Asia
The Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom (FNF) promotes democracy, human rights, economic freedom, and curbing climate change. In Asia, we have offices in Bangkok, Jakarta, Manila, New Delhi, Seoul, and Taipei. We also work in Malaysia. The FNF regional team works with the Council of Asian Liberals and Democrats, the Working Group for an ASEAN Human Rights Mechanism, Collective of Applied Law and Legal Realism (CALR), a pro bono initiative by AmerBON Advocates, and the ASEAN Prosperity Initiative, which is part of the Institute for Democracy and Economic Affairs. Should you have questions or suggestions about our work, please contact us. You can also meet our team here.
News
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America Leads, China Is Catching Up, Europe Is Falling Behind
Control over AI chatbots means power. A new FNF study shows that Chinese apps are now widely used around the world. Europe is losing ground.
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China’s and Russia’s Overseas Campaigns
The apparent success of authoritarian regimes fuels doubts about democracy. Two studies conducted in democratic Malaysia show how China’s and Russia’s propaganda works.
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250 Years of Adam Smith: Lessons for the Philippines
Many of the problems the Philippines are facing today are not new. That is why the Scotsman Adam Smith wrote “The Wealth of Nations” 250 years ago. In light of questions about the creation and redistribution of wealth, as well as economic freedom and lack thereof, the question remains: Should we finally listen to him?
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Shielding Democracy
As foreign information manipulation and interference (FIMI) increasingly threaten democratic societies, strengthening Germany’s and Europe’s resilience has become a strategic priority.
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From Aid Dependency to Community-Led Development
The experience of ARCH with tribal communities to secure land titles demonstrates an approach that requires far less external funding, while producing stronger and more sustainable outcomes. It is rooted in local participation, community ownership, and practical empowerment rather than dependence on large aid flows. Read the full article to learn more.
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"Leadership is Not a Solo Journey"
The 2026 Asian Women Education (AWE) CALD Mentorship Program begins a six-month journey to support emerging women leaders.
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Liberalism and Incommensurability in a Time of Deep Pluralism
Polarization is not just about disinformation. It reflects deep moral, religious, and social differences. Can democracy survive them? Liberalism’s past offers a way forward.
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Asian youth stand in solidarity with global liberal partners
Young liberals from across Asia joined counterparts from Germany's Junge Liberale and the International Federation of Liberal Youth (IFLRY) in Taipei to demonstrate global solidarity in defending freedom, democracy, and liberal values.
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Democratic Resilience in the Age of AI
How to shape a resilient democracy in the age of AI? Political and institutional reforms, technological adaptation and regional cooperation, argues the Council of Asian Liberals and Democrats (CALD).
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“Democracy is not in peril”
“The pessimistic view is that democracy is in regression, a worldwide setback,” Jose Ramos-Horta, President of the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste and Nobel Peace Prize Laureate, noted in his special message to the “All About Democracy” Conference of the Council of Asian Liberals and Democrats (CALD) in Manila, the Philippines. “My view is that these are temporary phenomena”, said President Horta, who became an Honorary Individual Member of CALD this year.
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Will ASEAN reform SOE Governance to align with OECD?
ASEAN economies are integrated in trade and investment, yet uneven in governance standards. As Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam and the Philippines are deepening ties with the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), governance standards become an issue.
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ASEAN GOES BRICS
Indonesia has joined BRICS as a full member. Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam have partner status. What drives ASEAN’s biggest countries towards BRICS?
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Myanmar’s Forgotten Democratic Revolution
Five years after Myanmar’s military seized power in a coup on Feb. 1, 2021, the country remains trapped in violence and political paralysis. What was once framed as a historic democratic uprising has largely faded from global attention, replaced by a quieter but more durable reality: the consolidation of a modern authoritarian state, sustained by authoritarian alliance, mostly by China, and western democracies’ indifference.
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Future-Proofing ASEAN`s Investment Regulation
A new paper “Future-Proofing Investment Regulation Across ASEAN” - commissioned by the Asia Office of the Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom - looks at Singapore, Vietnam, Indonesia and the Philippines from 2019 to 2025. The study traces how these four countries are trying to manage rising geopolitical and security pressures without abandoning openness or unsettling investor confidence.
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Divided We Fall: ASEAN’s Response to Trump’s Illiberal Trade Agenda
When President Trump’s "Liberation Day" trade policy hit Southeast Asia with tariffs reaching between 32 and 49%, the region’s economic foundation didn't just crack; it splintered. While ASEAN initially projected a rare image of defiance and solidarity, that unity lasted only weeks before the bloc’s two most export-dependent members, Vietnam and Cambodia, were first to break ranks to chase bilateral side deals with Washington.
