US-China trade tariffs: The clash of national grievances

Written by Dr Anisa Heritage

The Trump administration's instigation of its trade liberation policy has generated fear about how it might also rashly unshackle itself from longstanding security arrangements.

Faultlines9DLApril 30, 20259DASHLINE, China, united states, ANISA HERITAGE, US-China trade tariffs: The clash of national grievances, Trump, tariffs, United States, Taiwan

Discover the April issue of The Navigator – out now

This month we explore rising economic tensions in Northeast Asia, as Japan and South Korea respond to a new wave of US tariffs. We also turn to Myanmar, where a devastating earthquake has worsened an already dire humanitarian crisis. Despite urgent calls for aid, the junta is blocking relief efforts while pushing ahead with its plans for elections amid ongoing conflict.

Subscribe today.

News9DLApril 25, 2025Trump, ASEAN, Taiwan, The Navigator, 9DASHLINE, US, United States, Indo-Pacific, China, Japan, South Korea, North Korea, Australia, New Zealand, Cook Islands, Samoa, USAID, Myanmar, Russia, Myanmar earthquake, tariffs

A superpower diminished: Trump’s chaotic foreign policy is undermining US credibility in Asia

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.

Waves of waste: Addressing Vietnam’s marine plastic pollution challenge

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.

Emerging Issues, Southeast Asia9DLApril 16, 20259DASHLINE, Waves of waste: Addressing Vietnam’s marine plastic pollution challenge, THU NGUYEN HOANG ANH, Vietnam, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc, G7, marine plastic pollution reduction, plastic, plastic pollution, pollution, environmental pollution, marine pollution, waste, global marine plastic pollution, waste management, consumption, international cooperation, coastal, island, marine resources, marine ecosystems, fisheries, plastic debris, climate change, urbanisation, marine litter, United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships (MARPOL), Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and Their Disposal, soft law, National Action Plan for Management of Marine Plastic Litter by 2030, 2020 Law on Environmental Protection, People’s Committees, recycling, reuse, single-use plastic, transnational, ASEAN, Australasian Recycling Label (ARL), Japan’s Plastics Smart campaign, Thu Nguyen Hoang Anh

New episode - Earthquakes: The ICC visits Duterte, budget cuts hit RFA, and devastation in Thailand and Myanmar

This month, Zsuzsa and Richard are joined by Kristina Kironska, a human rights expert with firsthand experience in Myanmar. Together, they unpack these seismic developments — from the arrest warrant for Duterte to attempts to silence outlets like Radio Free Asia — and examine their implications for international accountability and media freedom.

Subscribe now and never miss an episode.

New partners for the Indo-Pacific: Turkey-ASEAN relations amid increasing geopolitical uncertainties

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.

Most Popular, Europe and the Indo-Pacific9DLApril 7, 20259DASHLINE, SELÇUK ÇOLAKOĞLU, Turkey, ASEAN, Ankara, Black Sea region, Central Asia, Turkey's Asian identity, Turkic, Black Sea Economic Cooperation (BSEC), Organisation of Turkic States (OTS), Turkey's Eurasian identity, dialogue partner, Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, sectoral dialogue partner, Asia Anew, Indonesia, Malaysia, Brunei, Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), Thailand, Singapore, Vietnam, Philippines, trading partners, trade, G20, MIKTA, Australia, South Korea, Mexico, middle powers, Global South, Turkey-ASEAN relations, Turkey-ASEAN Sectoral Dialogue Partnership, 43rd ASEAN Foreign Ministers' Meeting, ASEAN Treaty of Amity and Cooperation (TAC), Hanoi, Manila, ASEAN-Turkey Joint Sectoral Cooperation Committee (AT-JSCC), Trilateral Meeting, ASEAN secretary, Laos, Vientiane, Practical Cooperation Areas, transnational crime, terrorism, good governance, human rights, investment, sustainable development, economic cooperation, defence industry, connectivity, NATO, China's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), Sino-US strategic rivalry, second Trump administration, Trump, humanitarian aid, development support, mediator, International Contact Group, Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), Timor-Leste, UN Security Council, Rohingya, Bangladesh, neutrality, maritime disputes, ASEAN Regional Forum, Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM), East Asian Summit, ASEAN Plus Three, Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), Liberal International Order, New partners for the Indo-Pacific: Turkey-ASEAN relations amid increasing geopolitical uncertainties, New partners for the Indo-Pacific - Turkey-ASEAN relations amid increasing geopolitical uncertainties

Discover the March issue of The Navigator – out now

This month, alongside our usual roundup of events, we examine how India is balancing oil imports amid geopolitical pressures and the impact of defunding Radio Free Asia on US soft power in the Indo-Pacific.

