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In Forum FOIP: AUKUS in a Free and Open Indo-Pacific

In Forum FOIP: AUKUS in a Free and Open Indo-Pacific

A decade after Japan launched its Free and Open Indo-Pacific (FOIP) vision, tensions between AUKUS and Pacific Island security priorities are reshaping regional geopolitics. As AUKUS strengthens military deterrence, Pacific nations prioritise climate security, sovereignty and nuclear non-proliferation. We invite several leading experts to examine whether competing security visions threaten regional stability, intensify US-China rivalry and undermine FOIP’s principles of peace and cooperation.

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

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 South China Sea Code as a test of ASEAN’s agency

The South China Sea Code as a test of ASEAN’s agency

Written by Dr. Aniello Iannone

Ultimately, the COC’s relevance will depend on whether it can institutionalise guardrails that shape incentives at sea, reduce the frequency and severity of grey-zone encounters, and make de-escalation after incidents more predictable.

The patriot's paradox: Thailand's withdrawal from MOU 44, cheap nationalism, and elite interests

The patriot's paradox: Thailand's withdrawal from MOU 44, cheap nationalism, and elite interests

Written by William J. Jones and Dr Thanachate Wisaijorn

Ultimately, the current trajectory presents two distinct interpretations: it may be viewed cynically as a method to advance corporate and elite interests by using cheap nationalism, or pragmatically as a necessary step to access valuable economic resources blocked by territorial disputes.

The grey-zone of interest: How China tests Indonesia’s South China Sea strategy

The grey-zone of interest: How China tests Indonesia’s South China Sea strategy

Written by Omar Rasya Joenoes

The challenge, therefore, is to transform ambiguity from a reactive posture into a deliberate and integrated strategy — one that manages asymmetry without allowing incremental pressure to redefine the strategic status quo.

Drawing a new India-Philippines arc of maritime convergence

Drawing a new India-Philippines arc of maritime convergence

Written by Eerishika Pankaj and Rahul Karan Reddy

The concern Beijing has with an India-Philippines strategic partnership lies in its signalling of the rise of layered, maritime-centric, military cooperation emerging in China’s periphery — designed to reinforce a rules-based order and deter unilateral changes to the status quo in the global commons.

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

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.

Wildcatting the Pacific: Seabed mining and the Pacific islands

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.

Clashes in the South China Sea, looking back at the PCA Ruling

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

In Forum: 2024 — the South China Sea at a crossroads

In Forum: 2024 — the South China Sea at a crossroads

The South China Sea remains one of the most potentially explosive regions in the world. What role can regional actors and organisations play in de-escalating the conflict and putting an end to the escalatory trends witnessed in 2023?

We invite several experts to assess the prospects for stability in 2024.

Editor's Picks, Pacific9DLFebruary 2, 2024In Forum: 2024 — South China Sea at a crossroads, 9DASHLINE, south china sea, SCS, China, Philippine, Philippine navy, The Philippines, vessels, Chinese vessels, freedom of navigation, United States, trade, shipping, US-China competition, escalation, CYBER, ELINA NOOR, non-claimant states, Code of Conduct (CoC), Code of Conduct (CoC) negotiations, military, international law, cross-domain, ASEAN, norms of responsible state behaviour, 2015 United Nations Group of Governmental Experts of Developments in the Field of Information and Telecommunications in the Context of International Security, APILA SANGTAM, Beijing, Vietnam, India, Manila, United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), UNCLOS, 2016 Arbitral Award, comprehensive strategic partnership, 1951 Mutual Defense Treaty, grey zone, Exclusive Economic Zones, Indonesia, Malaysia, NONG HONG, geopolitical rivalry, naval, military exercises, oil and gas exploitation, COLLIN KOH, unilateral, multilateral, littorals, Second Thomas Shoal, Taiwan, PRATNASHREE BASU, Belt and Road Initiative, strategic autonomy, de-escalation, containment, Japan, rules-based order, UN, United Nations, In Forum: 2024 — the South China Sea at a crossroads

Fukushima’s waters: discharge decision, politics, and nuclear safety standards

Fukushima’s waters: discharge decision, politics, and nuclear safety standards

Written by Shivani Singh and Chetan Rana

The fact that different states in the region, despite being exposed to similar risks, are not aligned in either supporting or protesting Japan’s decision is an indicator of the divisions being caused by the great power politics at play.

