First Island Chain — 9DASHLINE

The Cost of Consistency: Beijing’s Miscalculation in the First Island Chain

Written by Herman S. Taylor

The dispute with the Philippines was temporarily set aside rather than settled, leaving room for neutrality. Then Beijing brought the same coercive reflex to Manila that it used everywhere. The failure was not China’s refusal to yield its claims, but its inability to adopt softer tactics.

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.

The case for an overarching US Indo-Pacific strategy

Written by Dr Anisa Heritage

While a consolidation strategy offers a sensible course correction, deterrence in the Indo-Pacific depends as much on regional confidence in long-term political commitments as it does on military capability.

Stemming the tide: The strength of Pacific regionalism

Written by Alan Tidwell

For the Pacific Islands, bilateral deals with the PRC may chip away at the regional consensus over time, but in turn, Beijing’s energy will inevitably spark new challenges to regionalism.

The geostrategic criticality of Taiwan

Written by Gerald C Brown

Outside of the South China Sea, Taiwan’s occupation would put China right at the doorstep of Japan's Ryukyu Islands, the string of small islands stretching from Taiwan to the Japanese mainland, including US military bases in Okinawa. Many of the islands would become far closer to China than Japan and would be well in range of Chinese Anti-Access/Area-Denial (A2/AD) capabilities.