New Zealand foreign policy: From ‘independence’ to ‘realism’?

Written by Dr Lucas Knotter

NZ’s supposedly ‘new’ foreign policy is thus neither truly independent, nor truly realist, nor prompted to safeguard Aotearoa’s public interest.

Pacific9DLSeptember 9, 2024New Zealand, 9DASHLINE, Lucas Knotter, New Zealand Foreign Policy: From ‘Independence’ to ‘Realism’?, indo-pacific, AUKUS

Amid revolution, Myanmar’s NGOs face a deficit of donor solidarity

Written by Tamas Wells and Pyae Phyo Maung

Fostering relationships of solidarity between international and Myanmar humanitarian organisations requires practical change in terms of easing overly onerous compliance processes.

Southeast Asia9DLSeptember 5, 2024Myanmar, 9DASHLINE, Amid revolution, Myanmar’s NGOs face a deficit of donor solidarity, Tamas Wells, Pyae Phyo Maung

The ‘Indo-Pacific tilt’ — The new UK government’s ASEAN-UK Dialogue Partnership inheritance

Written by Dr Shingo Nagata

Given the significant role of the military in foreign policy within Southeast Asian countries, military-to-military relations are important for diplomacy in the region. Accordingly, the UK has traditionally emphasised defence diplomacy and cultivated military-to-military ties with ASEAN states.

Europe and the Indo-Pacific9DLSeptember 3, 20249DASHLINE, Shingo Nagata, UK, ASEAN, UK-ASEAN, Indo-Pacific tilt, ASEAN-UK Dialogue, Conservative Party, Labour party, Labour government, IRR, Integrated Review Refresh, ADDM-Plus, ARF, ASEAN Regional Forum, Indo-pacific, 9dashline

The Navigator's August issue is out now

This month we explore two pivotal developments: Cambodia’s new Funan Techo Canal, a project poised to redefine regional maritime strategies and deepen China-Cambodia ties, and the escalating Kuril Islands dispute between Russia and Japan, a Cold War legacy that’s heating up once more.

News9DLAugust 30, 2024The Navigator, 9DASHLINE, Indo-Pacific, ASEAN, The Bridge, EPinASEAN, European Parliament in ASEAN

Myanmar is slipping towards balkanisation

Written by Ophelia Yumlembam

The ongoing conflict raises serious concerns about potential balkaniszation, a fracturing of Myanmar, which could lead to a protracted civil war, increased war crimes, and spillover of humanitarian crises like refugees into neighbouring countries.

Southeast Asia9DLAugust 27, 2024Myanmar's junta, 9DASHLINE, Myanmar is slipping towards Balkanisation, Ophelia Yumlembam, myanmar military

China’s cautious quest to draw Afghanistan back into the fold

Written by Sarah Godek

By increasing relations at a slower pace, China’s government makes a safer long-term bet on Afghanistan that forgoes short-run gains to ensure greater security that could protect longer-term benefits in the future.

Emerging Issues9DLAugust 23, 20249DASHLINE, China’s cautious quest to draw Afghanistan back into the fold, Sarah Godek, Afghanistan, China, Taliban, United Nations, UN, interconnectivity, connectivity, Taliban-led Afghanistan, trade, 2023 Amu Darya oil basin contract, China’s Belt and Road Initiative, BRI, Chinese government, United States, US, agriculture, critical materials, copper, lithium, Taliban ambassador, Foreign Minister Wang Yi, Taliban’s political commissar, 20th Party Congress, Kabul, terror, terror attacks, Zhao Xing, Hamid Karzai, Ashraf Ghani, peace, US withdrawal, US withdrawal from Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iran, Central Asia, peace through engagement, mining, Mes Aynak mine, mineral reserves, cotton, pine nut, Xi Jinping, Tajikistan President Emomali Rahmon, China-Tajikistan-Afghanistan corridor, Kazakhstan, trans-Afghan railway project, cargo, China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), Vice Chairman of Tibet, Tibet, SCO, UNSC travel bans, Taliban officials, dialogue, sanctions, noninterference, internal affairs, China-Afghanistan ties, Wakhan Corridor, CPEC, suicide bombings, Taliban takeover of Afghanistan, Islamic State-Khorasan Province (ISKP), Al Qaeda, Eastern Turkistan Islamic Movement

New episode: Decoding the recent ASEAN foreign ministers meeting in Laos

This month Zsuzsa Anna Ferenczy, and Richard Heydarian are joined by Ian Chong to decode the recent ASEAN Foreign Ministers meeting in Laos. We also look at the role of the Paris Olympics in enhancing people-to-people ties between Europe and the Indo-Pacific.

Subscribe now and never miss an episode.

News9DLAugust 21, 2024New episode: Decoding the recent ASEAN foreign ministers meeting in Laos, EPinASEAN, 9DASHLINE, Zsuzsa Anna Ferenczy, Richard Heydarian, Indo-Pacific, ASEAN, European Parliament, Paris Olympics

Southeast Asia wants US-China conflict to stay lukewarm

Written by Hunter Marston

Whatever the outcome of the US election in November, Southeast Asian states will continue hedging for as long as possible.

