No room for missteps: Cambodia’s strategic wishlist For Trump 2.0

Written by Chhay Lim

Policies that force Cambodia into a binary choice risk deepening its reliance on China and undermining US efforts to maintain influence in Southeast Asia.

Southeast Asia9DLFebruary 6, 20259DASHLINE, Chhay Lim, No Room for Missteps: Cambodia’s Strategic Wishlist For Trump 2.0, Donald Trump, White House, Cambodia, Strategic wishlist, Cambodia's strategic wishlist, Trump 2.0, Phnom Penh, Phnom Penh’s close alignment with Beijing on foreign policy, Prime Minister Hun Manet, Trump administration, proxy for Beijing, United States, Southeast Asia, infrastructure development, digital transformation, trade diversification, maritime capacity, economic positioning, Vietnam, The Philippines, US-China competition, Hedging, strategic hedging, Prioritising Pragmatic Cooperation Over Ideology, prioritise economic and development cooperation, maritime security, 90-day suspension of USAID, USAID, liberal democratic values, transactional, Western assistance, Digital innovation, Public health, civic engagement, overdependence, hub for technology, digital entrepreneurship, Greater Mekong subregion, digital divide, inadequate infrastructure, cybersecurity, public-private partnerships, digital literacy, Washington, great power competitio, digital sovereignty, data sovereignty, data security, economic autonomy, Ream Naval Base, Maritime Self-Defence Force, Japan, Gulf of Thailand, military exchanges, Cambodian policymakers, security engagements, security ties with Japan, binary choice, US-Cambodia relations, Democracy, human rights, democracy promotion, Cambodian Foreign Ministry, Cambodia Democracy and Human Rights Act, US Congress, Marco Rubio, Secretary of State, mutual respect and understanding, cooperation, Cambodia-China relations, Cambodian People’s Party, Communist Party of Vietnam, national interest, Moscow, China-Vietnam, balance relations with Beijing, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, balanced relations with Beijing, great power rivalry, elephants fight or make love, smaller states, US-Vietnam trade, China-Vietnam trade, Thailand, China, Cambodia’s reliance on China, political legitimacy, security assurances, Chinese Communist Party, ideological pressure, regime change, strategic ambiguity, transparency, No room for missteps: Cambodia’s strategic wishlist For Trump 2.0

Nobody likes a bully: China’s grip over the South China Sea is slipping

Written by Jonathan Dorsey

China is not just bullying its SCS neighbours but is also targeting those perceived to impede its regional dominance, with the United States Navy (USN), Japan Self-Defense Force, and even Canada having been subjected to risky encounters.

Europe is doing too little, too late in Southeast Asia

Written by Dr Denis Suarsana

Countries like Japan, South Korea, and Australia are becoming increasingly important. The EU is markedly punching below its weight in Southeast Asia and needs to fight hard to stay relevant at all.

In Forum: 2024 — the South China Sea at a crossroads

The South China Sea remains one of the most potentially explosive regions in the world. What role can regional actors and organisations play in de-escalating the conflict and putting an end to the escalatory trends witnessed in 2023?

We invite several experts to assess the prospects for stability in 2024.

Editor's Picks, Pacific9DLFebruary 2, 2024In Forum: 2024 — South China Sea at a crossroads, 9DASHLINE, south china sea, SCS, China, Philippine, Philippine navy, The Philippines, vessels, Chinese vessels, freedom of navigation, United States, trade, shipping, US-China competition, escalation, CYBER, ELINA NOOR, non-claimant states, Code of Conduct (CoC), Code of Conduct (CoC) negotiations, military, international law, cross-domain, ASEAN, norms of responsible state behaviour, 2015 United Nations Group of Governmental Experts of Developments in the Field of Information and Telecommunications in the Context of International Security, APILA SANGTAM, Beijing, Vietnam, India, Manila, United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), UNCLOS, 2016 Arbitral Award, comprehensive strategic partnership, 1951 Mutual Defense Treaty, grey zone, Exclusive Economic Zones, Indonesia, Malaysia, NONG HONG, geopolitical rivalry, naval, military exercises, oil and gas exploitation, COLLIN KOH, unilateral, multilateral, littorals, Second Thomas Shoal, Taiwan, PRATNASHREE BASU, Belt and Road Initiative, strategic autonomy, de-escalation, containment, Japan, rules-based order, UN, United Nations, In Forum: 2024 — the South China Sea at a crossroads

Gendered insecurities and gender-responsive security sector reform in the Indo-Pacific

Written by Dr Phyu Phyu Oo

Gender-responsive security sector reform shows promise in recognising the security threats to women and marginalised individuals, and working towards ending such violence in the Indo-Pacific region.

