Written by Hunter Marston

Despite the opportunity presented by American retrenchment, China lacks the soft power to step in as a natural leader and its economic and political influence continue to be met with suspicion by regional elites.

Drawing on her decades of experience in Cambodia’s pro-democracy movement, we discussed the country’s democratic decline, the growing influence of China, and the crucial role the international community — and Cambodia’s youth — must play in shaping a freer future.

Written by Arun Teja Polcumpally

To safeguard its internet infrastructure, India must invest in indigenous undersea cable maintenance capabilities, including commissioning Indian-flagged vessels for rapid response within its territorial waters and exclusive economic zone.

This month we cover the India-Pakistan flare-up that reignited nuclear concerns, followed by a burst of regional diplomacy. Our briefs examine how China and India are turning foreign policy into a tool of domestic control — through maritime coercion in Beijing’s case, and treaty-based pressure from New Delhi.

Subscribe today.

Written by Dr Sophal Ear

Cambodia offers a litmus test: if Japan can sustain influence there, it may do so across mainland Southeast Asia.

This month, Zsuzsa Anna Ferenczy and Richard Heydarian are joined by Stephen Nagy to unpack the significance of Chinese President Xi Jinping’s recent visit to Southeast Asia. Together, they explore what this heightened diplomatic outreach reveals about Beijing’s evolving regional strategy—and what it means for the Indo-Pacific at large, including Europe’s strategic positioning.

Subscribe now and never miss an episode.

Written by Hannah Hains

It is not yet clear whether Trump will institute a similar targeted tariff for shipping and port infrastructure, as recommended by a new report by the Office of the United States Trade Representative on ‘China's Targeting of the Maritime, Logistics, and Shipbuilding Sectors for Dominance’.

Written by Dr Selçuk Çolakoğlu

As the economic centre of gravity shifts from the North Atlantic to the Pacific, Turkey's increasing emphasis on its Asian identity is a strategic move to benefit from the economic rise of East Asian countries and organisations.

Written by Arun Teja Polcumpally

To safeguard its internet infrastructure, India must invest in indigenous undersea cable maintenance capabilities, including commissioning Indian-flagged vessels for rapid response within its territorial waters and exclusive economic zone.

Written by Mansoor Sadat

Options for returnees are limited. Faced with a repressive regime in Afghanistan, many risk fleeing once again, potentially taking dangerous, illegal routes to other countries in search of safety.

Written by Khandakar Tahmid Rejwan

Bangladesh’s historical pro-India stance under Hasina is likely to diminish under the new interim administration due to Touhid’s critical views on India over issues like alleged border killings and the need to balance geopolitical partners.

Written by Dr Nazir Ahmad Mir

Despite unity in the cause and an awareness that the local population has rejected their traditional political approaches, these parties are unable to work constructively for the benefit of the local population. Once again, they seem to overlook the fact that their short-term, self-serving policies have come at a high cost to the people of Jammu and Kashmir.

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.

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.

Written by Manali Kumar and Chetan Rana

After a decade of sliding towards authoritarianism, a return to coalition politics promises a path to redemocratisation. Without a clear majority, the BJP can no longer bypass parliamentary scrutiny.

Written by Soumya Bhowmick

Restructuring Sri Lanka’s debt, particularly with major creditors such as India and China, gives Colombo a certain amount of leverage in negotiations with the IMF and reflects shifting regional dynamics.

Written by Dr Sophal Ear

Cambodia offers a litmus test: if Japan can sustain influence there, it may do so across mainland Southeast Asia.

Written by Hunter Slingbaum

In the coming months, South Korea should remain focused on its own presidential election and repairing its domestic fabric, but interim leadership can also explore ways to weather Trump’s demands, including by reframing existing efforts, as Canada did with their border plan.

Written by Emma Whitmyer

Seoul and Tokyo should begin preparing for a future in which they navigate regional challenges without a close ally who shares the same values.

Written by Anny Boc

Beijing’s passive approach only reflects its dilemma of balancing its regional interests with its need to preserve strategic ties with both Russia and North Korea, especially as the competition between China and the United States is likely to intensify.