Faultlines9DLAugust 19, 2024Southeast Asia wants US-China conflict to stay lukewarm, Hunter Marston, 9DASHLINE, China, United States, Trump, AUKUS

Striking a balance in India's evolving AI odyssey

Written by Fatima Tahir

In navigating these challenges and fortifying its regulatory framework, India needs to steer its AI journey towards a future that is both prosperous and socially responsible.

The new Thai Senate: Less powerful and less predictable

Written by Mathis Lohatepanont

The new senators are largely unknown to the public; their individual preferences can only be gleaned with time, and so how they will behave is largely still a matter of speculation.

Southeast Asia9DLAugust 14, 20249DASHLINE, The new Thai Senate: Less powerful and less predictable, Mathis Lohatepanont, Thai, Thailand, military coup, Senate, senators, constitution, military junta, Thai politics, conservative, General Prayut Chan-o-cha, Pita Limjaroenrat, progressive, lèse-majesté law, lèse-majesté, Thaksin Shinawatra, Pheu Thai Party, grand compromise, Move Forward Party, National Anti-Corruption Commission, State Audit Commission, "husband-wife” parliament, House of Representatives, post-coup, coup-makers, election system, byzantine process, Bhumjaithai Party, dark blue, Somchai Wongsawat, Niwatthamrong Boonsongpaisan, orange, red, progressive “new breed”, Thai Rak Thai Party, anti-Thaksin Abhisit Vejjajiva, Prayut Chan-o-cha, Newin Chidchob, Buriram, political clans, medical marijuana, legalising medical marijuana, pluralistic, parliamentary roadblocks

From equidistance to engagement: The evolution of Russia’s Korea strategy

Written by Anthony V. Rinna

As long as Russia refrains from taking any steps in its defence cooperation with North Korea that directly threaten South Korea, there is still a chance that Moscow can leave room for at least a partial restoration of ties with Seoul.

Editor's Picks, East Asia9DLAugust 13, 20249DASHLINE, From equidistance to engagement: the evolution of Russia’s Korea Strategy, Anthony v. Rinna, Russia, DPRK, ROK, South Korea, North Korea, Russian President Vladimir Putin, Pyongyang, comprehensive strategic partnership, North Korea-Russia ties, Kremlin, strategy of diplomatic equidistance, equidistance, regional security, Korean Peninsula, Moscow, Seoul, Mikhail Gorbachev’s Krasnoyarsk Declaration, Roh Tae-woo’s Nordpolitik, Nordpolitik, Soviet Union, rapprochement, US, China, Cold War, strategic cooperative partnership, unfriendly, Ukraine, weapon's exports, Cha Du Hyeogn, Russian Far East, Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD), US’ Northeast Asia alliance network, sanctions relief, economic cooperation, Korea International Trade Association, trade, Georgy Zinoviev, friendliest of unfriendly countries, NATO, South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol, energy, energy imports, Korea Trade Promotion Corporation (KOTRA), natural gas, South Korea’s energy dependence on Russia, coal imports, Lim Soo-suk, UN Security Council

Introducing 'The Bridge', our new monthly podcast connecting Europe and the Indo-Pacific

Our new monthly podcast in conjunction with the European Parliament in ASEAN is your essential guide to navigating the complex and developing interplay between Europe and the Indo-Pacific.

Hosted by Zsuzsa Anna Ferenczy and Richard Heydarian, The Bridge is your opportunity to better understand the forces shaping the future of Europe and Asia.

Subscribe now and never miss an episode.

Europe and the Indo-Pacific, News9DLAugust 9, 2024Zsuzsa Anna Ferenczy, Richard Heydarian, 9DASHLINE, Europe, European Parliament, Indo-Pacific, ASEAN, Introducing 'The Bridge', our new monthly podcast connecting Europe and the Indo-Pacific

NATO and Northeast Asia: A growing partnership

Written by Emma Chanlett-Avery

A decisive shift in US policy towards isolationism and “America First” could disrupt or downgrade ‘trans-Atlantic’ and Indo-Pacific alliances.

Europe and the Indo-Pacific, East Asia, Most Popular9DLAugust 8, 20249DASHLINE, Emma Chanlett-Avery, NATO and Northeast Asia: A growing partnership, NATO, NATO Summit, Washington, Biden administration, Joe Biden, foreign policy, Japan, South Korea, New Zealand, Australia, White House, the Indo-Pacific Partners (IPP), Russia’s aggression, China’s support of Russia’s war in Ukraine, China, Russia, Ukraine, NATO-IPP relationship, Northeast Asia, European allies, Asian democracies, international liberal order, Tokyo, Seoul, South China Sea (SCS), East China Sea, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, information security, counter-piracy, China as a strategic challenge, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, Moscow, Russia’s annexation of Crimea, Russian President Vladimir Putin, President Yoon Suk Yeol, NATO Summit in Madrid, sanctions, humanitarian aid, defence industry, Poland, arms exports, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, DPRK, anti-aircraft systems, Beijing, Putin-Kim summit, nuclear weapons, missiles, Pyongyang, Minilaterals, US-South Korea-Japan, US-Japan-Philippines, AUKUS, Quad, Biden-Harris administration, Donald Trump, isolationism, US Congress, GOP vice presidential candidate JD Vance, defence planners, America First

Wildcatting the Pacific: Seabed mining and the Pacific islands

Written by Drake Long

While the ISA Council could not agree on regulations, it did agree that it would from now on have oversight over the seabed mining application process instead of the ISA’s exclusive Legal and Technical Commission.

