China — 9DASHLINE

Charting the future: US elections and the evolving US-Japan alliance

Written by Dr Elli-Katharina Pohlkamp

In Japan’s business sector, the speculative phrase “moshi tora”, meaning “if Trump” has become widespread, indicating various industrial scenarios developed in the Japanese business sector for the possibility of a Trump presidency.

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

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 Picks9DLApril 19, 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

China-Maldives military agreement: an upgrade to the bilateral relationship

Written by Lea Thome

The Maldives finds itself caught in a tug-of-war between India and China. However, Malé under Muizzu’s presidency has shown increasing openness towards China as it strives to navigate the balance between the two countries and maintain its own sovereignty.

France’s stance on first-ever European Huawei factory underscores EU’s inaction on China

Written by Megan Khoo

Anything less than preventing a Huawei factory in France blatantly disregards France’s current restrictions on Huawei, French national security, and the greater security of the EU.

Europe and the Indo-Pacific, Faultlines9DLApril 11, 2024Huawei, France’s stance on first-ever European Huawei factory underscores EU’s inaction on China, 9dashline, Megan Khoo, France, 5G, EU, China

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.

Navigating Sinophobia amid Indonesia's economic ascent

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.

Emerging Issues, Southeast Asia9DLApril 5, 2024Navigating Sinophobia amid Indonesia's economic ascent, NARAYANI SRITHARAN, PETER RIZKILLAH, 9DashLine, China, Indonesia, geopolitics, Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), Chinese lending, BRI-related loans, infrastructure, Sinophobia, Global South, Partnership for Global Infrastructure and Investment (PGII), US Secretary of the Treasury Janet Yellen, economic growth, debt sustainability, debt, AidData, Xi Jinping, Global Civilisation Initiative, Global Security Initiative (GSI), development tools, President Jokowi, Chinese investments, influx of Chinese workers, Chinese workers, immigration, labour migration, COVID-19 pandemic, Jakarta, PT Gunbuster Nickel Industry (GNI), nickel, nickel processing plant, Jiangsu Delong Nickel Industry, Morowali, Central Sulawesi, PT Virtue Dragon Nickel Industry (VDNI), Southeast Sulawesi, Indonesian labour regulations, labour disputes, labour unions, ferronickel smelter, Indonesia Country Climate and Development Report, data protection laws, tourist visas, ISEAS Yusof Ishak Institute, visa-free, visa-waiver policy, North Sumatra, Dairi regency, regional security, Islamist extremist groups, Jamah Ansharut Daulah (JAD), counterterrorism, counterterrorism cooperation

A purported pact: China’s quest for security foothold in Papua New Guinea

Written by Thierry Lepani

As much is yet to be seen with the Australian and US pacts, a potential pact with China should cater to PNG’s problems, rather than solely serving as a solution to China’s strategic positioning in the Pacific.

BRI 2.0: Reflecting on the past, charting the future

Written by Kelly Antoinette Khyriem

As criticisms propel the initiative towards a BRI 2.0, if China actively addresses and mitigates risks associated with its projects by enhancing transparency and accountability frameworks, it has the potential to outpace the emerging alternatives that are challenging the BRI.

East Asia9DLMarch 29, 20249dashline, BRI 2.0: Reflecting on the past, charting the future, Kelly Antoinette Khyriem, Xi Jinping, China, PRC, Belt and Road Initiative, BRI, Maritime Silk Road, digital infrastructure, trade policy coordination, financial cooperation, multilateral institutions, Memoranda of Understanding, geopolitical strategy, domestic development, US-led international order, ‘string of pearls’ theory, Chinese investments, naval bases, Indian Ocean, crucial shipping routes, debt-trap diplomacy, BRI-related loans, Sri Lanka, economic sovereignty, debt trap narrative, governance deficiencies, corruption, 1Malaysia Development Berhad, 1MDB, China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, CPEC, human rights abuses, BRI infrastructure, BRI commitments, large-scale infrastructure projects, sustainability, ecology, carbon dioxide emissions, environmental implications, EU, US, India, transparency, labour rights, EU-Asia Connectivity Strategy, Global Gateway Initiative, Blue Dot Network, Partnership for Global Infrastructure and Investment, PGII, G20 Leaders' Summit, hydropower plants, solar farms, 5G, public-private partnerships, Third Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation, Digital Silk Road, e-commerce initiatives, BRI 2.0, Green Belt and Road, renewable energy, Clean Silk Road, Silk Road Economic Belt, Hambantota Port, Kenya, Zambia, Malaysia, debt management, digital connectivity, debt burdens, renewable energy investment, AIIB

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.

The EU’s Global Gateway Initiative: Infrastructure cooperation with Southeast Asia

Written by Dr Alfred Gerstl and Nick Nieschalke

The investment in the Global Gateway Initiative (GGI) indicates the EU’s stronger global focus on infrastructure and connectivity partnerships within a dedicated scheme.

Europe and the Indo-Pacific, In Focus9DLMarch 26, 20249dashline, The EU’s Global Gateway Initiative: Infrastructure cooperation with Southeast Asia, Dr Alfred Gerstl, Nick Nieschalke, EU, European Union, Indo-Pacific strategy, EU Global Gateway Initiative, Global Gateway Initiative, GGI, Indo-Pacific, Africa, Global South, geostrategic challenges, geo-economic challenges, EU institutions, EU member states, China, BRI, private sector, EU funds, Europe-Asia connectivity programme, infrastructure, connectivity partnerships, Brussels, Southeast Asia, alternative models of governance, economic benefits, values-based foreign policy, rules-based order, ASEAN, US, investment, de-risking, green transition, supply chains, energy supply, environment, health, education and research, energy, digital connectivity, UN SDG, sustainability, cooperation, Bac Ai hydropower plant, Vietnam, energy imports, net zero carbon emissions, electricity, hydropower, Hanoi, Beijing, environmental damages, lighthouse project, Philippines, Copernicus, natural disasters, climate change, Manila, soft power tool, geopolitical ambitions, security actor

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

As the Philippines’ 'agency' in West Philippine Sea rises, so too does its infrastructure development

Written by Joshua Bernard Espeña

In the Philippine context, the country’s newfound middle-power position offers the Southeast Asian state the ability to navigate uncertainties based on clearly defined national interests, and doubling down on its commitment to develop its infrastructures in the West Philippine Sea is one of the ways to do it.

