China — 9DASHLINE

Why climate disaster risk belongs in defence agreements

Written by Ambika Vishwanath and Priyanka Bhide

The growing number and diversity of disasters in the Indo-Pacific region call for a more methodical approach between countries that share borders.

Preferential tariffs but unmet promises: Pakistan’s GSP+ status

Written by Eve Register

The protection of human rights has long been a founding principle of the EU. While the GSP+ programme represents an opportunity to advance this goal, human rights will remain subordinated to other priorities as long as the Commission leverages the programme to extract strategic advantage.

Cross-Border Interference or Garbled Messaging: China, Nepal, and the Cancellation of the World’s Largest Tibetan Studies Conference

Written by Robert Barnett

On 8 August the Nepalese government ordered Kathmandu University to abort its plan to host a major international conference on Tibet. Media reports and online chatter assumed China to be the culprit, but what remains unclear is whether China had aimed at the total shut-down of the conference or whether Nepal misread the signals from Beijing and went further than required.

Faultlines9DLSeptember 8, 20269DASHLINE, Robert Barnett, Nepal, and the Cancellation of the World’s Largest Tibetan Studies Conference, TIbet, China, Nepal conference, Tibet conference, authoritarianism, cross-border authoritarianism, cross-border interference, 17th seminar of the International Association of Tibetan Studies, conference shutdown, costly signaling, Cross-border Interference or Garbled Messaging China

From Galleons to Gigawatts: How China’s Solar Machine Made Silver Strategic

Written by Jason Togut

The history of silver has not come full circle, but it has begun to rhyme. Ming China pulled silver across the Pacific because its fiscal system created enormous monetary demand. Modern China pulls silver into factories because its industrial system creates enormous technological demand.

Emerging Issues9DLSeptember 4, 2026Jason Togut, From Galleons to Gigawatts: How China’s Solar Machine Made Silver Strategic, 9DASHLINE, China, silver market, photovoltaics, solar pv, solar panels, solar panel industry, critical minerals, silver supply, silver mining, silver demand, silver use in photovoltaics, China's industrial policy, critical mineral security

The Polar Silk Road: Nine Years On and Still Not a Master Plan for the Arctic

Written by Erdem Lamazhapov

Fears that the Polar Silk Road is an instrument for gaining control in the Arctic or over Greenland mistake what is essentially a slogan for a coherent, centrally-directed strategy. Still, while the slogan is heard less frequently these days, it has not yet fallen into obscurity. Under the right conditions, China might find it useful to defrost the Polar Silk Road.

In Brief: Assistant Editors at 9DASHLINE

As 9DASHLINE expands its Indo-Pacific coverage, Assistant Editors — Luana Correia, Akash Nayak and Elizabeth Cherchia — share what drew them to the region, the trends they believe deserve greater attention, and what makes analysis truly stand out.

Their perspectives highlight the region’s complexity and the importance of looking beyond familiar narratives.

News9DLSeptember 2, 2026In Brief: Assistant Editors at 9DASHLINE, 9DASHLINE, Luana Correia, Akash Nayak, Elizabeth Cherchia, Indo-Pacific, China, Taiwan, South Asia, India, Climate change

The Navigator’s August issue — out now

The August edition of THE NAVIGATOR is now available, delivering in-depth analysis, up-to-date information, and a comprehensive look at the Indo-Pacific region. This month we examine a region facing mounting pressure on multiple fronts. From extreme climate shocks and economic strain to shifting security partnerships and great-power competition, governments across the Indo-Pacific are increasingly focused on resilience, adaptability, and domestic stability.

Join our briefing today and stay ahead of the curve.

News9DLAugust 28, 20269DASHLINE, US, United States, China, Japan, South Korea, New Zealand, Cook Islands, Samoa, South China Sea, India-Pakistan, India, Pakistan, France, New Caledonia, Cambodia, Pacific Islands, Vanuatu, Tuvalu, Tonga, PNG, Papua New Guinea, Trump, Myanmar, Elections, Iran, LNG, Energy, Sri Lanka, Arctic, Russia, Europe, Lithuania, Taliban, Afghanistan, Women's rights

In Conversation with Dr Eva Seiwert, Senior Analyst, MERICS

Ahead of the 2026 Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit in Bishkek (31 Aug – 1 Sept), 9DASHLINE spoke with Dr. Eva Seiwert about her new book, The Shanghai Cooperation Organization and China’s Vision of International Relations. Marking the SCO’s 25th anniversary, Dr. Seiwert draws on Chinese-language sources and interviews to examine how Beijing leverages the alliance to shape an alternative international order and navigate modern geopolitical crises.

In Conversation9DLAugust 27, 2026MERICS, 9DASHLINE, EVA SEIWERT, In Conversation with Dr Eva Seiwert Senior Analyst MERICS, Shanghai Cooperation Organization, SCO, China, Russia, India, Kyrgyzstan, Mercator Institute for China Studies

‘Free’ from What? China and Ten Years of Free and Open Indo-Pacific

Written by Angelo M'BA

In the future, even less confrontational and security-focused iterations of FOIP are likely to face Beijing’s opposition because their premise of involving external actors — to balance China’s dominance — clashes with Beijing’s own objectives, regardless of content.

