Diplomacy in an age of disruption: The EU-China summit

Written by Gunnar Wiegand

While major breakthroughs are unlikely, progress on economic issues is possible and could help restore a measure of stability and predictability for companies and citizens on both sides.

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 Asia9DLJuly 4, 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

India’s inevitable military diversification to the West

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.

Europe and the Indo-Pacific9DLOctober 17, 2024India, France, United States, India’s inevitable military diversification to the West, Patrizia Cogo Morales, 9dashline, Narendra Modi, Russia, China, Make in India

Departing from isolationism: Japan’s emergence as a regional security actor

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.

East Asia9DLOctober 15, 2024Lionel Fatton, 9dashline, Departing from isolationism: Japan’s emergence as a regional security actor, Japan, defence, regional security, Taiwan, China, united states

Disinformation and democracy: Challenges in social media regulation in Southeast Asia

Written by Japhet Quitzon

Beyond its effect on domestic politics, social media also demonstrates the potential to advance the agenda of foreign agents in Southeast Asian countries.

Southeast Asia9DLSeptember 14, 20249dashline, Japhet Quizton, Disinformation and democracy: challenges in social media regulation in Southeast Asia, Disinformation, indonesia, Philippines, TikTok, information

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

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.

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.

A new era dawns: Labour’s Indo-Pacific offer

Written by Sam Hogg

Labour has chosen to keep its Indo-Pacific cards close to its chest. Success for a future British government in the region will require dexterity and a robust understanding of what regional players want.

Europe and the Indo-Pacific, Most Popular9DLJuly 15, 20249dashline, Sam Hogg, A new era dawns: Labour’s Indo-Pacific offer, UK, indo-pacific, Labour left office in 2010, Downing Street, Chinese President Xi Jinping, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen, Philippine President Ferdinand ‘Bongbong’ Marcos Jr, South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol, People's Republic of China (PRC), AUKUS, CPTTP, Quad, Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, South Korea, Japan, driving force for global trade, Conservative Party, tilt to the Indo-Pacific, Tilt, John Healey, David Lammy, Shadow Foreign and Defence Secretaries David Lammy and John Healey, Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine, Strategic Defence Review, party’s manifesto, Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP), South China Sea, Penny Wong, flourishing economy, innovative, PRC, Five Eyes, G7, partnerships with their Taiwanese counterparts, Taiwan, Indonesia, India, Beijing’s grey zone activities, China Strategic Risk Institute, cyber-security dialogue with Taiwan, 2023 UK-Singapore Cyber Dialogue, GCHQ, HMS Spey, Energy Independence Act, Pacific Island nations, Securonomics, three of the world’s five largest economies by 2050, Inflation Reduction Act, Downing Street Accord., Downing Street Accord, City of London, critical minerals, artificial intelligence, non-sensitive sectors, regional players, HMS Spey’s visits, 2023 UK-Singapore Cyber Dialogue., Indo-Pacific policy, British universities, Labour government, Australia, Indo-Pacific tilt, Prime Minister Boris Johnson, naval vessels, QUAD, CPTPP, 4 July, UK goes to the polls

A humbled Modi returns to power — What lies ahead

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.

South Asia9DLJune 21, 20249dashline, Manali Kumar, Chetan Rana, Narendra Modi, third consecutive term, Jawaharlal Nehru, prime minister of India, BJP, Telugu Desam Party (TDP), Janata Dal (United) (JDU), National Democratic Alliance (NDA), Modi’s rise to power, Congress-led UPA government, over 400 seats, 240 seats, 272-seat majority, INDIA, opposition alliance, gaining over 100 seats, world’s fifth-largest economy, 200 billionaires, 250 million people out of poverty, zero-food children, economic hardships, strong GDP growth, COVID-19, Mid-Day Meals, Integrated Child Development Services, welfare spending, LPG usage, pen defecation reduction, public goods, teacher-to-student ratio, literacy and maths skills, National Education Policy 2020, Changes to school textbooks, Darwin’s theory of evolution, infrastructure spending, over USD 130 billion, Make in India, Atmanirbhar Bharat, Foreign direct investment, India's education system, gig jobs, low-paying employment, BJP’s Hindu nationalist agenda, hate speech against Muslims, Andhra Pradesh, NDA allies, 2002 riots, 2004 election defeat, special status to Andhra Pradesh, 2025 Bihar assembly elections, Bihar, council of ministers, Union Minister, Lok Sabha, Nitish Kumar, caste, Chief Minister, nationwide caste census, new welfarism, Agniveer scheme, short-term defence personnel induction program, armed services, Uniform Civil Code, national identity, Hindu majority, narrative of victimhood, Modi’s guarantee, NDA government, NDA, unemployment, stagnant wages, manufacturing sector, corruption, lowest GDP growth since liberalisation, Dr. Manmohan Singh, authoritarianism, coalition politics, a path to redemocratisation, parliamentary scrutiny, A humbled Modi returns to power — What lies ahead

In Conversation with Dylan M.H Loh

By investigating the dynamics of Chinese diplomacy, Dr Loh shows how China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) gradually became the main interface of Beijing’s foreign policy and the primary vehicle through which the idea of ‘China’ is produced and represented on the world stage.