Faultlines9DLOctober 20, 2023Fukushima’s waters: discharge decision, politics, and standards of nuclear safety, 9dashline, Chetan Rana, Shivani Singh, Fukushima, nuclear, nuclear technology, Fukushima nuclear plant, International Atomic Energy Agency, IAEA, discharge water, Japan, Fukushima disaster, nuclear accidents, Indo-Pacific, Tōhoku earthquake, tsunami, nuclear reactor, core meltdown, radioactive materials, safety culture, nuclear industry, seismic, reform, earthquake preparedness, seismic designs, nuclear facilities, phenomena, plant operators, Tokyo Electric Power Company, TEPCO, Nuclear and Industry Safety Agency, NISA, Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, METI, mismanagement, safety inspections, power plant, international standards, commercial power reactors, Nuclear Regulatory Authority, Ministry of the Environment, disaster management, radioactive water, contaminated water, Fukushima reactors, ocean, Natural Resources and Energy, laws on nuclear safety, natural hazards, natural disasters, operational negligence, lax regulatory oversight, man-made disaster, China, Russia, North Korea, Sino-American great power competition, Pacific Islands, Solomon Islands, Fiji, ecological concerns, economic concerns, atomic tests, Runit Dome, US nuclear tests, Yoon Suk Yeol, Taiwan, Philippines, Cook Islands, Advanced Liquid Processing System, carbon-14, tritium, dilution, WHO, National Association of Marine Laboratories, NAML, UNCLOS, Paris Convention on Third Party Liability in the Field of Nuclear Energy, Vienna Convention on Civil Liability for Nuclear Damage, Convention on Nuclear Safety, CNS, earthquake, and nuclear safety standards, Pacific

Chartering a course for peace: EU-Philippines maritime security cooperation

Chartering a course for peace: EU-Philippines maritime security cooperation

Written by Daniela Braun, Marie Antoinette de Jesus, and Sophiya Navarro

Increasing EU-Philippine maritime security cooperation is a positive development that reflects both actors’ mutual interests and values, as well as their willingness to engage with each other and other Indo-Pacific actors.

Europe and the Indo-Pacific9DLOctober 13, 20239dashline, Chartering a course for peace: EU-Philippines maritime security cooperation, EU, Philippines, European Union, European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, Manila, Brussels, diplomatic relations, trade relations, trade exports, climate change, digital economy, connectivity, infrastructure, China, Beijing, Chinese aggression, South China Sea, Indo-Pacific, maritime disputes, Strategy for Cooperation in the Indo-Pacific, geopolitical significance, intensifying competition, US, Washington, Russia-Ukraine war, geopolitics, global economy, Russian oil and gas, maritime security cooperation, maritime security, EU-Philippine, Bongbong, Marcos, Jr., Rodrigo Duterte, ASEAN Coordinator for Dialogue Relations with the EU, security cooperation, EU-Philippines Joint Committee Meeting, ocean governance, maritime issues, blue economy, CRIMARIO, Critical Maritime Routes Indian Ocean, maritime domain awareness, Philippine Navy, Philippine Coast Guard, National Coast Watch Council Center, ASEAN, Indo-Pacific Regional Information Sharing Platform, IORIS, Enhancing Security Cooperation In and With Asia, ESIWA, multilateralism, rules-based order, maritime security partnership, Arbitral Ruling, 2016 arbitral ruling, US State Department, navigation freedoms, flight freedoms, EU Delegation in Manila, United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, UNCLOS, von der Leyen, defence assistance, threat assessments

No land in sight: Prospects of a South China Sea Code of Conduct

No land in sight: Prospects of a South China Sea Code of Conduct

Written by Dr Apila Sangtam

The differing stances on the legal nature of the COC and China's assertive actions in contested waters pose significant obstacles to reaching a comprehensive and effective agreement.

