Instead of allowing external powers to dictate their development, China, India, Japan, South Korea, and Vietnam have balanced strategic international engagement with domestic capacity-building and decision-making. This model has become newly relevant for Canada, the United Kingdom, and other middle powers.
Will scaling biofuels in Southeast Asia make the region more resilient to oil shocks, or does it introduce new vulnerabilities? Structural risks must be addressed as biofuels take a larger share of the transport fuel mix.