The Pacific Corridor
Issue 4
Editor’s Note
by Nabil Haskanbancha, in Bangkok
For Issue 4 of the Pacific Corridor, we highlight stories on mental health, economic partnerships, and Singapore’s diplomatic efforts. Prime Minister Pham Minh's appearance at the World Economic Forum, followed by economic talks with China, reflects Vietnam’s strategy of balancing global engagement with domestic growth. These meetings aim to increase trade, reduce logistic costs, and enhance regional connectivity. In other news, social stigma and taboos surrounding mental health continue to make it difficult for people to seek professional help. In the Philippines and many parts of the world, more efforts are needed to raise awareness and normalize conversations about mental health, particularly for women and other vulnerable groups. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Wong’s visit to China to mark the 35th year anniversary of SG-China diplomatic relations reflect both countries’ commitment to strengthening partnerships in areas of mutual interests, paving the way for a new chapter of strong bilateral cooperation.
Vietnam 🇻🇳
Vietnam’s Participation in the World Economic Forum 2025 and Its Engagement with China
by Tri Vo, in Ho Chi Minh City
In a move that underscores Vietnam's growing influence on the global economy, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh is set to attend the World Economic Forum's (WEF) Annual Meeting of the New Champions in Tianjin, China, followed by a strategic working visit with the country’s leadership. This dual engagement is more than a routine courtesy call; it represents a significant moment in strengthening the Vietnam-China economic partnership and reinforces Hanoi's proactive role in international affairs.
The Prime Minister's strong presence at the WEF, along with other prominent international gatherings in recent years, such as COP26 and the US-ASEAN Summit in 2022, is a testament to the international community's recognition of Vietnam's dynamic economy. His participation in high-level discussions enables Vietnam to share its unique perspective on global matters, from digital transformation to green energy transitions, while also actively contributing practical solutions for these pressing challenges.
Beyond the multilateral forum in Tianjin, the Prime Minister's working visit to China is poised to translate high-level political trust into tangible economic outcomes. The bilateral relationship has been progressing well, particularly in areas such as economic cooperation. Central to these discussions are transformative infrastructure projects that could reshape regional connectivity.
Both sides reaffirmed the importance of infrastructure cooperation, including cross-border railway links. There are renewed efforts to accelerate the development of key routes connecting China’s vital Pearl River economic cluster with Hanoi and Haiphong, Vietnam’s northern industrial and logistics hubs. These are more than just tracks and stations as they represent strategic economic corridors designed to seamlessly connect Vietnam's vibrant northern region with China’s vast southern logistical, infrastructural, and consumer centers. Such projects promise to slash transport times, reduce logistics costs, and provide a significant boost for Vietnamese agricultural exports to China, creating a more integrated and resilient cross-border supply chain connecting ASEAN and China.
Ultimately, this trip embodies the core tenet of Vietnam's contemporary foreign policy: leveraging multilateral platforms to project its global voice while simultaneously strengthening bilateral ties to secure its economic future. It reflects a nation confidently charting its own course on the turbulent sea of international politics, building robust partnerships, and laying the physical and diplomatic groundwork for the next chapter of its remarkable growth journey. The discussions in Tianjin and Beijing can forge deeper ties and pave the way to a more prosperous and stable future for Vietnam and the region at large. In a sea of geopolitical uncertainties blighting global economic prospects, Vietnam is a rare beacon of relative stability, beating on in the raging currents.
Tri has experience in management consulting and strategy, having worked with institutions such as the UNDP, The Asia Group, and ARC Group. He has provided strategic, legal, and operational insights to clients in sectors including manufacturing, energy, and technology. He holds both academic and professional experience related to Southeast and East Asia, with a focus on regional development and policy.
Singapore 🇸🇬
June’s Diplomatic Push Underscores Singapore’s Balancing Act
by Nurul Aini, in Singapore
Singapore saw a flurry of high-level diplomatic visits in June 2025. These visits foreground Singapore’s position as a state that privileges strategic relationships with countries within and beyond ASEAN. Additionally, they also demonstrate the country’s strategic ability to balance national interests amid tumultuous periods of global political strife.
PM Wong’s visit to the Philippines from 4 to 5 June 2025 saw him strumming the guitar as President Ferdinand Marcos serenaded the audience with Eric Clapton’s Wonderful Tonight. The visit promised cooperation in areas such as health, climate change mitigation, and civil services. Singapore is also set to provide upskilling opportunities for Filipino healthcare workers based in Singapore, before reintegrating them back into the Philippines' healthcare system.
Moreover, as part of the 8th Singapore-Indonesia Leaders’ Retreat, Indonesian President Prabowo held a two-day visit to Singapore from 15 to 16 June 2025. The two countries promised cooperation in areas like the digital economy, defence and connectivity. Three memoranda of understanding were also signed, spanning areas such as electricity trade, carbon capture and storage, and plans for a sustainable industrial zone. During his speech, President Prabowo insisted that Indonesia wants to copy Singapore’s best policy practices with pride. His remarks underscore the city-state’s position as a regional reference point and the need to maintain that status through continued innovation and inclusive governance.