Both developments underscore the shifting balance of influence, where economic choices and media narratives are shaping global power dynamics.

News9DLMarch 28, 2025Trump, ASEAN, Taiwan, The Navigator, 9DASHLINE, US, United States, Indo-Pacific, China, Japan, South Korea, North Korea, Australia, New Zealand, Cook Islands, Samoa, USAID, Chetan Rana, David MacSweeney, Radio Free Asia, Voice of America, Myanmar, Russia, Soft Power

Trump’s climate abandonment will erode US standing, particularly in the Indo-Pacific

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.

Vacancies: Senior Editor and Assistant Editor

We have openings for two driven and self-motivated individuals to join our editorial team.

Please see the attached details.

News9DLMarch 14, 20259DASHLINE, Indo-Pacific, 9DL, Europe, Assistant Editor, Senior Editor

Has Australia turned its back on free trade?

Written by Melissa Conley Tyler and Viet Dung Trinh

By balancing domestic production and free trade, the Future Made in Australia Act aims to promote economic growth, create jobs, and support Australia's transition to a net-zero emissions economy.

New episode - After America: Europe’s role in a shifting Southeast Asia

As Trump's America redefines its global role, Southeast Asia faces uncertainty. Hunter Marston joins us to discuss developments in Washington and their potential impact on the region. We also explore whether Europe can help fill the strategic void—from security to economic ties. And, inspired by the vibrant Art Fair Philippines, Zsuzsa and Richard examine how culture can strengthen connections between Europe and Southeast Asia during this period of profound change.

Subscribe now and never miss an episode.

News9DLMarch 3, 2025EPinASEAN, 9DASHLINE, Zsuzsa Anna Ferenczy, Richard Heydarian, Indo-Pacific, ASEAN, European Parliament, The Bridge, Trump, Hunter Marston, After America: Europe’s role in a shifting Southeast Asia, New episode: After America: Europe’s role in a shifting Southeast Asia

Discover the February issue of The Navigator – Out Now

This month we examine Berlin’s economic and political challenges, a tough stance on China, and Southeast Asia’s reaction to the arrival of the Trump 2.0 presidency amid US policy uncertainty.

News9DLFebruary 28, 2025Trump, ASEAN, Hunter Marston, Roderick Kefferpütz, Taiwan, The Navigator, 9DASHLINE, US, United States, Ukraine, German, Friedrich Merz, Germany, Indo-Pacific, China, Japan, South Korea, North Korea, Australia, New Zealand, Cook Islands, Samoa, USAID

In Dialogue: Zsuzsa Anna Ferenczy and Matej Šimalčík on Taiwan

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.

Europe and the Indo-Pacific9DLFebruary 25, 2025In Dialogue: Taiwan, Central and Eastern Europe, Dr. Zsuzsa Anna Ferenczy, Matej Šimalčík, 9DASHLINE, Taiwan, China, Russia, Taiwan Fellowship, Institute for National Defense and Security Research (INDSR), Taipei, Robert Fico, Hungary, Slovakia, Donald Trump, CEE, great power rivalry, Europe-Taiwan relations, US foreign policy, Israel, Egypt, development aid, Chinese assertiveness in Europe, Europe, Democratic Progressive Party, polarisation, new US administration, Germany, South Korea, Key US ally, Fico administration, Slovakian society, the West, communist nostalgia, Crimea, Vladimír Mečiar, NATO, Russian hybrid warfare, 2014 annexation of Crimea, Victor Orban, CEE region, Hungarian government, Chinese investment, bridge between the East and West, EV sector., EV sector, German value chains, Eastern Opening, All Azimuth Foreign Policy, Hanoi, Moscow, Beijing, Seoul, Vietnam, strategic partnership with China, Western allies, Brazil, Serbia, Orbán’s Eastern Opening, greenfield investments, hinese state-owned enterprises (SOEs), Volvo, EV factory, Gotion, Chinese battery producer, Volkswagen, transitioning to EV production, Automative sector, EU-Taiwan relations, cultural exchanges, people-to-people exchange, Slovakian perceptions, engagement with Taiwan, Mask diplomacy, COVID-19, trade and economic security, invasion of Ukraine, Central Eastern Europe, Polarisation, domestic politics, Civil Society, Grassroots, symbolic and substantive cooperation, One China policy, One China principle, PRC, like-minded partners in Europe, Taiwan-Europe relations, Normative power Taiwan? Human rights and Taiwan-EU relations, cooperation with Taiwan, Partners in Peace: Why Europe and Taiwan Matter to Each Other, Central European Institute of Asian Studies, ational Dong Hwa University, diplomatic recognition, deter coercion, grassroots leve, grassroots level, cities and regions, Tsai administration, Sweden, Zsuzsa Anna Ferenczy, In Dialogue: Zsuzsa Anna Ferenczy and Matej Šimalčík on Taiwan

Towards explicit criteria for de-risking? What the new European Commission has in store vis-à-vis China

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.

