9DASHLINE — 9DASHLINE

Strongman politics are returning to Southeast Asia

Written by Chris Fitzgerald

Their return represents and legitimises a darker time of dictators, corruption and atrocities, which many older Indonesians and Filipinos hoped was history. It is undoubtedly a step back and suggests strongmen are now the norm, not the exception.

Southeast Asia9DLApril 26, 2024Chris Fitzgerald, 9DASHLINE, Indonesia elections, Indonesia, Philippines, Prabowo Subianto, Ferdinand Marcos, Ferdinand Marcos Jr, Southeast Asia, elections, strong-man politics, Democracy, authoritarianism, Populism, human rights, Strongman politics are returning to Southeast Asia

Sino-India rivalry for port dominance in Bangladesh

Written by Mae Chow and Shakthi De Silva

Ultimately, Bangladesh's ability to maintain constructive engagements with China and India will not only shape its own future trajectory but also contribute significantly to the stability and prosperity of the broader Indo-Pacific region.

South Asia, Faultlines9DLApril 24, 2024Sino-India rivalry for port dominance in Bangladesh, Mae Chow, Shakthi de Silva, 9DASHLINE, Bangladesh, India China, India, China, Sino-India rivalry, least developed country, developed economy, port, maritime, infrastructure, trade, port infrastructure, Beijing, New Delhi, Dhaka, intra-regional trade, Belt and Road, Belt and Road Initiative, BRI, Bangladesh-China-Myanmar Economic Corridor (BCM-EC), Myanmar, Mongla Port, Bay of Bengal, Neighbourhood First Policy, Kyaukpyu, Sri Lanka, Hambantota Port, Chittagong, foreign direct investment, China Harbour Engineering Company, investment, Sheikh Hasina, Sonadia Deep-Sea Port Project, single-point mooring, sea-land integrated super-large oil storage and transportation system, Chittagong port, China Harbour Engineering Company (CHEC), China State Engineering and Construction Company (CSCEC), Payra Deep Seaport, Indian Ocean, littoral, String Of Pearls, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Maldives, Nepal, connectivity, sea lines, Mongla port, Khulna-Mongla Port Rail Line, Eigs India Consulting Engineers, Mongla Port Authority, development, Bangladesh Export Processing Zone Authority (BEPZA), Yun Sheng BD, Mongla Export Processing Zone, electric vehicle manufacturing supply chains, loans, balancing, strategic partnerships, sovereignty, diplomacy

Vacancy: Senior Editor

We have an opening for a driven and self-motivated individual to join our editorial team.

Please see the attached details.

News9DLApril 22, 20249DASHLINE, Indo-Pacific, 9DL, Europe, Assistant Editor, Senior Editor

The Japanese yen in a turbulent global economy

Written by Dr Seohee Park

Japan’s currency policy will continue to be a subject of international scrutiny as it is intertwined with the country’s strategic choices in an interconnected global economy.

East Asia9DLApril 18, 2024The Japanese yen in a turbulent global economy, Seohee Park, 9DASHLINE, yen, Japanese yen, JPY, dollar, dollarisation, de-dollarisation, US Dollar, currencies, trade, economy, depreciation, appreciation, exchange rate, export, corporate profits, consumer prices, global financial sector, inflation rates, inflation, central bank policies, Swiss franc, safe-haven currency, low sovereign risk, economic stability, monetary policies, interest rate hikes, US Federal Reserve, European Central Bank, lost decade, 1997-98 Asian Financial Crisis, Asian Financial Crisis, asset price collapse, 2008 global financial crisis, 2011 East Japan earthquake, Mrs. Watanabe, investors, housewives, international investors, trade surplus, COVID-19 pandemic, Bank of Japan, interest rates, inflationary pressure, raw materials, debtors, Keynesian economics, animal spirits, John Maynard Keynes, deflationary stagnation, stagflation, savings, taxation, fiscal, Abenomics, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Plaza Accord of 1985, Plaza Accord, G5, currency markets, ageing population, wage growth, deflation

Leadership transition: A curious moment in Singapore’s politics

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.

