Youth-led protest movements across South and Southeast Asia seek a political reset

Written by Adhiraaj Anand

Deeper and more sustained transnational exchanges could foster new regional identities and solidarities between national protest movements, as well as increase their resilience and capacity for innovation.

ASEAN, Myanmar, and the crisis of regionalism: Between centrality and irrelevance

Written by Aniello Iannone

ASEAN’s future will not be determined by declarations or summit communiqués. It will hinge on whether the organisation can transcend the comfort of paralysis and confront the contradictions that sustain it.

Southeast Asia9DLNovember 4, 20259DASHLINE, Aniello Iannone, ASEAN, Myanmar, ASEAN Myanmar and the crisis of regionalism: Between centrality and irrelevance, Singapore, Southeast Asia, Cold War, Five-Point Consensus, Joko Widodo, Indonesia, Prabowo Subianto, Jakarta, Sanctions

Balancing the peninsula: Indonesia’s diplomacy between the two Koreas

Written by Geo Dzakwan Arshali

Jakarta has never been aimless in its approach to the Koreas — it seeks to de-escalate tensions on the peninsula by keeping dialogue alive, even with an isolated Pyongyang, while simultaneously deepening cooperation with a democratic Seoul and its Western allies.

Beyond symbolism: Why Indonesia needs China expertise to match its ambition

Written by Dr Muhammad Zulfikar Rakhmat

Indonesia’s foreign service, though respected in ASEAN, has not fully kept pace with the demands of a world where China is central to trade, technology, and security. Without a cadre of China specialists embedded across government and academia, Jakarta risks responding to events rather than shaping them.

Southeast Asia, Faultlines9DLOctober 23, 2025Muhammad Zulfikar Rakhmat, Indonesia, China, Prabowo, Jakarta, South China Sea, ASEAN, Indo-Pacific, CELIOS, Beyond symbolism: Why Indonesia needs China expertise to match its ambition, 9DASHLINE, Beijing, Irene, Mandarin

Ratifying the Indonesia-Vietnam EEZ maritime delimitation agreement serves national and regional best interests

Written by Aristyo Rizka Darmawan and John Bradford

Ratification of the EEZ agreement provides a good opportunity for Indonesia to clarify its position by denying the validity of China’s Nine-Dash Line claim while simultaneously preserving its interests and advancing good relations with an important neighbour.

Southeast Asia9DLOctober 17, 20259DASHLINE, Aristyo Rizka Darmawan, John Bradford, Ratifying the Indonesia-Vietnam EEZ maritime delimitation agreement serves national and regional best interests, Vietnam, Indonesia, China, nine-dash line, maritime borders, maritime territorial disputes, Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), Indonesia-Vietnam relations, Indonesia-China relations

Indonesia, France, and the logic of strategic autonomy

Written by Aniello Iannone

France now joins a growing list of Indonesia’s strategic partners. It was a strategic moment in which a major European state and a rising regional middle power found common ground in their shared search for autonomy.

Europe and the Indo-Pacific9DLJuly 11, 2025Aniello Iannone, 9DASHLINE, Indonesia, France, asean, Macron, ASEAN, Indonesia France and the logic of strategic autonomy, AUKUS, Horizon 2050, Drones, Rafale Jets, Indo-Pacific, India, Vietnam, South China Sea, Minilateralism

Indonesia in BRICS: New chapter or familiar story?

Written by Dominique Fraser and Dr Premesha Saha

Indonesia will need to ensure that it carefully balances its commitments to BRICS alongside its responsibilities and obligations within ASEAN and its existing relationships with Western nations like the US and the EU.

South Korea’s martial law moment: constitutional crisis, and the regional order

Written by Dr Seohee Park

This crisis represents more than a domestic Korean political drama; it tests the resilience of regional alliances and could accelerate broader geopolitical shifts in an increasingly complex Northeast Asian landscape.

East Asia9DLJanuary 6, 20259DASHLINE, Constitutional crisis and regional order: South Korea’s martial law moment, Seohee Park, South Korea, Korea, Yoon, Yoon government, South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol, Yoon Suk-yeol, Yoon Suk Yeol, President Yoon Suk Yeol, President Yoon Suk-yeol, South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol, martial law, First Lady Kim Keon Hee, stock manipulation, corruption, People Power Party (PPP), Han Dong-hoon, Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul, National Assembly, Mencian principle, authoritarian, collective memory, Syngman Rhee’s anti-communist crackdowns, Park Chung-hee’s military dictatorship, Chun Doo-hwan, 1980 Gwangju Democracy Movement, national psyche, military, Yeouido, lawmakers, opposition, South Korea’s democracy, democracy, Constitutional Court, impeachment, bipartisan, Democratic Party (DP), Donald Trump, White House, regional stability, Shigeru Ishiba, Japan, Northeast Asia, diplomatic realignment, diplomatic, Korea passing, Chinese President Xi, Seoul-Tokyo rapprochement, semiconductor, trade, restrictions, Camp David summit, security cooperation, Lee Jae-myung, constitutional crisis, Moon Jae-in, North Korea, America First, Tokyo, Asian NATO, Ukraine, Taiwan, ASEAN, allies, Korean Peninsula, US-Japan alliance, US-UK relationship, Quad, India, Australia, Official Security Assistance (OSA), Philippines, Indonesia, Mongolia, Djibouti, semiconductor supply chains, emerging technologies, impeachment of Acting President Han Duck-soo (Prime Minister)

At the water’s hedge: Indonesia, insularity and China’s rise

Written by Dylan Motin

Indonesia appears relatively under-committed to power politics and continental affairs. It worries about China’s rise, but not to the extent of joining US-led containment efforts.

Southeast Asia9DLJuly 19, 2024Indonesia, hedging, Dylan Motin, 9DASHLINE, At the water’s hedge: Indonesia, insularity and China’s rise, Indo-Pacific

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.

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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 Asia, Most Popular9DLJune 18, 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

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

South Korea's midterm election tests democratic resilience

Written by Dr Hannes B. Mosler

The short-term challenge of this election is to prevent a conservative majority in parliament, lest the current autocratic episode in South Korean democracy turn into a post-democratic vortex.

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Intersectionality as the key to Indo-Pacific climate action

Written by Treesa Shaju and Dr Dhanasree Jayaram

Taking an intersectional approach to climate change recognises the interconnected and interwoven nature of social, economic, ecological, political, and cultural issues in the formulation of climate change policies and strategies.

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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.

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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.

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Facing battlefield losses, Myanmar’s junta may look to ASEAN for off-ramps

Written by Hunter Marston

Identifying possible mediators and key stakeholders is critical at this particular juncture, and given the present circumstances we need not let perfect be the enemy of good.

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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.

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