Southeast Asia's Potential: A Reality Check

In this episode, we’re gonna take a sweeping look at Southeast Asia's political, economic, and security landscape. The region sits at a geopolitical crossroads, a position that has created huge potential and a delicate balancing act between China and the U.S.As an intrinsically diverse region, different countries pursue different levels of ambition. The difficulties the region has in finding a unified voice are clearly visible daily, whether it is in the ongoing crisis in Myanmar, the environmental challenges facing the Mekong region, or the protest-inducing corruption scandals in countries like the Philippines and Indonesia.So is Southeast Asia meeting its potential? We asked Pita Limjaroenrat, former Prime Minister designate of Thailand and current Senior Fellow at the Harvard Kennedy School of Government and Huong Le Thu, Deputy Director of the Asia Program at the International Crisis Group.The conversation, recorded live on stage at our annual STATE OF ASIA CONFERENCE last month, is led by James Crabtree, a fellow at the European Council on Foreign Relations and advisor to Asia Society Switzerland.Find more information on STATE OF ASIA 2025, including videos, on the Asia Society website.Stay up-to-date on all events and activities at Asia Society Switzerland: subscribe to the newsletter and support our work by becoming a member. -STATE OF ASIA is a podcast from Asia Society Switzerland.  Published: December 16, 2025Host/Editor: Remko Tanis, Managing Editor, Asia Society Switzerland