Faultlines9DLAugust 24, 2026‘Free’ from What? China and Ten Years of Free and Open Indo-Pacific, Angelo M'BA, 9DASHLINE, Indo-Pacific, FOIP, Free and Open Indo-Pacific, Japan, China, Philippines, South China Sea, ASEAN, Takaichi, Munich Security Conference, Xi Jinping, Asia-Pacific

Islands, not capitals: the front lines of Philippines-Japan relations

Written by Carmina Yu Untalan

Indeed, if stronger Philippines-Japan relations rest on upholding a rules-based international order, then both parties must extend the same normative and legal commitments to protect and empower the communities in their own island peripheries.

In Brief with Angelo M’BA and Samuel Parmer

As 9DASHLINE continues to expand its coverage across the Indo-Pacific, our editorial team recently welcomed two Associate Editors — Angelo M’BA and Samuel Parmer.

Our Editor-in-Chief, Dr Yatana Yamahata, recently sat down with them to discuss their interests, the key trends shaping the Indo-Pacific, and where they think its coverage should be heading.

News9DLAugust 7, 2026In Brief with Angelo M’BA and Samuel Parmer, 9DASHLINE, Indo-Pacific, Samuel Parmer, Angelo M'BA, Yatana Yamahata, China, Japan, ASEAN, Vietnam, Philippines, World Artificial Intelligence Cooperation Organisation, WAICO, Shanghai Cooperation Organisation

The strategic case against Japan's rice tariffs

Written by William Ford

If the Takaichi administration makes the difficult decision to lower rice tariffs or expand import quotas, it could bring down rice prices for Japanese consumers while also strengthening Japan’s partnerships with Southeast Asian rice exporters.

The Navigator’s July issue — out now

This month, we examine EU engagement with the Taliban, where Chris Fitzgerald argues that efforts to curb irregular migration risk undermining the bloc's longstanding commitment to human rights and international law. As Europe weighs strategic pragmatism against its normative identity, Fitzgerald asks what is sacrificed when geopolitical priorities take precedence over democratic values.

Join our briefing today and stay ahead of the curve.

News9DLJuly 31, 20269DASHLINE, US, United States, China, Japan, South Korea, New Zealand, Cook Islands, Samoa, South China Sea, India-Pakistan, India, Pakistan, France, New Caledonia, Cambodia, Pacific Islands, Vanuatu, Tuvalu, Tonga, PNG, Papua New Guinea, Trump, Myanmar, Elections, Iran, LNG, Energy, Sri Lanka, Arctic, Russia, Europe, Lithuania, Taliban, Afghanistan, Women's rights

Bangladesh’s transition under the BNP: A case for stronger India–Australia cooperation

Written by Grace Corcoran and Aditya Gowdara Shivamurthy

Maritime security presents a high-impact avenue for coordination. Bangladesh possesses one of the most capable armed forces in the region and is the second-largest recipient of Chinese military equipment worldwide.

Two navies, no war: the untested balance in the East China Sea

Written by Leonardo Morreale

In a first clash, both China and Japan would be learning the most expensive lessons in real time, and the side that adapts faster, not the side with more hulls, would likely prevail.

East Asia9DLJuly 28, 20269DASHLINE, Leonardo Morreale, China, Japan, East China Sea, Indo-Pacific, JMSDF, Taiwan, United States, Strait of Hormuz, Okinawa, Japan’s Maritime Self-Defense Force, Two navies no war the untested balance in the East China Sea, PLAN

China’s tungsten export controls on Japan are backfiring

Written by Jing Ge

China’s controls are changing Japan’s political calculus: dependence on Chinese supply is no longer just a commercial risk but an economic-security vulnerability.

Emerging Issues9DLJuly 24, 2026China’s tungsten export controls on Japan are backfiring, Jing Ge, 9DASHLINE, Japan, China, tungsten, export controls, dual-use, critical mineral security, rare earths, tungsten recycling, tungsten scrap, supply chain security, tungsten processing, Economic Security Promotion Act

Why India-Pakistan crises keep returning

Written by Edwin Akpotu

While diplomacy can reduce immediate risks, longer-term change depends on progress on Kashmir, reductions in cross-border violence, and stronger political support for engagement in both countries. This helps explain why periods of calm have repeatedly proven fragile despite considerable diplomatic effort.

Southeast Asian states are looking for options, but the United States isn’t giving them much to work with

Written by Hunter Marston

The recent Russia-ASEAN Summit is only the latest example of a more diffuse and loosely organised world order, in which Washington plays a less central role, and its rivals are calling the shots. While this emerging multipolar order is currently fuelling regional anxieties of instability and conflict in Southeast Asia, it is likely to be the new normal.