Written by Rorry Daniels

For at least the next four years, downward pressure on the US-China relationship will prevent a breakthrough in cross-Taiwan Strait relations.

Written by Dr Seohee Park

This crisis represents more than a domestic Korean political drama; it tests the resilience of regional alliances and could accelerate broader geopolitical shifts in an increasingly complex Northeast Asian landscape.

Written by Lionel Fatton

Amid China’s growing belligerence and strained Sino-Taiwanese relations, Tokyo is trapped in an intensifying deterrence-entrapment dilemma. To solve it, Japan has resolved to become more engaged in regional security dynamics to reduce the risk of cross-strait conflict, thereby lowering the probability of entrapment.

Written by Anouk Wear

Novel threats from the Hong Kong government are already causing real consequences for Hong Kongers in the EU — activists and more ‘ordinary’ citizens alike — and they are creating new challenges for advocacy from civil society and diplomatic channels.

Written by Hunter Marston

Despite the opportunity presented by American retrenchment, China lacks the soft power to step in as a natural leader and its economic and political influence continue to be met with suspicion by regional elites.

Written by Dr Sophal Ear

Cambodia offers a litmus test: if Japan can sustain influence there, it may do so across mainland Southeast Asia.

Written by Thu Nguyen Hoang Anh

Based on estimates from the Vietnam National Plastics Action Partnership, if the country’s current systems are not improved, the volume of plastics in its waterways could double by 2030.

Written by Chetan Rana

Even though Myanmar’s international isolation appears to push it further closer to China, the Sit Tat and the EAOs are simultaneously engaging and contesting with China in different sectors. Beijing will be key in the execution and acceptance of elections planned by the junta. 

Written by Dominique Fraser and Dr Premesha Saha

Indonesia will need to ensure that it carefully balances its commitments to BRICS alongside its responsibilities and obligations within ASEAN and its existing relationships with Western nations like the US and the EU.

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.

Written by Hunter Marston

While sanctions alone are unlikely to change the military’s behaviour, they are more likely to be effective when part of a broader diplomatic strategy, which is required to resolve the current crisis.

Written by Tran Thi Mong Tuyen

To establish itself as a semiconductor hub Vietnam needs a bold strategy that leverages its ‘latecomer’ advantages. Vietnam should set clear goals and concentrate resources on developing its semiconductor industry, with milestones for 2030 and 2050.

Written by Chris Estep

Trump should decisively establish his administration’s approach to competition with China by issuing his own Interim National Security Strategic Guidance document and endorsing it in a televised speech from the Oval Office.

Written by Dongkeun Lee

For South Korea, the persistent threat from North Korea remains a priority, making it reluctant to allocate resources to security concerns beyond the peninsula. Australia can bolster Seoul’s confidence by reaffirming its commitment to peninsular security.

Written by Lucas Myers

The Quad’s role is clearer in 2024 than in 2017 or 2007. It coordinates and ensures the provision of public goods in an era of great power competition that is about much more than just traditional hard power security.

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.

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.

Written by Dr Tess Newton Cain

Prime Minister Manele is a career diplomat and is not given to the theatrical rhetoric we saw previously from his predecessor. He is a known quantity in the region and further afield in Canberra, Wellington, Beijing, and Washington.

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.

Written by Derek McDougall

If the US cannot increase the rate at which it builds submarines, Australia could find itself without submarines once the existing six Collins-class submarines can no longer be used.

Written by Dr Selçuk Çolakoğlu

As the economic centre of gravity shifts from the North Atlantic to the Pacific, Turkey's increasing emphasis on its Asian identity is a strategic move to benefit from the economic rise of East Asian countries and organisations.

Central and Eastern Europe’s (CEE) relationship with Taiwan is evolving amid shifting global dynamics.

Dr Zsuzsa Anna Ferenczy speaks with Matej Šimalčík, a Taiwan Fellowship recipient currently based at the Institute for National Defense and Security Research (INDSR) in Taipei, to explore the implications of these developments for CEE, Taiwan, and the broader geopolitical landscape.

