Forum: The Israel-Palestine conflict and the Indo-Pacific

Recent events have again shaken the decades-long conflict between Israel and Palestine leading to new unspeakable levels of suffering.

Here, 9DASHLINE brings together a group of experts to provide us with a view from the Indo-Pacific and explore the conflict’s significance for the region.

A balancing act: COP28 and China’s critical role in the international climate crisis

Written by Taylah Bland

Despite China’s continued strengthening of its domestic climate agenda, it needs to take the same approach to its leadership in the international arena.

Running from China: China’s youth dream of leaving

Written by Dr Franziska Plümmer

The risks of brain drain and demographic change are looming over the heads of Beijing’s policymakers and business leaders, who are also increasingly incentivising Chinese students to come back from abroad.

Emerging Issues9DLOctober 2, 2023Franziska Plümmer, Dr Franziska Plümmer, Running from China: China’s youth dream of leaving, 9dashline, refugees, China, zero-Covid measures, US, asylum, Canada, Australia, Latin America, pandemic, Chinese emigration, migration, Xi Jinping, UNHCR, International Organization for Migration, human rights activists, religious practitioners, exit bans, run-ology, White Paper Protests, lockdowns, travel restrictions, social control, under 40, Chinese society, discrimination, ageism, three-child policy, quiet quitting, neijuan 内卷, tangping 躺平, social media, Chinese netizens, runxue 润学, WeChat, emigrating, United States DIY, Southeast Asia, Colombia, Panama, censorship, brain drain, demographics, anti-emigration discourse, Chinese diaspora, workforce, national rejuvenation, dream of national rejuvenation, passport, 2023 Anti-Espionage Law, espionage, Safeguard Defenders, hostage diplomacy, hukou

NATO’s future in the Indo-Pacific: Tilt or jilt?

Written by Mathieu Droin

The limitations of what NATO can offer or execute in the Indo-Pacific raise the question of whether there may be other more appropriate frameworks to publicly tackle shared security challenges between the Euro-Atlantic and the Indo-Pacific.

Europe and the Indo-Pacific9DLSeptember 8, 20239DashLine, NATO’s future in the Indo-Pacific: Tilt or jilt?, Mathieu Droin, NATO, Indo-Pacific, Europe, Chinese Foreign Ministry, NATO Summit, Lithuania, AP4, Australia, Japan, New Zealand, south korea, transatlandopacific, alliance, hegemon, NATO’s partnership, NATO partnerships, Allies, Vilnius Summit Communiqué, dialogue, Washington DC, People’s Republic of China (PRC), NATO’s agenda, NATO’s 2022 Strategic Concept, Euro-Atlantic security, military alliance, legacy of the Cold War, Cold War, blocs, bloc building, NATO’s Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, United Kingdom, Indo-Pacific tilt, 2021 Integrated Review, France, AUKUS, AUKUS crisis, Paris, President Macron, Emmanuel Macron, NATO’s global partnerships, Canada, Denmark, Western Europe, Germany, Italy, North Korea, Russia, Prime Minister Kishida Fumio, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, NATO liaison office, NATO International Staff, President Yoon Suk-yeol, Five Eyes intelligence alliance, Five Eyes, India, New Delhi, Indonesia, honest broker, Jakarta, Non-alignment, Association of Southeast Asia Nations (ASEAN), Philippines, Myanmar, pro-China, pro-US, critical infrastructure, telecommunications, port facilities, military threat, no limits partnership, Xi Jinping, Vladimir Putin, autocratic, Russo-Chinese alignment, Moscow, military posture, deter, deterrence, historical revisionism, spheres of influence, NATO’s eastward expansion, the West, Georgia, 2008 Bucharest Summit, Ukraine, Beijing, Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, Individually Tailored Partnership Programs (ITPP), cybersecurity, interoperability, Article 5, Ukrainian Armed Forces, Sanctions, humanitarian aid, European Union, Ramstein Group, G7, Taiwan Strait, Senkaku Islands, contingency, signalling, Eastern flank, trade, foreign direct investments, Brussels, anti-coercion instrument, critical raw materials, Sweden, EU Indo-Pacific Forum, Strategic Partnership, systemic rival, de-risking, EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan, Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, leverage, Quadrilateral Security Dialogue, Quad, Global Combat Air Programme, Franco-Indian-UAE initiative, UAE, flexilateral

Germany’s new China Strategy – A roadmap for climate foreign policy

Written by Belinda Schäpe

Germany’s China Strategy is a first attempt to address climate change in a key foreign policy strategy, encapsulating all related areas, and going beyond empty cooperation rhetoric.