Yet it was PM Wong’s visit to China, marking the 35th anniversary of Singapore–China diplomatic relations, that stood out as the most consequential engagement of the month, featuring two symbolic but significant moments. First, Singapore’s multi-racial delegates subtly presented it as a nation with its own nuanced domestic interests. Second, PM Wong’s use of the English language in a CCTV interview strongly highlighted the country's strategic neutrality. During the World Economic Forum, PM Wong insisted that SG’s position is to maintain healthy relations with both China and the US. This echoes Defense Minister Chan Chun Ching’s statement during the Shangri-La dialogue that Singapore will take a principled position on international issues.
PM Wong’s visit to China yielded four key deliverables. These included the signing of a letter of intent to develop a Third Country Training Programme, another letter of intent to explore exchange programmes for senior officials, and a memorandum of understanding to nominate trainees to attend each other’s law schools. In addition, both sides concluded a data exchange agreement to enhance cooperation in sharing intellectual property data.
Together, these visits reflected Singapore’s continued commitment to proactive, level-headed diplomacy. Through the deepening of bilateral ties across ASEAN and China, the city-state is not only reinforcing its existing strategic partnerships but attempting to solidify its position as a stable, credible actor in what appears to be an increasingly volatile global landscape.
Aini is currently pursuing a master’s degree in English literature at Nanyang Technological University. She has experience working in youth groups, contributing to the planning and management of outreach activities.
The Philippines 🇵🇭
The Psychological Cost of Being a Filipino Woman
by Arianne De Guzman, in Bulacan
Women’s mental health is a multifaceted issue that is deeply influenced by biological, socio-cultural, and political factors. Yet, the struggles that stem from these influences are often normalized, stereotyped, or hidden from view. One mother, featured by Rappler, narrated her postpartum depression experience after childbirth:
“I didn’t tell anyone else about my depression. I didn’t even want to say it out loud anymore, for fear that a mere admission would make me look incapable as a mother and wife. I bottled it up because I knew it was not what was expected of me. People didn’t want to hear about how lonely it can be to care for your baby all alone, or how tiring it was to exclusively breastfeed while trying to meet your work deadline.”
Her experience illustrates how ingrained socio-cultural expectations about motherhood affect women’s mental health. Filipino mothers are expected to feel joy after childbirth and seamlessly resume their caregiver and domestic responsibilities instantly. In Filipino culture, mothers are often expected to embody an ideal of selflessness, endless nurturing, and emotional resilience. Admission of emotional struggle is frequently perceived as making someone “unfit” to be a parent or a wife. In the Philippines, research published in the Philippine Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology found that 32.8% of mothers experienced postpartum depression at public hospitals, with cases doubling compared to pre-pandemic levels. Postpartum depression, while often linked to biological predispositions, underscores the need for sustained mental health care during and after childbirth, a time when many women experience heightened emotional and physical vulnerability.
Beyond physiological factors, Filipino women experience distress and low self-esteem because of unrealistic beauty standards developed during colonialism. During American colonization, indigenous women with dark skin were devalued, while women with lighter skin were considered attractive. This colonial mentality – the belief that whiter skin is better – has led Filipino women to experience depressive symptoms.
Studies also found that, women experienced social stress compared to men because they are usually the victims of rape, sexual harassment, and domestic violence. The Philippine Commission on Women (PCW) documented that 17.5% of Filipino women who are victims of physical, sexual, and emotional abuse have been diagnosed with anxiety and depression, which were also worsened by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Despite these experiences, women are burdened with assuming multiple roles in employment, household responsibilities, and caregiving.
In Southeast Asia, women’s mental health remains overlooked, as most of the programs and policies are focused on reproductive health. Systemic barriers persist, such as stigmatization, poor integration of mental health services in social services, and limited awareness about mental health resources. In Ireland, gender mainstreaming is supported to further equal opportunities for men and women as part of its National Development Plan (NDP). Gender mainstreaming involves analyzing issues and formulating policies that consider gender issues with the goal of narrowing gender gaps. The Philippines, along with other Southeast Asian countries, must consider this strategy through multi-sectoral involvement to ensure accessible and inclusive mental healthcare services.
Mental health policies and programs must address the full scope of women’s mental health needs, from physiological considerations and colonial legacies to gender-based violence and socio-cultural pressures. Anything less risks leaving the most vulnerable behind.
Arianne has worked in legal research at the Philippines Department of Justice and in policy research at De La Salle University’s Jesse M. Robredo Institute of Governance, supporting projects on systemic reform. She holds a degree in Political Science from Colegio de San Juan de Letran and is pursuing a master’s in Sociology at the University of the Philippines Diliman. She is also involved in youth development and grassroots advocacy through the Rotaract Club of Santa Maria.
Editorial Deadline 01/07/2025 11:59 PM (UTC +8)