Power Politics, Southeast Asia9DLApril 15, 20249DASHLINE, Pradeep Krishnan, Leadership transition: a curious moment in Singapore’s politics, Singapore, Leadership transition, Singapore’s Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, Lee Kuan Yew, Lawrence Wong, COVID-19 pandemic, People’s Action Party (PAP), Leadership successions, island-republic, illiberal brand of democracy, illiberal democracy, democracy, political stability, economic vitality, Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat, non-Chinese prime minister, integrity, clean governance, governance, corruption, Senior Minister S. Iswaran, political courtroom drama, National Development Minister Teh Cheang Wan, conflict of interest, inequality, inequality in Singapore, Gini Coefficient, financial hub, Lee Cheng Hui, Tan Chuan-Jin, parliament, extramarital affair, Jamus Lim, opposition, Tharman Shanmugaratnam, Workers’ Party (WP), Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, Goh Chok Tong, General Elections, gerrymandering, political and civil liberties, mandate, Post-independence politics in Singapore, opposition leader J.B. Jeyaretnam, Group Representation Constituency (GRC), city-state

In Brief with H.E. Sujiro Seam EU Ambassador to ASEAN

9DASHLINE recently enjoyed the opportunity to speak with H.E. Sujiro Seam, the European Union’s Ambassador to ASEAN. This discussion dives into the key aspects of this relationship, exploring areas of cooperation, shared challenges, and the future direction of EU-ASEAN ties.

Ageing China increases its military spending

Written by Jiachen Shi

Resorting to military build-up consistently emerges as a rational choice for Chinese policymakers who perceive the country as entangled in a series of ‘internal troubles’ such as social instability and ‘external threats’ such as provocations from the United States.

East Asia9DLMarch 22, 20249DASHLINE, Ageing China increases its military spending, Jiachen Shi, demographics, China, economy, demographic dividend, ageing, population ageing, military spending, party-state regime, national security, crowding-in effect, crowding-out effect, active-duty personnel, demobilised servicemen, prospective soldiers, PLA, China’s National Defence White Papers, only children, one-child policy, elder care, veterans, Ministry of Veterans Affairs, repression, Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), China’s military spending, defence budget, People’s Liberation Army (PLA), recruitment, draft, social status, traditional Chinese culture, Generation Z, code of honour, patriotism, geriatric peace theory, Mark Haas, US hegemony, socio-economic issues, military build-up, United States, India, Russia, Modi government, geriatric peace, political instability

Beijing’s Taiwan policy after the island’s elections

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.

East Asia, Power Politics9DLMarch 15, 2024Beijing’s Taiwan policy after the island’s elections, 9DASHLINE, Dr. Lin Gang, Taiwan, Lai Ching-te, Democratic Progressive Party, Kuomintang, KMT, Hou Yu-ih, Taiwan People’s Party, Ko Wen-je, TPP, Beijing, Anti-Secession Law, Taiwan Strait, COVID-19

US-China in 2024: One year after the spy balloon incident

Written by Rorry Daniels

While breakthroughs remain unlikely, the test in 2024 is whether the US and China can manage differences quietly and directly while under the political magnifying glass.

Faultlines9DLMarch 12, 2024US-China in 2024: One year after the spy balloon incident, 9DASHLINE, Rorry Daniels, US-China relationship, China, US, United States, balloon, spy balloon, Chinese surveillance, espionage, US-China diplomatic interaction, US elections, Taiwan, spy balloon incident, Biden administration, Joe Biden, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Beijing, bureaucracies, domestic politics, homeland security, bipartisan consensus, Washington, Xi Jinping, propaganda, state-driven, 7 October Hamas attack on Israel, Gaza, Middle East, NATO, Ukraine, Xi Jinping’s inner circle, US sanctions, Qin Gang, Li Shangfu, COVID recovery, authoritarianism, co-exist peacefully, free market principles, diversification, hedging, cross-Taiwan Strait relations, cross-Strait, US presidential and congressional elections, diplomacy, Taipei, non-proliferation, humanitarian aid

Clashes in the South China Sea, looking back at the PCA Ruling

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.