Europe and the Indo-Pacific9DLAugust 18, 20239dashline, Belinda Schäpe, Germany’s new China Strategy – A roadmap for climate foreign policy, Germany, China, German Strategy on China, bilateral relationship, climate change, Beijing, climate cooperation, climate engagement, strategic cooperation, accountability, green tech, multilateral finance, climate foreign policy, global responsibilities, climate targets, coal power, Xi Jinping, global coal pipelines, energy security concerns, global green transition, climate finance, Paris Agreement, Belt and Road Initiative, South-South Climate Cooperation Fund, multilateral funds, multilateral financial system, emerging debt crises, developing countries, Paris Summit for a New Global Financing Pact, climate negotiations, G20, World Bank, IMF, foreign policy, economic agendas, Europe, green tech supply chains, (geo)political tool, Nancy Pelosi, Taiwan, human rights, de-risking, green technologies, energy supply, International Energy Agency, Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism, CBAM, carbon intensive products, Climate and Transformation Dialogue, industrial decarbonisation, National Security Strategy, Germany-China Memorandum of Understanding

Why China is an unlikely mediator in the Russia-Ukraine war

Written by Dr Eva Seiwert

Despite China’s interest in increasing its involvement in crisis resolution, it remains unclear whether Beijing is willing to mediate, and whether it can be a fair broker, in the Russia-Ukraine war.

In Brief with James Crabtree Executive Director IISS-Asia

This week, 9DASHLINE had the opportunity to speak with James Crabtree, Executive Director of the International Institute for Strategic Studies-Asia (IISS).

In Brief9DLJuly 24, 20239dashline, James Crabtree, International Institute for Strategic Studies-Asia, IISS, Asia, security dynamics, Indo-Pacific, Shangri-La Dialogue, India, New Delhi, international order, aspirant great powers, global order, China, US-China, Blinken, US-China relations, Janet Yellen, G20, APEC, Xi Jinping, semiconductor export restrictions, Singapore, Heng Swee Keat, Little Red Dot, economic ties, security partnership, great power rivalry, superpower rivalry, Lee Hsien Loong, Singapore military, Indonesia, North Korea, south korea, Pakistan, joint naval exercises, great broker, Southeast Asia, Joko Widodo, Russia, Ukraine, Moscow, Kiev, inward investment, power projection, ASEAN, South Natuna Sea, regional security cooperation, joint drills, Myanmar, Sino-US competition, minilateral groupings, Quad, pan-regional security, Track-I, In Brief with James Crabtree Executive Director IISS-Asia

In Dialogue: Are current debates over the China threat to Taiwan too one-sided?

With Blake Herzinger and Justyna Szczudlik

Raising awareness of any potential war through a debate about what such a crisis may look like must be accompanied by appropriate preparation for what exactly to do if something happens.

In Brief with Reinhard Bütikofer MEP

This week, 9DASHLINE enjoyed the opportunity to have a candid discussion with Member of the European Parliament, Reinhard Bütikofer, where we sought to gauge his views on Europe, its interests in the Indo-Pacific, and its ties with China.

’We’re going through changes’ – What Xi meant when he spoke to Putin

Written by Dr Kerry Brown

In this context, the one positive Russia offers to China is that it does not belong to the Western bloc. Xi’s seemingly warm words to Putin are an acknowledgement that his enemy’s enemy is his friend.

Editor's Picks9DLMay 11, 20239DashLine, ’We’re going through changes’ – What Xi meant when he spoke to Putin, Kerry Brown, President Xi Jinping, China, Russia, Vladimir Putin, Moscow, geopolitics, Chinese elite, America, Russian invasion of Ukraine, Sino-Russian, China-Russia alignment, Beijing, autocratic norm, democracy, common destiny, Community of Common Destiny, community of common destiny for mankind, win-win, Belt and Road Initiative, Qing, Republican, People’s Republic, Winston Churchill, Second World War, Great Powers, UK, middle-income, sense of destiny, Western hegemony, multipolarity, Western bloc, NATO, Soviet, Middle East, Africa, Latin America, peace plan, nuclear weapons, ‘WE’RE GOING THROUGH CHANGES’ – WHAT XI MEANT WHEN HE SPOKE TO PUTIN, Xi Jinping, Putin, Ukraine, Nuclear, United Kingdom, US, WW2, WWII, Lau China Institute, Kings College London, Centro Studi Sulla Cina Contemporanea Summer School

Ten-year review of China’s defence budget: Steadily toward modernisation

Written by Fei Su and Xiao Liang

Despite concerns over the transparency on the official figures, the sustained growth in China's military spending demonstrates its unwavering commitment to the PLA’s modernisation to become a ‘world-class’ military by the mid-21st century.

