The Quad’s public goods approach: countering the BRI

Written by Muhammad Faizal Bin Abdul Rahman

Even as it coordinates with other Indo-Pacific strategies and the G20, the priority for the Quad should be to make the geopolitical landscape more amenable to engagement with ASEAN.

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Elephant in the room: Indonesia hesitates to strike India-Russia missile deal

Written by Andi Raihanah Ashar

Southeast Asian countries like Indonesia are unlikely to pursue a missile deal involving an India-Russian joint venture as long as they have to put their relationship with the US at risk.

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A new cut of the cloth: Exploring Beijing’s tailored response to the Tsai-McCarthy meeting

Written by Rorry Daniels

Beijing long signalled that it would respond to a Tsai-McCarthy meeting, but its actions did not break precedent and in many ways showed restraint.

Power Politics, East Asia9DLApril 24, 20239dashline, A new cut of the cloth: Exploring Beijing’s tailored response to the Tsai-McCarthy meeting, Rorry Daniels, Taiwan, US, China, Cross-Straits relations, cross-strait politics, Tsai Ing-wen, Kevin McCarthy, US Speaker of the House, military drills

In Conversation with Agathe Demarais

9DASHLINE recently had the pleasure of speaking with Agathe Demarais to discuss her timely and important book Backfire: How Sanctions Reshape the World Against U.S. Interests.

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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.

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Sri Lanka is finally on board with the IMF: What’s next?

Written by Nashalie De Silva and Thilina Panduwawala

It will be crucial to communicate the need for these tough reforms to voters and ensure that they benefit from the economic recovery.

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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.

Political dealmaking will be key in Thailand’s upcoming election

Written by Napon Jatusripitak and Ken Mathis Lohatepanont

While Thai voters can influence the parties’ relative electoral performance, voters’ preferences may not be reflected in the post-election coalition configurations.

Climate displacement in South Asia and India’s imperative to act

Written by Bhumika Sharma

Given the lack of international consensus, a unique opportunity exists for India to address the protection gap in South Asia’s policy regime for climate migrants.

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The Chinese dragon may spout fire but is not ten feet tall yet

Written by Joe Varner

A strong US industrial base with sufficient munitions stockpiles and weapons systems is critical for deterring Beijing in war.

Decoupling from China is not so easy for Japan and Korea

Written by Dr Chang-min Lee

Although both allies of the US, Japan and Korea are forced to compete with each other economically, which is exacerbated by persisting political problems between Tokyo and Seoul.

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'Thawing' between Seoul and Tokyo — A false spring?

Written by Kevin Gray

The apparent ‘thaw’ of Korea-Japan relations is likely to be a ‘false spring’ rather than a genuine new era of bilateral relations and broader regional cooperation.

East Asia9DLApril 7, 20239dashline, 'Thawing' between Seoul and Tokyo - a false spring?, south korea, Yoon Suk-yeol, japan, Fumio Kishida, diplomatic relations, wartime forced labour, bilateral relations, Korean Supreme Court, Nippon Steel & Sumitomo Corporation, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Korean families, WW2, forced labour, Kevin Gray, compensation for victims, financial compensation, export restrictions, key chemical exports, semiconductors, public outrage, Japanese goods, bilateral cooperation, regional ramifications, trilateral Japan-South Korea-US cooperation, China, North Korea, Japan-South Korea-US cooperation, Washington, trilateral alliance, security realm, military intelligence-sharing pact, Biden administration, Seoul, Anthony Blinken, ROK, allies, reconciliation, colonised country, colonising country, historical animosities., Park Jin, Foreign Minister Park Jin, Tokyo, apologies, wartime sexual slavery, Shinzo Abe, Japanese history textbooks, Japanese war crimes, colonial history, comfort women, 2015 ‘comfort women’ agreement, comfort women statues, grievances, geopolitical imperatives, decolonisation, Cold War imperatives, 1965 Treaty of Basic Relations, Park Chung-hee, developmental drive, popular protests, private claims for compensation, historical injustices, Park Geun-hye, Moon Jae-in, candlelight revolution, Democratic Party, Yoon government, Dokdo/Takeshima, 'Thawing' between Seoul and Tokyo — a false spring?, 'THAWING' BETWEEN SEOUL AND TOKYO — A FALSE SPRING?

Will the decision on Bougainville’s independence rupture Australia’s Pacific Family?

Written by Corey Lee Bell and Elena Collinson

The approaching milestone on Bougainville’s journey to independence could once again see China escalating its efforts.

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In Brief with Enoch Wu, founder of Forward Alliance

9DASHLINE recently had the pleasure of speaking with Enoch Wu, the founder of Forward Alliance. His organisation works to empower Taiwanese citizens to protect themselves and their communities in the face of disasters by providing civilian emergency-response training.

Forum: Russia’s war and the international order — one year on

9DASHLINE asks several experts to assess what Russia’s war in Ukraine means for the international order and what the consequences may be for issues in the Indo-Pacific.

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The Adani Group and India’s foreign policy

Written by Pranesh HP

India ought to ensure that it does not lose domestic integrity to corporate influence while chasing economic goals abroad, creating negative downstream implications for its foreign policy.

South Asia9DLMarch 31, 20239dashline, The Adani Group and India’s foreign policy, PRANESH HP, Adani Group, Hindenburg Research, Haifa, market value, South Asia, China, Belt and Road Initiative, BRI, state capital, private sector buy-in, India, Chinese foreign investments, multinational corporation, Gautam Adani, Kanti Bajpai, Modi, Prime Minister Modi, host nations, Chinese influence, Unsustainable debt, Chinese loans and investments, debt-trap diplomacy, Sri Lanka, Hambantota Port, protest, domestic factors, Shanakiyan Rasamanickam, Chinese debt, international investors, Indian state-run companies, poverty, weak infrastructure, infrastructure diplomacy, foreign investment portfolio, mass privatisation, Colombo Port, Rajapaksa government, Sri Lankan East Container project, Ceylon Electricity Board, Bangladesh, energy crisis, coal power plants, electricity, Indian Ministry of External Affairs, Tim Buckley, Carmichael coal mine, RN Bhaskar, crony capitalism, domestic integrity, corporate influence, The Adani Group and India’s foreign policy

Beijing uses border villages to secure territorial claims

Written by Harry Thursby-Pelham

With India constructing roads and border villages leading up to the LAC in response to China’s construction, it looks like tensions on the border will continue in the foreseeable future.

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COP27 has reopened the Pandora’s Box on ‘fairness in climate finance’

Written by Dr Dhanasree Jayaram and Megna Suresh

Pre-2020 commitments made under the Kyoto Protocol cannot be wished away. Industrialised countries must be made accountable for their obligations to reduce emissions and provide climate finance, which remain unfulfilled.