Pacific, Power Politics9DLMarch 11, 20249DASHLINE, Clashes in the South China Sea, looking back at the PCA Ruling, Chetan Rana, Varenya Singh, South China Sea, Cold War, Europe, West Asia, Ukraine, Gaza, China, Philippines, South China Sea (SCS), SCS, China’s Ministry of Natural Resources, map, standard map, Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), littoral states, Malaysia, Vietnam, Philippines Coast Guard, Sierra Madre, Second Thomas Shoal, Spratly Islands, Filipino, grey-zone activities, non-military vessels, territorial claims, maritime militia, Beijing, Manila, vessels, maritime territorial disputes, arbitral proceedings, arbitration, Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA), PCA, PCA award of 2016, PCA ruling, China’s nine-dash line, nine-dash line, Annex VII, Arbitration Tribunal under Annex VII of UNCLOS, UNCLOS, United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, sovereignty, delimitation, artificially built islands, delimitation of state boundaries, Article 9, unilateral, fishermen, marine resources, fishing, 12 nautical mile, extractive, purely extractive activity, self-dependent economic activity, maritime fishing zones, coral reefs, turtle, clam, international law, dispute, ASEAN, Code of Conduct (CoC), COC, Indonesia, Laos, Cambodia, Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., non-claimant states, Australia, Japan, United States, us, USA, militarising, military exercises, sea lanes, environmental crisis, securitisation, marine diversity, sustainability, realpolitik, Israel-Hamas conflict

Counter-insurgency dynamics in Balochistan: Examining militant surrenders and resurgences

Written by Sajid Aziz

The twin threats of separatist movement and militancy by religious-ethnic groups in Pakistan and Iran, respectively, have been perennial sources of mistrust, mutual accusations, frequent border skirmishes, and the recent military strikes and counter-strikes between the two states.

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Why the EU should become more pragmatic towards Indonesia

Written by Dr Denis Suarsana

A quick and successful conclusion of trade negotiations with Indonesia would not only significantly strengthen Europe's role in the region but would also be an important step in the European strategy of de-risking from China.

Southeast Asia, Most Popular9DLFebruary 15, 20249DASHLINE, Why the EU should become more pragmatic towards Indonesia, Denis Suarsana, Indonesia, voters, elections, presidential elections, Joko Widodo, Jokowi, Defence Minister Prabowo Subianto, autocratic Suharto regime, Suharto, Europe, EU, trade, climate, Non-Aligned Movement, foreign policy, Bebas dan Aktif, mediator, G20 presidency, G20, Russian invasion of Ukraine, ASEAN chairmanship, ASEAN, conflict in Myanmar, Myanmar, Code of Conduct between China and ASEAN in the South China Sea, Code of Conduct, ASEAN-China Code of Conduct, south china sea, neutral, China, United States, economic development, Ganjar Pranowo, Central Java Province, Anies Baswedan, Jakarta, US-China rivalry, great power rivalry, third way, trading partner, State of Southeast Asia Report, ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute, WTO, nickel export ban, palm oil, trade agreement, Indonesia-EU Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (IEU CEPA), European Union, Indonesian elite, EU-ASEAN Summit, coercion, democracy, shopping, Japan, Australia, South Korea, Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), free trade zone, free trade, moral arrogance, moral, morality, equal partnerships, geopolitics, strategy of de-risking, de-risking, copper, nickel ore, tin, bauxite, China+1, China+1 efforts, investment, Global Gateway, Global Gateway initiative, EU Global Gateway Initiative, EU’s Global Gateway, Europe’s Global Gateway, OECD, hedging, conditionality, hardliner

In Forum: 2024 — the South China Sea at a crossroads

The South China Sea remains one of the most potentially explosive regions in the world. What role can regional actors and organisations play in de-escalating the conflict and putting an end to the escalatory trends witnessed in 2023?

