US-Australia green deal shows friends need benefits

Written by James Bowen

Australia’s enthusiastic embrace of its new US partnership should inform Washington’s green industrial outreach elsewhere in the world.

Editor's Picks9DLJune 22, 20239dashline, US-Australia green deal shows friends need benefits, James Bowen, G7 Summit, G7 summit in Hiroshima, United States, US, Australia, Climate, Critical Minerals and Clean Energy Transformation Compact, green industrial policy, bilateral alliance, clean energy supply chains, China, energy transition goods, processed minerals, lithium, Cobalt, rare earths, nickel, solar panels, renewable hydrogen, ammonia, fossil fuels, partnership-building, Washington, Inflation Reduction Act, IRA, climate-conscious economic renaissance, climate action, supply chain, green industrial ambitions, US-Australian compact, Biden, Anthony Albanese, Defense Production Act, AUKUS, supply chain security, Pacific Island nations, decarbonisation, National Reconstruction Fund, Canberra, Minerals Security Partnership, bilateral relationship, green hydrogen production costs, tax credits, free trade agreement

Papua New Guinea: The new epicentre of the Pacific contest

Written by Thierry Lepani

As China and the US push for greater influence in the Pacific, Papua New Guinea has seemingly become the first port of call for the two nations to solidify their standing in the region.

Pacific9DLJune 19, 20239dashline, Papua New Guinea: The new epicentre of the Pacific contest, THIERRY LEPANI, Papua New Guinea, Pacific, Pacific islands, China, united states, PNG, Australia, global superpowers, Port Moresby, Forum for India-Pacific Island Cooperation, FIPIC, Pacific Island nations, India, Prime Minister Modi, US President Joe Biden, New Zealand, Quad, Japan, US-PNG Defense Cooperation Agreement, DCA, US-PNG relations, military cooperation, Anthony Albanese, Quad summit, Secretary of State Antony Blinken, US-Pacific Island Country Summit, Prime Minister James Marape, foreign policy, Chinese President Xi Jinping, APEC summit, Beijing, One-China policy, Connect PNG, Belt and Road Initiative, Asia Power Index 2023, Economic Relationships and Diplomatic Influence, protests, demonstrations, Washington, US military, security cooperation, bilateral relationship, PNG Defence Force, diplomacy, reciprocal visa arrangements, Asia-Pacific region, trade and investment, Blinken

A law to rein in tech firms: the US is restricting China by emulating it

Written by Wendy Chang and Antonia Hmaidi

By expanding the definition of national security to address the newly antagonistic world that China and the US perceive themselves in, both countries seem ready to accept the fragmentation of their ever-more digital economies and societies as inevitable.

Faultlines, Power Politics9DLJune 16, 20239DashLine, Wendy Chang, Antonia Hmaidi, A law to rein in tech firms: the US is restricting China by emulating it, United States, China, RESTRICT Act, Beijing, national security, tech, technology competition, Washington, arbitrary power, weaponised trade, weaponised interdependence, weaponised legislation, TikTok, foreign adversaries, National Security, rules-based international order, global trade, Congress, President Joe Biden, Cub, Iran, Venezuela, Russia, North Korea, Secretary of Commerce, Chinese Communist Party (CCP), Didi, cybersecurity, weaponisation of security laws, Cyberspace Administration of China, National Security Law, Measures for Cybersecurity Review, Cybersecurity Law, Micron, data security, chip exports, export control, chip-makers, Democratic Senator Mark Warner, authoritarian countries, Department of Commerce, user data, tech companies, lobbying, Patriot Act for the Digital Age, spying, internet freedom, Data Security Law, Huawei, 5G mobile networks, geo-economics, economic security, technological security, protectionism, World Trade Organisation, tariffs, Inflation Reduction Act, clean energy, electric vehicles, unfair competition, CHIPS and Science Act, semiconductors, semiconductor supply chains, semiconductor equipment, chip-manufacturing, R&D, quantum computing, artificial intelligence, technological superiority, industrial policy, free trade, great power competition, COVID-19, supply-chain disruptions, war in Ukraine, subsidies, US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan, China’s rise, open and free internet

France in the Indo-Pacific: Not so ambivalent after all

Written by Gesine Weber

If France wants to seize the opportunity for asserting leadership among Europeans on the Indo-Pacific, it will also be up to the President to preach what the country already practices.