Editor's Picks9DLJune 20, 20239dashline, Gendered insecurities and gender-responsive security sector reform in the Indo-Pacific, PHYU PHYU OO, gender-based violence, sexual and gender-based violence, SGBV, human rights violations, gender-based vulnerabilities, man-made conflicts, natural disasters, pandemics, Indo-Pacific, COVID-19, COVID-19 pandemic, COVID-19 lockdowns, myanmar, Myanmar military coup, women peacebuilders, human rights defenders, gender-based harm, Pacific Islands, gender-based discrimination, structural issue, gender inequalities, LGBTQI+, Bangladesh, Brunei, Indonesia, minority ethnic populations, The Philippines, Myanmar, China, sexual humiliation, Sexual exploitation, sexual abuse, social protection support systems, gendered threats, harmful societal gender norms, societal gender norms, Indo-Pacific countries, structural state failures, state-based solutions, national security actors, gender-responsive security sector reform, security sector reform, SSR, gender-sensitive training, political instability, thailand, post-conflict state building, Solomon Islands, Australian Defence Force, gender-responsive practices, gender-sensitive practices, marginalised individuals, security needs, domestic security sector reform

Post-INF Indo-Pacific: The strategic potential of US-Philippines cooperation

Written by Rupert Schulenburg

A rotational deployment of US ground-based anti-ship missiles to Philippine bases would constitute a major deepening of US-Philippines defence cooperation and could bolster regional deterrence.

East Asia9DLMay 18, 20239dashline, Post-INF Indo-Pacific: The strategic potential of US-Philippines cooperation, RUPERT SCHULENBURG, The Philippines, China, indo-pacific, US, US military primacy, navy, US military bases, Taiwan, military capabilities, US force posture, Taiwan contingency, US-Philippines defence cooperation, regional deterrence, US-Philippines, defence cooperation, anti-ship missile system, Manila, weapons systems, conventional missile strike volume, land-based nuclear forces, precision-strike missiles, Intermediate Nuclear Forces Treaty, Trump administration, Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty, INF, Russia, Mark Esper, south korea, Terminal High Altitude Area Defense, THAAD, Beijing, economic boycott, conventional weapons, land-attack capability, missile-hosting nations, nuclear escalation, Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement, EDCA, Typhon Weapon System, TWS, Tomahawk cruise missile, US army, Block Va, naval targets, Cesar Basa Air Base, Luzon, Antonio Bautista Air Base, Palawan, Taiwan Strait, short-range ballistic missile rounds, medium-range ballistic missile, launcher, Okinawa, missile batteries, strike volume, DF-26, Guam, surface combatants, amphibious assault ships, 2+2 ministerial dialogue, 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue, Marcos Jr., Philippine sea, joint patrols, South China Sea, intelligence-sharing framework, joint jet fighter exercises, Bilateral Defense Guidelines, missile-hosting agreement, Post-INF Indo-Pacific: The strategic potential of US-Philippines cooperation, Rupert Schulenburg, Philippines, United States, South Korea, Japan, Indo-Pacific, Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty, RAND Corporation, Rodrigo Duterte

2023: Global governance for the seabed sinks further still

Written by Drake Long

The ground laid in 2022 will ensure that state-backed exploration of seabed mining will continue, and 2023 may see the first steps taken towards commercial-scale exploitation of the seabed.

Emerging Issues, Most Popular9DLApril 19, 20239dashline, 2023: Global governance for the seabed sinks further, United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, UNCLOS, ocean health, maritime economy, international waters, rare earth metals, test extraction, exploitation of marine areas, environmental concerns, international community, maritime treaty, international seabed, conservation, environmentalists, Pacific, commercial interests, seabed, conservationists, UN Intergovernmental Conference, High Seas Treaty, maritime borders, Third Conference on the Law of the Sea, deep sea, International Seabed Authority, ISA, deep-sea geography, private companies, marine genetic resources, pharmaceutical research, Mining Code, UN Ocean Conference, island nations, small island nations, Nauru, Clarion Clipperton Zone, The Metals Company, TMC, manganese, nickel, cobalt, environmental impact assessment, extraction, NORI, Palau, mining moratorium, fragile ecosystems, ocean floor, seafloor, polymetallic nodules, seabed mining, noise pollution, deep sea creatures, exploitation, environmental damage, commercial exploitation, commercial-scale exploitation, state funds, continental shelf, Japan, China, South China Sea, The Philippines, deep-sea resources

Quiet for a change: the Marcos approach so far

Written by Angelica Mangahas

When it comes to China, Marcos has been more provocative than Duterte but also more discreet than Aquino.

In Brief: Perle Petit and Philip Lott, our new assistant editors

With a busy summer already behind them, our Editor-in-Chief, Dr Manali Kumar recently took the opportunity to learn more about their interests and their early thoughts on what makes a strong article.

In Brief9DLNovember 3, 20229DashLine, In Brief: Perle Petit and Philip Lott, our new assistant editors, Perle Petit, Philip Lott, democratic backsliding, authoritarianism, press freedom, freedom of the press, media freedom, Southeast Asia, democratic standards, independent media, journalists, Myanmar, Cambodia, Vietnam, The Philippines, elections, technologies, artificial intelligence, Indo-Pacific, digital transformation, social media, semiconductors, semiconductor supply chains, Pakistan, South Asia, separatist movements, Balochistan, US drone war, Kashmir conflict, Russia-Ukraine war, climate change, droughts, floods, health crisis, disinformation, Thailand, 'information chaos', foreign interference, propaganda, opposition parties, illiberal governments, opposition coalitions, city diplomacy, urban development, innovation hubs, population density, climate change mitigation