We invite several experts to assess the prospects for stability in 2024.

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Best of 2023: Responding to China

In 2023, policymakers worldwide invested an unprecedented amount of time and resources in developing strategies for their relations with China. This heightened focus was prompted by the significant influence of Beijing's domestic, foreign, and security policies on the economies and politics of other countries.

We present some of our most-read analyses on different countries’ evolving strategies towards China featured in the past year.

Editor's Picks9DLJanuary 5, 2024Best of 2023: Responding to China, 9DASHLINE, THE EU’S ANTI-COERCION INSTRUMENT — A NEW STEP IN EU-CHINA ESCALATION?, Sjorre Couvreur, GERMANY’S NEW CHINA STRATEGY – A ROADMAP FOR CLIMATE FOREIGN POLICY, Belinda Schäpe, A LAW TO REIN IN TECH FIRMS: THE US IS RESTRICTING CHINA BY EMULATING IT, Wendy Chang, Antonia Hmaidi, DECOUPLING FROM CHINA IS NOT SO EASY FOR JAPAN AND KOREA, CHANG-MIN LEE, NZ: MAORI FOREIGN POLICY TO MANAGE INCREASINGLY CHALLENGING RELATIONSHIP WITH CHINA, Bonnie Holster, NICHOLAS ROSS SMITH, SOUTHEAST ASIAN MARITIME STATES ARE HEDGING TO STAY AFLOAT AMIDST US-CHINA RIVALRY, Hunter Marston

Best of 2023: China as a global actor

It was a busy year: the tenth anniversary of Xi’s Belt and Road Initiative, the ongoing war in Ukraine and questions about China’s role therein, as well as the increasingly urgent Taiwan issue, are just a few examples of topics that have made it to the top of analysts’ and policymakers’ agendas in 2023.

We summarise some of our most-read pieces about China as a global actor, which also generated a lot of discussion and debate among our readers.

Best of 2023: Indonesia

As the 2022 G20 Chair and last year’s chairman of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), Jakarta has been at the forefront of several important discussions around current world affairs. On 14 February 2024, the country will hold its general elections.

We present some of our most insightful pieces looking at various aspects of Indonesia’s internal dynamics and its engagement with the external world.

Editor's Picks9DLJanuary 2, 2024indonesia, Indo-Pacific, 9DASHLINE, Prabowo’s Ukraine proposal underscores Indonesia’s fractured foreign policy, Andreyka Natalegawa, Elephant in the room: Indonesia hesitates to strike India-Russia missile deal, Andi Raihanah Ashar, Why the Philippines and Indonesia have warmed to AUKUS, Julian Neuweiler, Patrick Trigclavcanin, Indonesia and North Korea: Warm memories of the Cold War, GATRA PRIYANDITA, INDONESIA’S NEW CRIMINAL CODE TURNS REPRESENTATIVES INTO RULERS, Sana Jaffrey, Eve Warburton

Best of 2023: China – Delving into the domestic landscape

2023 was a year marked by both progress and challenges for China. Its economy exhibited a strong recovery thanks to the lifting of COVID-19 restrictions, and urbanisation has continued as millions move from rural to urban areas in search of better opportunities.

We review some of our most insightful analyses of key issues across China’s domestic political and policy landscape.

Editor's Picks9DLJanuary 1, 2024Best of 2023: China – Delving into the domestic landscape, 9DASHLINE, Anand P. Krishnan, Inconvenient truth — Young and unemployed in China, Dr Franziska Plümmer, Running from China: China’s youth dream of leaving, China's real estate crisis is still a political danger, Aravind Yelery, Ten-year review of China’s defence budget: steadily toward modernisation, Fei Su, Xiao Liang, China

EU-China Summit: A relationship stuck in time

Written by Dr Francesca Ghiretti

Holding the first in-person summit since 2019 is an important achievement, and the EU has been able to express some important concerns to Xi Jinping directly; however, the words — especially from China — demonstrate Beijing still views the EU mostly as an economic partner.