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Prashanth Parameswaran

Prashanth Parameswaran

Dr. Prashanth Parameswaran is a Senior Columnist at The Diplomat, a Fellow at the Wilson Center’s Asia Program, and the Founder of the weekly ASEAN Wonk newsletter.

Dr. Prashanth Parameswaran is a Senior Columnist at The Diplomat, a Fellow at the Wilson Center’s Asia Program, and the Founder of the weekly ASEAN Wonk newsletter, a research hub focused on advancing a global and comprehensive approach to analyzing Southeast Asia and Indo-Pacific foreign and security policy.

A political scientist by training, Dr. Parameswaran’s research and analysis focuses on Southeast Asian political and security issues, Asian defense affairs, U.S. foreign policy in the Asia-Pacific and global geopolitical and geoeconomic developments. He has held roles linked to think tanks, media, business, and government in the United States and in the Asia-Pacific.

Dr. Parameswaran has conducted grant-based field research across the region, consulted for companies and governments, taught courses affiliated with the U.S. Department of Defense and the U.S. Department of State, and authored policy reports, journal articles, and book chapters on Asian affairs. His research and commentary have been published widely in the United States and across the region in leading publications and journals including CNN, The Washington Post, The South China Morning Post, The Straits Times, Asia Policy, and Contemporary Southeast Asia. His first book, Elusive Balances: Shaping U.S.-Southeast Asia Strategy, which was published in 2022, developed an original framework for understanding major power commitments to regions and applied it to the evolution of U.S. commitment to Southeast Asia.

Dr. Parameswaran holds a Ph.D. and an MA focused on international relations, international business, and U.S. foreign policy from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University, and a BA in foreign affairs and peace and conflict studies from the University of Virginia.

Follow him on Twitter and LinkedIn, and get in touch via email.

Posts by Prashanth Parameswaran
February 20, 2024

Winning the China-US Narrative Competition in Southeast Asia

By Prashanth Parameswaran
Washington needs to invest more in telling its story to win the regional battle for hearts and minds.

February 15, 2024

Southeast Asia’s Taiwan Scenario Stakes Go Far Beyond US-China Competition

By Prashanth Parameswaran
Apart from what Beijing or Washington might do or want, future contingencies could include a wide range of actions and responses by regional states.
November 16, 2023

China’s Belt and Road Initiative in Southeast Asia: The Next Decade

By Prashanth Parameswaran
A closer look at the future prospects of Beijing’s BRI in the region.

November 15, 2023

How Will Thailand’s Foreign Policy Shift Under Srettha Thavisin?

By Prashanth Parameswaran
The country's traditional diplomatic finesse has been tested by domestic political upheaval and the rapidly shifting global strategic landscape.

June 06, 2023

AUKUS, Southeast Asia, and the Indo-Pacific: Beyond Cyclical Perception Management?

By Prashanth Parameswaran
A key question about the trilateral security agreement is how it will eventually fit within the broader regional security architecture.

June 05, 2023

Managing ASEAN’s Growing Myanmar Challenge

By Prashanth Parameswaran
The grouping faces rising pressure to tackle a new phase of an issue that has consumed it for decades.
March 03, 2023

Where Next for ASEAN-Japan Relations in a Changing Indo-Pacific?

By Prashanth Parameswaran
Both sides confront a challenging strategic context as they look to commemorate 50 years of diplomatic relations.

February 28, 2023

Broadening the US-Philippines Alliance: EDCA Sites Are Just the Beginning

By Prashanth Parameswaran
Widening the aperture of collaboration can help meet evolving needs and respond to a more competitive strategic environment.

October 25, 2022

What Took Place at the First ASEAN CBR Security Conference?

By Prashanth Parameswaran
The first ADMM-Plus CBR conference of its kind spotlighted the challenges involved in managing chemical, biological and radiological threats.

October 24, 2022

What Lies Ahead for Cambodia-Laos-Vietnam Trilateral Security Cooperation?

By Prashanth Parameswaran
A recent engagement between the three nations shone a spotlight on the intraregional security dynamics in mainland Southeast Asia.

August 26, 2022

Southeast Asia and China’s Global Security Initiative: Between Rhetoric and Reality

By Prashanth Parameswaran
While China has begun integrating the GSI into its approach to Southeast Asia, it remains unclear how Beijing’s promises will translate into actions.
August 24, 2022

How Will Marcos Shape the US-Philippines Alliance within Manila’s Evolving Security Outlook?

By Prashanth Parameswaran
The trajectory of the alliance will be contingent upon the management of structural challenges, and how Manila keeps pace with changing regional and global realities.

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