Europe and the Indo-Pacific9DLMay 10, 20239dashline, France in the Indo-Pacific: not so ambivalent after all, Gesine Weber, French President Emmanuel Macron, US-China competition, France, Taiwan, Indo-Pacific, EU, EU member states, US, allies, Paris, Exclusive Economic Zone, French overseas territories, trade, EU Strategy for Cooperation in the Indo-Pacific, Council of the EU, Ministerial Forum for Cooperation in the Indo-Pacific, Stockholm, Russia's war, Russia’s invasion, Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the Gulf, South Africa, East Africa, India, Japan, Australia, AUKUS, submarine deal, anglophone club, transatlantic, Washington, puissance d’équilibres, foreign policy, middle power, logic of blocs, third way, US-China competition for hegemony, Strait of Taiwan, connectivity, defence, EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, de-risking, hawkish, Multilateralism, flexible engagement, Revue Stratégique (Strategic Review), Antoine Bondaz, puissance d’initiatives, minilateralism, La Perouse, United Kingdom, London, Franco-British summit, geopolitical

Tokyo does not need constitutional reform to bolster defence

Written by Adrienne Wu and Melynn Oliver

Those who argue for a formal remilitarisation of Japan should consider why they advocate such a move. Amending Japan’s constitution has proven unnecessary to expand the SDF, therefore the only major benefit is to assay the fears of the Japanese public and expand its international role.

East Asia9DLMay 5, 20239DashLine, Tokyo does not need constitutional reform to bolster defence, Adrienne Wu, Melynn Oliver, Japan, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, defence budget, Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), Tokyo, Japan's security, defence capabilities, Article 9 framework, Article 9, Japan’s Self-Defense Forces, constitutional reform, US, Indo-Pacific, Japan’s pacifist constitution, pacifism, US forces, World War II, Korean War, Washington, Japan’s Supreme Court, right to self-defence, sovereignty, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, remilitarisation of Japan, Defense Agency, defence-related exports, collective defence, National Security Council, National Security Strategy (NSS), House of Representatives, Public support, Russia’s nuclear threats, Russia, China, anti-nuclear stance, Japan’s security role, tax hikes, National Defense Strategy (NDS), Defense Build-up Program (DBP), heightened alert posture, global power shifts, strategic challenge, North Korea, counter-strike capabilities, defence procurement and industrial development strategy, strategic clarity, strategic ambiguity, Taiwan, US-Japan Alliance, Quad, NATO

The United States and China: Two alternative visions of regional order

Written by Dr Matteo Dian

Both US allies and non-aligned partners are deepening their security relationship with Washington as their main insurance policy against increasingly frequent Chinese coercion.

Faultlines9DLMay 1, 20239dashline, The United States and China: two alternative visions of regional order, DR MATTEO DIAN, US, US-China, China, power competition, Washington, beijing, regional order, Indo-Pacific model, democracy, maritime democracies, indo-pacific, American-led alliances, Community of Common Destiny, sovereignty, non-interference, US-led military alliances, Cold War mentality, cooperative mechanisms, consent, legitimacy, coercion, Free and Open Indo-Pacific, FOIP, Trump administration, US hegemony, Asia Pacific, liberal internationalist tradition, Biden administration, great power, middle powers, material superiority, normative pillars, US allies, Quad, US-led regional order., j, Japan, Singapore, Indonesia, liberal values, Xi Jinping, alternative leadership, Sino-centric region, Chinese model, Belt and Road Initiative, state sovereignty, Global Security Initiative, GSI, political-military blocs, ideological blocs, anti-colonial grievances, Australia, territorial disputes, Code of Conduct for maritime disputes, ASEAN

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.