In Conversation9DLJune 17, 20249dashline, 9DL, Dylan Loh, China, Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Chinese diplomacy, Chinese diplomat, foreign policy, Xi, PLA, People's Liberation Army, Diplomacy, Twitter diplomacy, Twitter, In Conversation with Dylan M.H Loh

From silence to resilience: The evolving narrative of feminism in Japan

Written by Dr Minakshi Keeni

Japan's ranking in global gender equality indices signals room for improvement, reinforcing the persistent need for initiatives that encourage greater involvement of women in political leadership roles.

Editor's Picks9DLJune 13, 20249dashline, From silence to resilience: The evolving narrative of feminism in Japan, Minakshi Keeni, Japan, feminism, gender, gender inequality, Global Gender Gap Index, South Korea, China, women, gender parity, GDP, empowering women, empowerment, Japanese feminism, societal norms, Meiji era, Confucian values, society, women's rights, Japanese society, gender equality, modernity, feminist, suffrage, comfort women, comfort women statues, 2015 ‘comfort women’ agreement, Imperial Japanese Army, slavery, sexual slavery, wartime sexual slavery, right to vote, World War II, Confucian norms, ryōsai kenbo, Meiji Civil Code of 1898, 1947 Constitution, Feminist movements, Raicho Hiratsuka, Seito, Beate Sirota Gordon, Fusae Ichikawa, suffragist, women's movement, wage disparities, children, Tokyo Medical University, maternity leave, gender biases, bias, marriage, motherhood, Mizuho Fukushima, gender roles, Equal Employment Opportunity Act of 2016, Japanese politics, gender gap, sexist, Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) of Japan, 2022 Upper House election, Japanese Association of Women in Politics (JAWP), Ryoko Akamatsu, Yuriko Koike, Tokyo, women's representation, Japanese Imperial Family, monarchy, Imperial House Law of 1947, Princess Mako, Chrysanthemum Throne, male-only succession, Kei Komuro, Emperor Naruhito, #MeToo, #MeToo movement, sexual harassment, assault, collectivism, social harmony, Survivors, Shiori Ito, Japan Sport Association (JSPO), NO! Spohara, Kanako Otsuji, Land of the Rising Sun

Europe needs swift action in regulating data-gathering smart cars

Written by Wendy Chang

To avoid a repeat of the 5G debacle with EVs, European lawmakers should get serious about creating a framework to evaluate their potential data security and cybersecurity risks, before foreign EVs hit the road in large numbers. Policymakers should establish guidelines for which data smart cars can collect, where it ought to be stored, and how it can be reviewed.

Editor's Picks9DLJune 12, 20249dashline, Wendy Chang, EV, smart cars, China, Europe, data, Europe needs swift action in regulating data-gathering smart cars

The case for a Franco-Italian spearhead in the Mediterranean-Indo-Pacific continuum

Written by Mathieu Droin and Emanuele Rossi

Irrespective of the strategic framing, France and Italy are both seeking ways to prevent disruptions to freedom of navigation and political instability in this vast region given the potential ripple effects for their domestic stability, notably due to illegal migration.

Europe and the Indo-Pacific9DLJune 11, 20249dashline, Mathieu Droin, Emanuele Rossi, France, Italy, The Case for a Franco-Italian Spearhead in the Mediterranean-Indo-Pacific Continuum, indo-pacific, Mediterranean, Navy, cooperation, Indo-Mediterranean

All change in Solomon Islands? Elections, a new prime minister, what comes next?

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.

Pacific9DLJune 10, 2024All change in Solomon Islands? Elections a new prime minister what comes next?, 9dashline, Tess Newton Cain, Solomon Islands, Elections, Manasseh Sogavare, Jeremiah Manele, Pacific

Nobody likes a bully: China’s grip over the South China Sea is slipping

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.

Punching above their weight: EU small powers and the Indo-Pacific

Written by Fabio Figiaconi

The EU small powers’ strategies for engaging the Indo-Pacific demonstrate their capacity to shape their foreign policy goals in the region, despite the structural and material constraints they have faced compared to larger European players.

Europe is doing too little, too late in Southeast Asia

Written by Dr Denis Suarsana

Countries like Japan, South Korea, and Australia are becoming increasingly important. The EU is markedly punching below its weight in Southeast Asia and needs to fight hard to stay relevant at all.