Europe and the Indo-Pacific9DLFebruary 19, 20259DASHLINE, Towards explicit criteria for de-risking? What the new European Commission has in store vis-à-vis China, UNA ALEKSANDRA BĒRZIŅA-ČERENKOVA, EU, European Union, European Commission, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, Ursula von der Leyen, China, geopolitics, EU's China policy, partner-competitor-rival trifecta, de-risking, critical raw materials, supply chains, EV imports, anti-subsidy investigation, 2019 strategic outlook, Political Guidelines, cooperation-competition-rivalry, “no-limits” friendship, Russia, economic security, economic statecraft, G7, resilient, rare earths, semiconductor, Mission letter, European Green Deal, Maroš Šefčovič, Minerals Security Partnership (MSP) Forum, AI, US, Chinese military, tariff, Japan, high value-added markets, US bipartisan anti-China stance, Beijing, PRC, EU member states, China-Russia relationship, US President Joe Biden, Ukraine, Donald Trump, Hungary, Germany, Slovakia, transatlantically

China's preferred endgame in Ukraine is a hybrid peace

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.

No room for missteps: Cambodia’s strategic wishlist For Trump 2.0

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.

Southeast Asia9DLFebruary 6, 20259DASHLINE, Chhay Lim, No Room for Missteps: Cambodia’s Strategic Wishlist For Trump 2.0, Donald Trump, White House, Cambodia, Strategic wishlist, Cambodia's strategic wishlist, Trump 2.0, Phnom Penh, Phnom Penh’s close alignment with Beijing on foreign policy, Prime Minister Hun Manet, Trump administration, proxy for Beijing, United States, Southeast Asia, infrastructure development, digital transformation, trade diversification, maritime capacity, economic positioning, Vietnam, The Philippines, US-China competition, Hedging, strategic hedging, Prioritising Pragmatic Cooperation Over Ideology, prioritise economic and development cooperation, maritime security, 90-day suspension of USAID, USAID, liberal democratic values, transactional, Western assistance, Digital innovation, Public health, civic engagement, overdependence, hub for technology, digital entrepreneurship, Greater Mekong subregion, digital divide, inadequate infrastructure, cybersecurity, public-private partnerships, digital literacy, Washington, great power competitio, digital sovereignty, data sovereignty, data security, economic autonomy, Ream Naval Base, Maritime Self-Defence Force, Japan, Gulf of Thailand, military exchanges, Cambodian policymakers, security engagements, security ties with Japan, binary choice, US-Cambodia relations, Democracy, human rights, democracy promotion, Cambodian Foreign Ministry, Cambodia Democracy and Human Rights Act, US Congress, Marco Rubio, Secretary of State, mutual respect and understanding, cooperation, Cambodia-China relations, Cambodian People’s Party, Communist Party of Vietnam, national interest, Moscow, China-Vietnam, balance relations with Beijing, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, balanced relations with Beijing, great power rivalry, elephants fight or make love, smaller states, US-Vietnam trade, China-Vietnam trade, Thailand, China, Cambodia’s reliance on China, political legitimacy, security assurances, Chinese Communist Party, ideological pressure, regime change, strategic ambiguity, transparency, No room for missteps: Cambodia’s strategic wishlist For Trump 2.0

Discover the January issue of The Navigator – Out Now

This month we look at how the ongoing Gaza conflict is reshaping global geopolitics, and intensifying the rivalry between the US and China in the Indo-Pacific. Our second brief argues for the (re)inclusion of Kenya — an important regional power strategically located along the Indian Ocean — as a key part of the Indo-Pacific.

Subscribe today.

News9DLJanuary 31, 2025The Navigator, 9DASHLINE, Indo-Pacific, ASEAN, The Bridge, EPinASEAN, European Parliament in ASEAN, China, India, Donald Trump, South China Sea, Scarborough Shoal, David MacSweeney, Taiwan, Gaza

Europe braces for a turbulent ride with China

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?

Europe and the Indo-Pacific, Most Popular9DLJanuary 28, 20259DASHLINE, China, EU, Germany, China-Europe relations, EVs, Tarrifs, Trump 2024, Victor De Decker, European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, Trade war, Chinese EVs, Trump 2.0