Southeast Asia9DLAugust 3, 20239DashLine, Apila Sangtam, ASEAN Post-Ministerial Conference with China, ASEAN, China, Jakarta, Code of Conduct (COC), south china sea, Wang Yi, Qin Gang, Beijing, Vietnam, Johnson Reef, the Philippines, Mischief Reef, Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea (DOC), Ian Storey, ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute, Singapore, Arbitration Tribunal under Annex VII of UNCLOS, UNCLOS, Spratly Islands, Le Thu Huong, Australian Strategic Policy Institute, Arbitral Tribunal's Award in 2016, nine-dash line, international law, Li Keqiang, 37th ASEAN Summit, Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), Southeast Asia, Malaysia, Indonesia, Covid-19 pandemic, Myanmar, 2021 military coup, v, transnational crime, marine environmental protection, maritime safety, oil and gas, militarising, Air Defence Identification Zone (ADIZ), Paracel Islands, Hanoi, 2016 South China Sea Award, grey zone, Chinese fishing boats, Chinese research vessel, No land in sight: Prospects for the South China Sea Code of Conduct, Nine Dash Line

2023: Global governance for the seabed sinks further still

2023: Global governance for the seabed sinks further still

Written by Drake Long

The ground laid in 2022 will ensure that state-backed exploration of seabed mining will continue, and 2023 may see the first steps taken towards commercial-scale exploitation of the seabed.

Emerging Issues, Most Popular9DLApril 19, 20239dashline, 2023: Global governance for the seabed sinks further, United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, UNCLOS, ocean health, maritime economy, international waters, rare earth metals, test extraction, exploitation of marine areas, environmental concerns, international community, maritime treaty, international seabed, conservation, environmentalists, Pacific, commercial interests, seabed, conservationists, UN Intergovernmental Conference, High Seas Treaty, maritime borders, Third Conference on the Law of the Sea, deep sea, International Seabed Authority, ISA, deep-sea geography, private companies, marine genetic resources, pharmaceutical research, Mining Code, UN Ocean Conference, island nations, small island nations, Nauru, Clarion Clipperton Zone, The Metals Company, TMC, manganese, nickel, cobalt, environmental impact assessment, extraction, NORI, Palau, mining moratorium, fragile ecosystems, ocean floor, seafloor, polymetallic nodules, seabed mining, noise pollution, deep sea creatures, exploitation, environmental damage, commercial exploitation, commercial-scale exploitation, state funds, continental shelf, Japan, China, South China Sea, The Philippines, deep-sea resources

The ‘virtual maritime gate’ and Indonesia’s new capital

The ‘virtual maritime gate’ and Indonesia’s new capital

Written by Jefferson Ng

The Makassar Strait is likely to grow in prominence as Indonesia’s new capital emerges as a centre of economic activity alongside Jakarta, and defence policymakers in Indonesia will want to better control the flow of maritime traffic passing through the Strait.

Southeast Asia9DLAugust 17, 2022The ‘virtual maritime gate’ and Indonesia’s new capital, 9DashLine, Jefferson Ng, virtual maritime gate, indonesia, Jakarta, Makassar Strait, Nusantara, East Kalimantan, Indonesian Law on the New Capital, undersea detectors, platform buoys, communication systems, ground data terminals, information fusion centre, conventional shipping routes, East Asian markets, Straits of Malacca, foreign naval warships, submarines, Indian Ocean, South China Sea, archipelagic sea lanes passage, United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, UNCLOS, Balikpapan Bay, Kalimantan, Sulawesi, Sulu-Celebes Sea, unmanned underwater drones, China, US-China rivalry, unmanned aerial vehicles, UAVs, maritime traffic, unmanned submersibles, archipelagic state concept, strategic defence, aerial threats, ballistic missile, ballistic missiles, Andi Widjajanto, anti-ship Brahmos missile, gerbang maritim virtual, East Asia, Sulu Sea, Celebes Sea, UAV, National Resilience Institute, COVID-19, COVID

EU and ASEAN: Turning 45 and stronger than ever

EU and ASEAN: Turning 45 and stronger than ever

Written by Igor Driesmans

Over the past 45 years, the EU and ASEAN have built links that make the EU the most comprehensive of ASEAN’s partners. On this anniversary, we look forward to taking the Strategic Partnership to the next level.

Could minilateralism work in the South China Sea?

Could minilateralism work in the South China Sea?

Written by Huynh Tam Sang

The time is ripe for Indonesia and its counterparts to work closely and effectively. Leaders in Jakarta should forge a shared perception of unity among participants by highlighting the importance of working hand-in-hand as no country can navigate the South China Sea challenges alone.

Italy's 'non-strategy' in the Indo-Pacific

Italy's 'non-strategy' in the Indo-Pacific

Written by Andrea Caligiuri

Italy’s ‘non-strategy’ in the Indo-Pacific is partly conditioned by the fact that Rome does not want an open confrontation with China. Rather, it seeks a pragmatic approach with Beijing.