ASCN: Thinking Beyond Ceremonial Paradiplomacy

Can ASEAN support the growth of "smart" cities? On November 3, ASEAN conducted its 35th summit in Bangkok, Thailand. One notable point was the acknowledgment of the ASEAN Smart City Network Action Plan. The action plan is the next step of the ASEAN Smart City Network (ASCN), where the ASEAN member states have previously agreed on the 32nd…
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Can China Outsmart U.S. in Race to Build Smart Cities in SE Asia?

Both committed to regional partnerships but U.S. is struggling to make its mark A year ago, U.S. Vice-President Mike Pence announced that the United States would support a Southeast Asian plan to transform the region's rapidly growing cities into hi-tech hubs. The move would "spur renewed American investment in the region's digital infrastructure", Pence said at the…
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KOICA Commits to Coordination with ASCN and USASCP

The 4th Republic of Korea (ROK)-United States Senior Economic Dialogue (SED) was held in Seoul on November 6, with Vice Foreign Minister Lee Taeho and Under Secretary of State Keith Krach leading their respective delegations. Both sides intend to continue their close coordination through the SED to further strengthen bilateral economic ties and enhance their partnership on regional and…

Watching Huawei’s “Safe Cities”

Huawei’s "Safe City" products have fueled concerns that China is "exporting authoritarianism." Among the "solutions" Huawei sells globally under this label are facial and license-plate recognition, social media monitoring, and other surveillance capabilities. To better understand these developments, the CSIS Reconnecting Asia Project examined open-sources and identified 73 "Safe City" agreements for surveillance products or services across…

USAID Announces More Than $440 Million for the Indo-Pacific

USAID has dedicated an additional $441 million to expand partnerships with governments, civil society, and the private sector in countries in the Indo-Pacific region in support of activities in energy, infrastructure, digital connectivity, trade, and other economic activities.
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U.S. and Japan Announce Joint Development Plans with ASCN

The United States and Japan are working together to advance a shared vision for a free and open Indo-Pacific. Under the Japan-U.S. Strategic Digital Economy Partnership (JUSDEP), we are committed to realizing a global digital economy environment that is open, interoperable, reliable, and secure. This enabling environment is essential to the development of smart cities in…

Indo-Pacific Business Forum Showcases U.S. Commitment

The Indo-Pacific Business Forum in Bangkok promoted the value of high-standard investment, transparency, rule of law, and private-sector-led economic development. Since July 2018, the Department of Commerce has assisted more than 9,000 U.S. companies to do business in the Indo-Pacific region and facilitated more than $7.65 billion in U.S. exports.
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OPIC, DFAT and JBIC Launch Blue Dot Network

The U.S. Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC), Australia's Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT), and Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC) today unveiled Blue Dot Network—a multi-stakeholder initiative that brings together governments, the private sector, and civil society to promote high-quality, trusted standards for global infrastructure development in an open and inclusive framework. Read Full…

A Pilot City of ASEAN Smart Cities Network: Jakarta

When quizzed about "Jakarta Smart City" (JSC), some people were quick to say that it was synonymous with technology. "Technology, internet, sophisticated, all matters will be completely simple and fast," a person stated. Read Full Article From Antara News Agency

Jefferson Science Fellow Lectures on Smart Cities and Technology

Jefferson Science Fellow (JSF) Dr. Elizabeth Smela presented a lecture, "Smart Cities and Their Technologies: An introduction to smart cities and the technologies needed to implement them," to department employees and guests. Held at the National Academies of Science, Engineering and Medicine, Dr. Smela's lecture explained some of the key technologies that need to be employed in order to…

ASEAN’s Smart Cities Need Smart Parking

Boston Consulting Group's 2017 report titled, "Unlocking Cities," revealed that Vietnamese spend the most time looking for parking spaces. It took city dwellers in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh an average of 45 minutes and 31 minutes, respectively, to find a parking space for their cars. The study also found that Filipinos and Thais spend…
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