The Philippines is seeking closer ties with Taiwan and stronger military links with nations focused on deterring China’s “nefarious plans,” according to the Southeast Asian nation’s defense chief.

Qatar opposes permanent legal fees for transit through the Strait of Hormuz, but a temporary fee is negotiable and could help restore normal passage through the key waterway, a top official said.

Malaysia will not rush to increase its defense budget despite US pressure for partners to become more self-reliant, as the Southeast Asian nation seeks to balance military modernization with other critical sectors, Defense Minister Mohamed Khaled Nordin said.

US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth arrived early Friday in Singapore, where he will meet with regional leaders and security counterparts ahead of a closely watched address at a major Asian security forum Saturday.

A flurry of Vietnamese island fortifications and intensifying Chinese activity show the rising odds of confrontation in the South China Sea.

Singapore’s top diplomat is making a rare visit to North Korea as part of a regional tour that includes stops in China and South Korea as the city-state seeks to boost diplomatic engagement amid intensifying geopolitical tensions.

Myanmar has turned migrant remittances into its biggest source of foreign inflows, finance ministry data seen by Bloomberg News show, after the military imposed rules that pressure citizens abroad to send money home.

Myanmar has turned migrant remittances into its biggest source of foreign inflows, finance ministry data seen by Bloomberg News show, after the military imposed rules that pressure citizens abroad to send money home.

Vietnam has expanded its outposts in the South China Sea by hundreds of acres over the past year, according to a new report, as Hanoi and Beijing race to reinforce competing territorial claims through land reclamation.

Sentiment is warming among some Southeast Asian nations toward easing Myanmar’s isolation five years after the overthrow of Aung San Suu Kyi, with diplomats signaling a desire to bring the crisis-torn nation back into the fold despite ongoing conflict.

Sentiment is warming among some Southeast Asian nations toward easing Myanmar’s isolation five years after the overthrow of Aung San Suu Kyi, with diplomats signaling a desire to bring the crisis-torn nation back into the fold despite ongoing conflict.

Singapore and New Zealand signed a deal Monday to strengthen supply chain resilience and safeguard the flow of critical goods such as food and energy, as both countries seek to shield their trade-dependent economies against disruptions from the war in Iran.

Singapore and New Zealand signed a deal Monday to strengthen supply chain resilience and safeguard the flow of critical goods such as food and energy, as both countries seek to shield their trade-dependent economies against disruptions from the war in Iran.

Singapore Prime Minister Lawrence Wong warned of bigger disruptions ahead as the country navigates a more uncertain global environment, from the Iran conflict to the rapid rise of artificial intelligence.

Vietnam’s General Secretary and President To Lam will deliver the keynote address at Asia’s top security summit this year, giving the Southeast Asian leader a high-profile opportunity to address long-standing territorial tensions with Beijing in the South China Sea.

Disruptions to shipping in the Strait of Hormuz have raised concerns about vulnerabilities in another critical maritime corridor half a world away. The Strait of Malacca — a narrow stretch of water between Indonesia and Malaysia that funnels trade past Singapore — carries more than a fifth of global maritime trade and is the world’s busiest chokepoint.

Disruptions to shipping in the Strait of Hormuz have raised concerns about vulnerabilities in another critical maritime corridor half a world away. The Strait of Malacca — a narrow stretch of water between Indonesia and Malaysia that funnels trade past Singapore — carries more than a fifth of global maritime trade and is the world’s busiest chokepoint.

Indonesia’s top diplomat said the country will not pursue tolls on ships passing through the Strait of Malacca, seeking to calm concerns after its finance minister raised the idea this week.

Singapore’s growth is poised to moderate as its export-driven model is strained by geopolitical tensions and a fragmenting global trading system, though it could draw support from opportunities in the Middle East, according to Bloomberg Intelligence.

Singapore’s business lobby has joined the government in pushing back against a sweeping US trade probe that alleges manufacturing overcapacity and failures to enforce bans on imports linked to forced labor.