Vietnam and Italy see eye to eye on the importance of maintaining the rules-based order and the mandatory of upholding strategic autonomy in international relations. Nevertheless, the regional and global uncertainties, such as the growing assertiveness of a more powerful China, transactional diplomacy of the United States under Trump 2.0, the volatility of multilateralism, and the emergence of the Cold Peace worldwide, have limited their maneuvering space.
The Philippines and Italy present an interesting parallel analysis on how each deal with China and the US amid their strategic rivalry. For the Philippines, China’s historical claims and grey-zone activities in the South China Sea threaten its maritime security. This has prompted the country to strengthen its security alliance with the US to offset Chinese maritime power projections.
The Philippines finds itself at the heart of the Indo-Pacific region, in close proximity to several geopolitical flashpoints. Aware of its delicate position within a shifting regional security environment–characterized by the resurgence of great power competition and the challenges to existing institutions designed to maintain the regional security architecture–Manila has recalibrated its security strategy.
As Rome navigates the geopolitical complexities that come with the rise of the Indo-Pacific order, a key challenge is deeper structural and functional engagement with Southeast Asia. For Southeast Asian countries and ASEAN, embrace of Indo-Pacific semantics has been sluggish and calculated, considering how the “Indo-Pacific” has been associated with negative and “exclusionary” connotations since its conception in the recent past.
This chapter examines Italy’s development cooperation in Southeast Asia through the ASEAN-Italy partnership, with a focus on the strategic and operational role of the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation (AICS). It explores how Italy aligns bilateral and regional initiatives with ASEAN priorities and broader EU frameworks, particularly in key sectors such as sustainable agriculture, circular economy, climate resilience, and digital innovation.