Southeast Asia9DLMarch 21, 20249dashline, Joshua Bernard Espeña, Philippines, Philippine sea, maritime infrastructure development, Anti-Access/Area-Denial operations, A2/AD, South China Sea, SCS, drones, imagery intelligence devices, agency, assertive transparency, revisionist moves, middle-power, Southeast Asia, national interests, Philippine Congress, infrastructure development, Martin Romualdez, economic development, resource base, natural resources, Manila, diplomacy, China, Beijing, theory of victory, strategic culture, Ferdinand Marcos Jr, Marcos Jr., National Security Policy (NSP) 2023-2028, NSP 2023-2028, multipolar world, national sovereignty, territorial integrity, national security, resupply missions, joint exercises, construction development, John Mearsheimer, foreign policy objectives, informational spheres, like-minded allies, domestic politics, external powers, foreign policy, Philippine-US alliance, Enhanced Defence Cooperation Agreement, EDCA, Northern Luzon, Huang Xilian, Taiwan, Comprehensive Archipelagic Defence Concept, CADC, Armed Forces of the Philippines, AFP, Mavulis Island, Basco, Batanes province, American interests, Chinese power, Taiwan Strait, West Philippine Sea, Philippine Department of National Defence, archipelagic security, geostrategic agency, Rodrigo Duterte, Philippine-China relations, Malacañang Palace, Cheloy Serafil, Xi, Pantaleon Alvarez, appeasement, Jonathan Malaya, territory, multi-domain future warfare, warfare, As the Philippines’ 'agency' in West Philippine Sea rises, so too does its infrastructure development

China’s 'history learning' regulations

Written by Manoj Kewalramani and Rakshith Shetty

The enforcement of these regulations is expected to further fortify Xi’s leadership and consolidate ideological conformity within the Party.

East Asia9DLMarch 13, 20249dashline, China, Chinese history, Chinese Communist Party, Xi Jinping, Xi Jinping Thought, Mao Zedong, history learning regulation, CCP, CPC, Chinese history education, Chinese communist party history, history resolution, Manoj Kewalramani, Rakshith Shetty, China’s history learning regulations

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

Portugal needs a clear strategy for the Indo-Pacific

Written by Rita Durão

Consolidating a strategy towards the Indo-Pacific would not only signify Portugal's commitment towards enhancing its global presence through a multilateral approach but also present opportunities for fostering economic growth, strengthening diplomatic ties, and promoting regional stability.

Europe and the Indo-Pacific9DLMarch 7, 2024Portugal needs a clear strategy for the Indo-Pacific, 9DashLine, Rita Durão, Portugal, Indo-Pacific, European Union, Atlantic front, NATO, United States, Community of Portuguese Language Countries (CPLP), snap elections, Socialist Party (PS), Democratic Alliance (AD), Communist Party (PCP), Unitary Democratic Coalition (CDU), China, India, non-alignment, blocs, Liberal Initiative (IL), Risk Reduction Strategy, People Animals Nature (PAN), Portuguese-speaking countries, human rights, multilateral, rules-based order, 16th EU-India summit, Porto, 2021 Portuguese Presidency of the Council of the European Union, Macau, Belt and Road Initiative, soft distancing, 5G, Portugal's 5G network, like-minded partners, Japan, South Korea, Prime Minister António Costa, EU-ASEAN summit, Dialogue on Asia, 2024 Diplomatic Seminar, Lisbon, Singapore, G20, observer, Timor-Leste, Timor-Leste's accession to ASEAN, Vietnam, ASEAN, Shangri-La Dialogue, maritime empire, colonialism, Macao, East Timor, Sines Port, Azores, blue economy, EDP Renewables, Indonesia, Indo-Pacific strategy

Hungary’s bet on China: Smart move or desperate attempt?

Written by Dr Tamás Matura

Playing a balancing act between the East and the West, Orbán hopes to boost his international political clout and the economic development of Hungary by cosying up to other illiberal world leaders such as China’s Xi Jinping.

Europe and the Indo-Pacific9DLMarch 4, 20249dashline, Hungary’s bet on China: Smart move or desperate attempt?, Dr Tamás Matura, Hungary, China, Viktor Orbán, Beijing, Budapest, illiberal governments, Xi Jinping, Chinese investors, Western investors, China policy, Sino-Hungary, EV industry, Central Europe, EU, Orbán, Eastern Opening Policy, comprehensive strategic partnership, pro-China policies, veto, Council veto, human rights abuses, EU proposals, South China Sea, Russia-Ukrainian war, 16+1 framework, Baltic states, Poland, Czechia, Romania, diplomatic resources, economic resources, friendship, diplomacy, Beijing's strategic interests, EU statements, Hungarian economy, Chinese economic presence, Chinese capital, European automotive industry, Berlin, BRI, Budapest-Belgrade railway line, EU technological standards, Chinese factories, Serbia, multinational manufacturers, transportation corridor, infrastructure, EV, manufacturing exports, European economic crisis, domestic companies, crony capitalism, unemployment, guest workers, hatemongering, migrants, migration, minority groups, foreign workers, countryside, veto power, 16+1 cooperation, middleman strategy