The Navigator's July issue is out now

This month, we delve into the evolving geopolitical landscape, shaped by significant diplomatic shifts, strategic investments, and ongoing regional tensions.

Our two issue briefs cover the potential approach of the UK's new Labour government toward the Indo-Pacific, and the race to connect Pacific island nations via new digital infrastructure.

News9DLAugust 2, 2024The Navigator, 9DASHLINE, Indo-Pacific, ASEAN, The Bridge, EPinASEAN, European Parliament in ASEAN

Sri Lanka’s potential political realignment

Written by Dr Neil DeVotta

Ultimately, given the dire economic and debt situation facing the island, the victorious candidate and his party will have little choice but to balance relations with major powers like India, China, and the United States.

Power Politics, South Asia9DLJuly 31, 20249DASHLINE, Sri Lanka’s potential political realignment, Neil DeVotta, Sri Lanka, Sri Lankan economy, presidential election, Gotabaya Rajapaksa, Rajapaksa, Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa, Rajapaksa family, Sinhalese Buddhist nationalism, majoritarian, fiscal stability, balance of payments crisis, United National Party, Ranil Wickremesinghe, taxes, austerity, IMF program, World Bank, food insecure, poverty, Central Bank, debt restructuring, multilateral, bilateral, Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna, corruption, ‘Ranil-Rajapaksa’ regime, dynasty, Sajith Premadasa, Samagi Jana Balawegaya, SJB, JVP, Janata Vimukthi Peramuna, Anura Kumara Dissanayake, UNP, IMF, SLPP, creditors, Marxist, insurgencies, ethnic, Sri Lankan Civil War, Sri Lanka’s civil war, human rights violations, Tamils, geopolitics, United States, Australia, Japan, pro-China, China, White Elephant, Chinese loans, Hambantota Port, Mattala International Airport, Mahinda Rajapaksa International Cricket Stadium, multi-aligned foreign policy, multi-aligned, India, ethnocracy

Locked in paralysis: Vietnam's anti-corruption campaign and tightened public sphere

Written by Dr Mai Truong

The government has significantly increased arrests of pro-democracy activists. Recently, many prominent democracy advocates, including Pham Doan Trang, who received the 2024 PEN America Freedom to Write Award, have been detained, and many of the previously mentioned blogs and websites have been shut down.

Southeast Asia9DLJuly 30, 2024Vietnam, Nguyen Phu Trong, anti-corruption campaign, Vietnamese Communist Party, VCP, nepotism, cronyism, NGO, public sphere, Mai Truong, 9DASHLINE, Luong Tam Quang, Nguyen Tan Dung, civil society organisations, Democracy activist, democracy movement, Truong Huy San

Russia adds to India’s strategic drag in the Indo-Pacific

Written by Chetan Rana

As India navigates this new geopolitical landscape, it must critically reassess the touted advantages of its relationship with Russia and ensure that its foreign policy adapts to contemporary realities.

Faultlines9DLJuly 24, 2024Chetan Rana, 9DASHLINE, Russia adds to India’s strategic drag in the Indo-Pacific, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Moscow, July 2024 visit to Moscow, Vladimir Putin, Russian forces bombed a children’s hospital in Kyiv, 22nd India-Russia annual summit, India and Russia, Modi was conferred Russia's highest civilian honour, the Order of Saint Andrew the Apostle, Indo-Russian ties, Historical nostalgia, New Delhi’, Indo-Pacific security architecture, Sino-Soviet split, Nixon-Kissinger, post-American world order, joint statement, Ukrainian President Zelensky, Indo-Pacific, Russia as a hedge against China, UN resolutions regarding Gaza, Israel’s genocide in Gaza, Putin's invasion of Ukraine, financing Russian aggression, supplying arms to Israel, Cold War history, S-400 missile systems, Sukhoi, Sukhoi and MiG fighter jets, 65 per cent of India's weapon purchases, COMCASA, LEMOA, Russian technology, Eurasia, Arctic, International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC), Northern Sea Route, Russian crude oil, Arctic territories, Post-Ukraine invasion, Rajesh Rajagopalan, Donald Trump, White House, Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), BRICS, Quad, Modi’s visit to Moscow, Soviet Union, multipolar world, geographical access to Eurasia and the Arctic