Faultlines9DLApril 25, 20239DashLine, Elephant in the room: Indonesia hesitates to strike India-Russia missile deal, Andi Raihanah Ashar, Indonesia, China, Russia, India, Act East, strategic partner, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, defence exports, arms sales, Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, New Delhi, BrahMos Aerospace, defence industry, Defence Research and Development Organisation, NPO Mashinostroyenia (NPOM), sanctions, Russian war against Ukraine, interoperability, India’s defence industry, Beijing, military equipment, defence budget, deterrence, cruise missile, supersonic cruise missile, United States International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR), hypersonic missile, Atul D. Rane, Philippines, Philippine Marine Corps, sea-denial capability, Manila, Luzon, Palawan, South China Sea, Vietnam, Malaysia, territorial disputes, nine-dash line, Jakarta, National Armed Forces (TNI), Minimum Essential Force (MEF), Andika Perkasa, Prabowo Subianto, France, Qatar, Germany, Turkey, procurement, Rajnath Singh, Dahnil Anzar Simanjuntak, coastal defence, original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), PT Len Industri, Joko Widodo, Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA), Washington, USA, Iran, North Korea, Sukhoi Su-27 SK/SKM, Su-30MKK/MK2, Mil Mi-17V5, Mil Mi35P, P-800 Oniks (3M55), army, navy, air force, KRI Oswald Siahaan, US Senate, Sukhoi Su-35, F-5 Tiger, Lockheed Martin F-16V, 22 BMP-3F, 21 BT-3F, Su-27/30, Belarus, Harry Roque, BrahMos, NPOM, Mashinostroyenia, Ukraine, Southeast Asia, International Traffic in Arms Regulations, ITAR, Palawan Islands, Nine Dash Line, Widodo, CAATSA, Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act, Sukhoi, Maritime Security and Counterterrorism, Modi

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.

'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?

Sweden's EU presidency and the Indo-Pacific: A letter from Stockholm

Written by Axel Nordenstam

As Ukraine is the top European priority, it would make sense for Indo-Pacific partners to consider joint projects in and for Ukraine. The reconstruction of Ukraine could benefit from such cooperation.

Europe and the Indo-Pacific9DLMarch 27, 20239DashLine, The Swedish EU presidency and the Indo-Pacific: Letter from Stockholm, Axel Nordenstam, Sweden, European Union, Czech Republic, Council of the European Union from, European legislative period 2019-2024, Swedish EU presidency, Stockholm, European foreign policy, war in Ukraine, great power competition between the US and China, energy prices, inflation, European common market, treaty reform, Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson, European Green Deal, green transition, Fit for 55, European Commission, EU as a global actor, EU policy on China, 2021 EU Strategy for Cooperation in the Indo-Pacific, value chains, Australia, India, Indonesia, New Zealand, Indo-Pacific Digital Partnership, Trade and Technology Councils (TTC), EU-ASEAN ties, ASEAN, Germany, Netherlands, France, Indo-Pacific Envoy, EU-wide Indo-Pacific Strategy, Erik Widman, Foreign Minister Tobias Billström, Swedish Institute of International Affairs, Japan, South Korea, Folk och Försvar, Washington, Russia, EU budget, Global Gateway, Brussels

“Nuke for nuke” — Kim Jong-un’s audacious escalation gambit

Written by Kylie Jones

To avoid a devasting conflict, the United States needs to persuade Kim Jong-un that salvaging relations between the two countries is in his best interest.

The real reason Europe dislikes the Inflation Reduction Act

Written by Thijs Stegeman

Given the current challenges to the liberal order, improved coordination and consideration among its defenders is crucial. This starts with the US acknowledging and discussing the legitimate concerns of its allies instead of dismissing them.

