world, particularly this region, whether or not Washington and Beijing seem to realise it.

Despite multiple setbacks, Thais generally remain hopeful that Malaysia’s renewed effort to facilitate peace talks for their southernmost provinces can still succeed.

Close relations between China and Russia as a result of clueless US policies may not be new, except that bilateral ties are now peaking like never before.

The mass killings and persecution of Myanmar’s Rohingya population continue unabated, with more shameful actions by shameless people in high positions.

After years of unqualified success, Beijing may have met its match in Donald Trump’s trade war – weakening China’s aspirations on other fronts, including its signature Belt and Road ambitions.

Summits are often dismissed as mere talk shops, but they can also be significant events that create opportunities for a safer and better world.

AS an indication of how out of touch some international pundits of Asia are, they still call North-East Asia (China, Japan and Korea) “East Asia.”

The international marketplace can be an unforgiving arena, if the hard economic realities of global markets are replaced by sentimentality or nostalgia.

Where US policymakers are not at war with themselves in Washington they threaten trade wars against allies and rivals – leaving much of the world to the fallout.

The much-publicised Trump-Kim summit has run into some expected roadblocks on an already rough road, but remains a common destination potholes and all.

Changes in Malaysia in the last few days have been shocking, requiring a post-mortem with hard-headed diagnosis, especially with the continous aftershocks.