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.

In Brief with Mu Sochua, President of the Khmer Movement for Democracy

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.

In Brief9DLJune 9, 2025Mu Sochua, 9DASHLINE, In Brief, Nobel Peace Prize nominee, Cambodia, Cambodian politician, Khmer Movement for Democracy, Cambodia’s pro-democracy movement, Cambodia’s youth, Cambodia in 1989, Paris Peace Agreements of 1991, civl society, Hun Sen, regime, Prime Minister Hun Manet, single-party rule, Khmer Rouge, Hun Manet, Bristol University, West Point, father’s legacy, repression, corruption, opposition figures jailed, social media, democratic reforms, Cambodian activists, NGOs, advocacy groups, South Korea, Malaysia, Australia, Thailand, dissidents, attacks on dissidents, Lim Kimya, Cambodia National Rescue Party, Bangkok, assassinated, global support network, disinformation, EU, curtailing of free media, shrinking civil society, political opposition, conditionality clauses, trade agreements, Cambodian government, high-ranking officials, Marco Rubio, human rights, Southeast Asia, Cambodian Democracy and Human Rights Act, China, Chinese firms, Xi Jinping, Phnom Penh, Trump administration, promoting democracy, Washington, Hun regime, USAID, Funan Techo Canal, ghost towns, China’s infrastructure investments, Paris Peace Agreements, UK, US, Laos, Debt Trap Diplomacy, vassal state, political change, France, policymakers, online platforms, protests in Seoul, In Brief with Mu Sochua, President of the Khmer Movement for Democracy

India’s critical role in safeguarding undersea cables

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.

Discover the May issue of The Navigator – out now

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.

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News9DLMay 30, 2025Trump, ASEAN, Taiwan, The Navigator, 9DASHLINE, US, United States, Indo-Pacific, China, Japan, South Korea, North Korea, Australia, New Zealand, Cook Islands, Samoa, Russia, tariffs, Indus Water Treaty, South China Sea, India-Pakistan, India, Pakistan, Kashmir, Nuclear, France, New Caledonia, Macron, Mu Sochua, Cambodia

Navigating the middle: Japan-Cambodia relations and the challenge of geopolitical competition

Written by Dr Sophal Ear

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

Southeast Asia, East Asia9DLMay 29, 20259DASHLINE, Sophal Ear, Navigating the middle: Japan–Cambodia relations and the challenge of geopolitical competition, Khmer Rouge, Cambodia, Japan, United States, China, diplomacy, development, peacebuilding, foreign policy, agency, Great power rivalry, Tokyo, liberal values, Southeast Asia, defense diplomacy, Cambodia’s Ream base, 1991 Paris Peace Agreements, United Nations Transitional Authority in Cambodia (UNTAC), Official Development Assistance (ODA), aid, bilateral donor, Sihanoukville, soft infrastructure, authoritarianism, Phnom Penh, Strategic Partnership, international norms, rule of law, maritime security, ASEAN, South China Sea, Free and Open Indo-Pacific (FOIP) framework, Yōko Kamikawa, human resource development, digital connectivity, climate change, US tariffs, transhipment, public debt, United Nations Human Rights Council, debt trap, European Union, “Everything But Arms” scheme, sanctions, democratic backsliding, Hun Manet, “multi-vector” diplomacy, Beijing, alignment, national interest, liberal internationalism, Belt and Road Initiative, Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), civil society, Cultural diplomacy, Japan-Cambodia Kizuna Festival, Japanese pop culture, ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute, State of Southeast Asia surveys, Ream Naval Base, Vietnamese People’s Navy, South China Sea (SCS), multilateralisation, Cold War, Soviet, balancing, non-alignment, middle power, FDI, The Asia Foundation, Cambodia-Japan Cooperation Center (CJCC), Navigating the middle: Japan-Cambodia relations and the challenge of geopolitical competition

New episode - Xi Jinping in Southeast Asia: Implications for Europe and the Indo-Pacific + Eurovision!

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.

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News9DLMay 23, 2025EPinASEAN, 9DASHLINE, Zsuzsa Anna Ferenczy, Richard Heydarian, Indo-Pacific, ASEAN, European Parliament, The Bridge, New episode - Xi Jinping in Southeast Asia: Implications for Europe and the Indo-Pacific + Eurovision!, Stephen Nagy, Eurovision, Southeast Asia, Xi Jinping, China

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-Pacific9DLMay 16, 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

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 Asia9DLMay 13, 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

The rough road ahead for US-South Korea relations

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.

East Asia9DLMay 8, 20259DASHLINE, Hunter Slingbaum, The rough road ahead for US-South Korea relations, ROK, ROK-US alliance, ROK-US, South Korea (ROK), Donald Trump, trade deficits, tariffs, security guarantees, extended deterrence, world economy, free trade, Yoon Suk Yeol, martial law declaration, martial law, South Korean politics, US-ROK relations, nuclear proliferation, interpersonal, strong leaders, Shinzo Abe, Free and Open Indo-Pacific (FOIP), Han Duck Soo, Choi Sang Mok, polarisation, protests, divided country, Trump administration, Japan-US-ROK trilateral partnership, US treaty ally, China, ethanol exports, direct investments, nuclear weapons, indigenous nuclear deterrent, political elite, nuclearisation, US retrenchment, US troop presence, Trump’s approach to Ukraine, Ukraine, national security, mutual trust, Seoul, North Korea, deterrent gap, the Koreas, DPRK missile testing, DPRK, joint US-ROK military exercises, threat perception, diplomacy, 9dashline

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.

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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

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.

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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.

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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