Written by Dr Una Aleksandra Bērziņa-Čerenkova

Risks remain for Europe not just internally, but also externally, as China's support for Russia in its war against Ukraine and US pressure for a unified transatlantic approach limit the EU's room for manoeuvre.

Written by Dr Justyna Szczudlik

Sympathising with the idea of hybrid peace is a dangerous trap for the West. The only way to undermine Sino-Russian alignment, deter China from aggressive moves, and defend the rules-based order is to do everything possible to help Ukraine win the war.

Written by Victor De Decker

However, a key question remains: to what extent can European authorities strike a deal with China while facing coercive pressure from the Trump administration on the one hand and Beijing’s inflexible negotiation tactics on the other?

Written by Uwe Hoering

With every further escalation, the pressure to close ranks, to form hostile blocs and thus the danger of a military confrontation grows.

Written by Tamara Obgaidze

The proposed development of a deep-water port at Anaklia could position Georgia as a key hub for trade between Europe and Asia, which aligns with China’s broader ambitions to expand its influence through infrastructure investments.

Written by Patrizia Cogo Morales

Like the US and France, other European countries and their private sectors should enhance their engagement with India, given the significant potential in military procurement deals and the defence industry overall. 

Written by Khandakar Tahmid Rejwan

Bangladesh’s historical pro-India stance under Hasina is likely to diminish under the new interim administration due to Touhid’s critical views on India over issues like alleged border killings and the need to balance geopolitical partners.

Written by Aniello Iannone

The persistent influence of the military and entrenched oligarchies continues to subvert the will of the electorate, creating a hybrid political system where democratic processes are overshadowed by authoritarian interventions.

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.

Written by Fang-Yu Chen and Ya-Han Chen

In short, this reform makes the LY a super-powerful institution that raises concerns about undermining the separation of power and thus checks and “imbalances”.

Written by Abhishek Sharma

As both countries explore new areas of opportunities beyond the traditional emphasis on trade and commerce, emerging technologies and defence have particularly captured the attention of both governments.

Written by Pradeep Krishnan

Post-independence politics in Singapore has known a few watershed moments; each noteworthy for chipping away at the PAP’s dominance.

Written by Dr Lin Gang

Despite the developmental gap between the two societies, Beijing believes its preferential policies towards newcomers from Taiwan, particularly the youth, are appealing and productive.

Written by Varenya Singh and Chetan Rana

China's persistent rejection of the tribunal's jurisdiction and ruling, along with its continuous assertion of sovereignty, underscores the limitations of international legal mechanisms in addressing deep-rooted geopolitical disputes.

Written by Thu Nguyen Hoang Anh

Based on estimates from the Vietnam National Plastics Action Partnership, if the country’s current systems are not improved, the volume of plastics in its waterways could double by 2030.

Written by James Bowen

The risk posed by Trump’s new strategy will be most pronounced abroad, particularly in the Indo-Pacific region. Home to the world’s most rapidly developing and energy-hungry economies, it also hosts many fossil fuels and/or prospective clean energy producers whose future trajectories remain open to external influence.

Written by Mansoor Sadat

Options for returnees are limited. Faced with a repressive regime in Afghanistan, many risk fleeing once again, potentially taking dangerous, illegal routes to other countries in search of safety.

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.

Written by Dr Narayani Sritharan and Peter Rizkillah

Sinophobia in Indonesia is not merely a by-product of the BRI but a consequence of economic ambition intersecting with security concerns in a rapidly changing geopolitical landscape.

Written by Manish Jung Pulami

The pro-monarchy protests are a reminder that Nepal’s democratic journey is far from over. While the monarchy may be a relic of the past, the underlying grievances that fuelled the latest protests remain relevant today.

Written by Anand P. Krishnan

Clearly, unemployment captures the anxieties and disillusionment of youth on both sides of the Himalayan Gap. By the same count, there are no easy solutions for either government to manage, if not completely resolve, this crisis.

Written by Francesco Giovanni Lizzi

Taking stock of the international context surrounding the summit, it is apparent that the BRI has been confronted by a number of challenges. President Xi's keynote speech coincided with mounting scepticism, especially from Europe and North America, concerning the prospective viability of the initiative.