China won't shape the Indo-Pacific in the post-COVID world

Written by Aadil Brar

Amid a destabilising security environment, China has limited opportunities to provide a different model for the region and the growing involvement of European powers in the Indo-Pacific will only further complicate these plans. To date, the United Kingdom has said that they will hold naval drills with Japan; France has committed to play a growing role in the Indo-Pacific and expanded cooperation with India, and Germany has formally adopted an Indo-Pacific strategy.

China enters 2021 a stronger, more influential power — and Australia may feel the squeeze even more

Written by James Laurenceson

Tokyo, New Delhi, and Jakarta have all had serious challenges with Beijing, but their relations never fell to the depths of the current China-Australia tensions. These countries might offer some useful advice here, too.

East Asia9DLJanuary 8, 2021China, democracy, CCP, Britain, Australia, Security Law, Covid-19, ASEAN, Indonesia, Sinovac, Health Silk Road, France, Singapore

Heavy hand of China is prompting fears for Hong Kong’s future as a major business hub

Written by Leïla Choukroune

The days of ‘one country two systems’ — which is supposed to allow for Hong Kong’s specific legal status — appear to be long gone. This will inevitably have repercussions for the territory’s status as an important business and legal hub.

The time for building democracy in Hong Kong was before Britain handed over to China – now it may be too late

Written by Andreas Fulda

The demise of the ‘one country, two systems’ formula raises the question whether this descent into authoritarianism could have been prevented. Would the situation today be different if the UK had done more to institutionalise democracy prior to the 1997 handover?