Faultlines9DLMarch 13, 20239DashLine, The real reason Europe dislikes the Inflation Reduction Act, The real reason Europe dislikes the IRA, Thijs Stegeman, Inflation Reduction Act, subsidy scheme, climate activism, US, US-EU relationship, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Trump, NATO, tariffs, Iran nuclear deal, Biden, export restrictions, semiconductors, China, energy transition, sustainable energy, electric vehicles, solar panels, unfair competition, market-distorting government aid, Washington, US exceptionalism, Congress, Senator Joe Manchin, Democrats, Brussels, US allies, subsidiarisation, standard setter, regulatory approach, EU Emissions Trading System (ETS), fair competition, energy tax credits, green manufacturing, green investment, deindustrialisation, WTO rules, local content, tax break, North America, French President Emmanuel Macron, US military assistance, transatlantic unity, Trade and Technology Council, EU Commission, Green Deal Industrial Plan, EU-US alliance, liberal order

Bite the hand that fed you: Imran Khan’s populist challenge for the military

Written by Marcus Andreopoulos

Out of office, Khan is proving to be a relentless source of pressure, first for Bajwa and now for Munir. Khan has accused the military of holding the country back during a time of economic and humanitarian catastrophe.

South Asia, Power Politics9DLFebruary 22, 20239DashLine, Bite the hand that fed you: Imran Khan’s populist challenge for the military, Marcus Andreopoulus, Pakistan, General Qamar Javed Bajwa, General Asim Munir, Chief of Army Staff (COAS), elections, military, tensions with India, Taliban, Afghanistan, Durand Line, Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP, Islamabad, military aid, Washington, united states, Beijing, Imran Khan, populism, populist rhetoric, Russia, mafia media, general election of 2018, Nawaz Sharif, Pakistan Muslim League (N), General Pervez Musharraf, 1999 military coup, Sharif and Bhutto Zardari dynasties, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI), domestic policy, defence, security, and foreign policy, civilian government, financial crisis, military budget, celebrity politicians, Donald Trump, anti-establishment statements, corruption, political elite, cult of personality, us versus them, minority rights, equality, Islamic welfare state, geo-economics, Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP), mob lynchings, blasphemy laws, primacy of the military, Chief Minister of Punjab Aleem Khan, military’s intelligence wing (ISI), Lieutenant General Faiz Hameed, Pakistani Prime Minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, General Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq, conspiracy, Arshad Sharif, United States Capitol

In Brief with Benedikt Staar

I do not see how reintroducing nuclear weapons to the southern side of the peninsula will make Pyongyang more willing to engage in dialogue. Besides anything else, such a move is much more likely to destabilise the region further and strengthen the Pyongyang-Beijing axis.

Taiwan: A partner for a resilient Indo-Pacific

Written by Dr Zsuzsa Anna Ferenczy

With the Taiwan Strait as a potential military flashpoint in the Indo-Pacific, embedding Taiwan in regional cooperation frameworks will support the efforts of like-minded democracies to deter Beijing’s destabilising actions which are affecting the entire region.

East Asia9DLFebruary 9, 20239dashline, Taiwan: a partner for a resilient Indo-Pacific, Zsuzsa Anna Ferenczy, Taiwan, Indo-Pacific, resilience, Taiwan strait, regional cooperation frameworks, China, Beijing, dialogue partner, destabilising actions, minilateral frameworks, diplomatic isolation, Taipei, revisionist posture, US-China geostrategic rivalry, minilateral cooperation, multilateralism, Quadrilateral Dialogue, Quad, Xi Jinping, Nancy Pelosi, semiconductors, bilateral ties, US, Washington, economic coercion, disinformation, global expansion, grey zone activities, Audrey Tang, COVID-19, infodemic, transparency, international cooperation, Russia, Russia-Ukraine war, national resilience, emergency preparedness, resource deployment capabilities, ASEAN, Nobuo Kishi, Australia-Taiwan partnership, Jenny Bloomfield, Supply Chain Resilience Initiative, SCRI, Artificial Intelligence, AI, Global Cooperation and Training Framework, GCTF, Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership, CPTPP, Japan-Taiwan Exchange Association, JTEA

2023: South Korea and nuclear ambitions

Should South Korea develop its own nuclear weapons? 9DASHLINE invites a select group of experts to assess the viability of this proposition and its potential impact.