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

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.

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.

Europe and the Indo-Pacific9DLApril 4, 20239DashLine, Forum: Russia’s war and the international order — a year on, Russian President Vladimir Putin, invasion of Ukraine, Europe’s security order, international order, sanctions, Western sanctions, Russia’s war in Ukraine, NATHAN LEVINE, United States, EU, deterrence, sanctions evasion, China, Taiwan, regional balance of military power, resistance, chaos of war, amphibious invasion of Taiwan, Japan, Beijing, HEE KYOUNG CHANG, new Cold War, authoritarianism, democracy, Second World War, sovereignty and territorial integrity, Germany, neutrality, Finland, Sweden, NATO, South Korea, Russian economy, India, Turkey, Russian oil and gas, North Korea, free trade, bipolar or multipolar system, LEV NACHMAN, solidarity with democracies, autocratisation, anti-authoritarianism, Xi Jinping, Chinese Communist Party, Taiwan Strait, Forum: Russia’s war and the international order — one year on

Reading tea leaves: Taiwan’s November 2022 ‘midterm’ elections

Written by Alexander C. Tan

With the 2024 presidential and legislative elections about two years away — which might as well be an eternity in politics — the DPP has time to regroup and recalibrate its message.

Italy-China relations under Meloni: Less hard-line than expected

Written by Lorenzo Lamperti

Unable to presently guarantee total alignment when it comes to sharing the American point of view on Russia and the current war in Ukraine, Meloni has chosen to present herself as fully aligned with Washington on the Chinese front.

Europe and the Indo-Pacific9DLFebruary 16, 20239dashline, Italy-China relations under Meloni: less hard-line than expected, Lorenzo Lamperti, Italy, Giorgia Meloni, Taiwan, China, Xi Jinping, Andrea Sing-Ying Lee, Brothers of Italy, right-wing, Taipei, United States, US, People's Republic of China, Forza Italia, the League, Lega, Silvio Berlusconi, Matteo Salvini, Putin, Ukraine, Russia, Russia-Ukraine war, Conte government, memorandum of understanding, MoU, Beijing, Belt and Road Initiative, BRI, Huawei, 5G, Mario Draghi, elections, 2022, Tibet, military action, democracy, Autocracy, Central News Agency, Lucio Malan, Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China, Interparliamentary Friendship Group, Tsai Ing-wen, G20 summit, Bali, Italian government, sanctions battle, Xinjiang conflict, Antonio Tajani, Wang Yi, bilateral dialogue, economic relations, crucial sectors, Chinese businesses, Golden Power, LPE, semiconductor equipment, Atlanticism, Guido Crosetto, Australia, Lithuania, foreign policy, ruling coalition, 15th Conference of Italian Ambassadors, Indo-Pacific

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

The Bougainville Autonomous Region: Balancing independence and foreign relations

Written by Dr Lucas Knotter

While it is tempting to view the relatively small island of Bougainville as merely drifting into the geopolitical whirlwinds of more powerful actors in the region, we should not forget that Bougainville also maintains considerable leverage in relation to these actors.

Pacific, Emerging Issues9DLJanuary 31, 20239dashline, Bougainville, Bougainville Autonomous Region, Lucas Knotter, Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Summit, APEC, Free Trade Area of the Asia Pacific, FTAAP, Antony Blinken, Papua New Guinea, US, James Marape, China, Xi Jinping, Pacific islands, Pacific island states, trade partner, Friend to all; Enemy to None, PNG, China-US tensions, Autonomous Region of Bougainville, ARB, 2019 referendum, PNG-US-China geopolitics, sovereignty, 2001 Bougainville Peace Agreement, Ishmael Toroama, Era Kone Covenant, post-referendum agreements, Bougainville independence, international recognition, independence, Panguna copper mine, natural resources, anti-colonial struggles, Australia, mine workers, environmental destruction, Bougainville Civil War, Sam Kauona, Belt and Road Initiative, Solomon Islands, 2021 unrest, Beijing, Global Fragility Act, GFA, 2015 Bougainville Mining Act, Taipei, Sovereign Wealth Fund, Richard Marles, defence