East Asia9DLJanuary 27, 20239dashline, 2023: South Korea and nuclear ambitions, ELISABETH SUH, DR ERIC J. BALLBACH, South Korea, North Korea, Korean Peninsula, nuclear, nuclear weapons, missile launches, nuclear-armed regime, nuclear imbalance, Seoul, independent arsenal, US tactical nuclear weapons, US, US-South Korea alliance, Washington, Joint Declaration on Denuclearization, nuclear arms race, nuclear program, Yoon Suk-yeol, nuclear capabilities, ballistic missile tests, artificial nuclear warheads, military command facilities, nuclear-sharing arrangement, nuclearisation, defence budget, intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance, ISR, nuclear proliferation, nuclear deterrence, civilian nuclear power program, military program, weapons-grade fissile material, nuclear explosives, nuclear warheads, Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, NPT, international sanctions, 123 Agreement, conventional triad, air and missile defence systems, Short-Range Ballistic Missiles, medium-range ballistic missiles, long-range cruise missiles, defensive missile technologies, offensive missile technologies, pre-emptive strikes, retaliatory strikes, forward-deployed tactical nuclear weapons, US extended deterrence, China, Article X, negotiation, non-proliferation regime, global non-proliferation regime, DR IN YOUNG MIN, DR MIN-HYUNG KIM

2023: EU decoupling from China?

Such a move would suggest that Brussels was giving in to Washington’s demands instead of pursuing its own objectives. Perhaps counterintuitively, a decoupling from China would therefore be at odds with European calls for strategic autonomy.

Europe and the Indo-Pacific9DLJanuary 18, 20239dashline, 2023: EU decoupling from China, Agathe Demarais, Moritz Rudolf, Maximilian Mayer, Luke Patey, Angela Stanzel, EU, Europe, European Union, China, Beijing, US-China trade conflict, decoupling, strategic autonomy, trade partners, goods shortages, EU imports from China, Washington, Brussels, PRC, party-state, Chinese market, Chinese investments, capacity building, hegemonic competition, Biden Administration, technological development, interdependence, emerging technologies, economic sanctions, European economy, European diplomacy, minilateral, anti-coercion instrument, decoupling debate, European industries, green supply chains, electric vehicle production, green exports, European welfare, European decision-makers, European common market, economic integration, technological integration, Russia-Ukraine war, geostrategic dependencies, critical raw materials, green transition, digital transition, alternative partnerships, mutual interdependency, Taiwan-Strait

ASEAN enters 2023 in a moment of crisis

Written by Hunter Marston

Some experts suggest Indonesia is likely to propose adopting a seven-vote threshold instead of requiring all ten members to agree on passing a measure. This would go a long way to making the institution more agile, responsive, and decisive.

Southeast Asia9DLJanuary 17, 20239dashline, ASEAN prepares to enter 2023 in a moment of crisis, Hunter Marston, ASEAN, East Asia Summit, Phnom Penh, power competition, consensus, regional, Southeast Asian, Sino-US rivalry, democracy versus authoritarianism, coup in Myanmar, myanmar, China, USA, Indonesia, Cold War, Vietnam’s occupation of Cambodia, Vietnam, Cambodia, withdrawal of US forces from Thailand, Soviet, civil war in Myanmar, Five Point Consensus, bloc, ASEAN centrality, Singapore’s Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan, Singapore, Myanmar military, junta, Myanmar Junta, Malaysian Foreign Minister Saifuddin Abdullah, Malaysia, Cambodia’s strongman Hun Sen, Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, Thailand, authoritarian, Indonesia’s Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi, Myanmar’s National Unity Government (NUG), Continental versus maritime Southeast Asia, Philippines, military junta, South China Sea, democracy, Laos, territorial claims in the East Sea, Code of Conduct for maritime disputes, Timor-Leste, United States, US-China rivalry, Hoang Thi Ha, Japan, Australia, minilateral, Quad, AUKUS, Great Power competition, US President Joe Biden, Washington, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Kremlin, United Nations, rules-based order, Outlook on the Indo-Pacific, diversity, 1991 Paris Peace Accords, military regime, Yangon, “CMLV” states, Asian Financial Crisis, trade, currency exchange regime, ASEAN’s convening power, ASEAN enters 2023 in a moment of crisis