United States — 9DASHLINE

9DASHLINE recently had the pleasure of speaking with Dr Walter Hatch about his latest book Ghosts in the Neighborhood: Why Japan Is Haunted by Its Past and Germany Is Not.

In Conversation9DLApril 12, 2024Walter F. Hatch, 9dashline, Ghosts in the neighborhood: Why Japan is haunted by its past and Germany os not, In Conversation with Walter F. Hatch, Germany, Japan, United States, European Union, NATO, Europe, Asia

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.

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

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

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.

Southeast Asia, Most Popular9DLFebruary 15, 20249DASHLINE, Why the EU should become more pragmatic towards Indonesia, Denis Suarsana, Indonesia, voters, elections, presidential elections, Joko Widodo, Jokowi, Defence Minister Prabowo Subianto, autocratic Suharto regime, Suharto, Europe, EU, trade, climate, Non-Aligned Movement, foreign policy, Bebas dan Aktif, mediator, G20 presidency, G20, Russian invasion of Ukraine, ASEAN chairmanship, ASEAN, conflict in Myanmar, Myanmar, Code of Conduct between China and ASEAN in the South China Sea, Code of Conduct, ASEAN-China Code of Conduct, south china sea, neutral, China, United States, economic development, Ganjar Pranowo, Central Java Province, Anies Baswedan, Jakarta, US-China rivalry, great power rivalry, third way, trading partner, State of Southeast Asia Report, ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute, WTO, nickel export ban, palm oil, trade agreement, Indonesia-EU Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (IEU CEPA), European Union, Indonesian elite, EU-ASEAN Summit, coercion, democracy, shopping, Japan, Australia, South Korea, Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), free trade zone, free trade, moral arrogance, moral, morality, equal partnerships, geopolitics, strategy of de-risking, de-risking, copper, nickel ore, tin, bauxite, China+1, China+1 efforts, investment, Global Gateway, Global Gateway initiative, EU Global Gateway Initiative, EU’s Global Gateway, Europe’s Global Gateway, OECD, hedging, conditionality, hardliner

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

In Forum: 2024 — US Strategy and the Indo-Pacific

To what extent can the US compete with China if it does not offer more economic opportunities to Indo-Pacific countries, especially due to mounting doubts about its reliability as a security guarantor in the region?

We invite several experts to assess this state of affairs.

Navigating the tides: Reassessing the EU's Indo-Pacific strategy

Written by Dr Gorana Grgic

Drawing upon member states’ existing strategies in the region, the EU's strategy tactfully treads a fine line — seeking greater assertiveness while preserving space for cooperation, even in its dealings with China.

Europe and the Indo-Pacific9DLJanuary 16, 2024Navigating the tides: Reassessing the EU's Indo-Pacific strategy, 9Dashline, China, EU-China Summit 2023, Strategy for Cooperation in the Indo-Pacific, Ukraine war, United States, President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen, Israel-Hamas conflict, EU-US coordination, Gorana Grgic

In Forum: 2024 — China’s policy towards the West

China and Australia appear to have patched things up, and more conciliatory tones are even heard about relations with the United States following Xi’s visit in November. In this In Forum, 9DASHLINE asks a number of experts to weigh in on whether we can expect improving ties to continue through 2024.

Editor's Picks9DLJanuary 12, 20249DashLine, In Forum 2024: China’s policy towards the West, China, Xi Jinping, dual circulation, Chinese Dual Circulation Strategy, trade, Beijing, Western democracies, Australia, United States, In Forum, FOREIGN POLICY, Selina Ho, Great power rivalry, Joe Biden, APEC summit, Chinese diplomacy, the West, wolf warrior, Wolf Warrior Diplomacy, the Philippines, Vietnam, security, sanctions, Chinese economy, Chinese society, South China Sea, Taiwan, JEAN CHRISTOPHER MITTELSTAEDT, self-reliance, geopolitical, China's strategic flexibility, green technology, electric vehicles, JUSTYNA SZCZUDLIK, smile diplomacy, Susan Shirk, overreach, strategic pause, Chinese Communist Party (CCP), Deng Xiaoping, China's global influence, G20 summit in Bali, China's de-risking agenda, raw materials, export, supply chains, de-risking, decoupling, open markets, Russia, Hamas, anti-coercion, dual diplomacy, DPP, Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), China’s soft approach, ZICHEN WANG, Wang Yi, APEC, APEC meeting, high-quality domestic development, Japan, South Korea, european union, Marxism, ideology, Gina Raimondo, enemy, Washington, San Francisco, bilateral, unilateral, zero-sum game, peaceful development, ANDREW CHUBB, China-US relationship, Canberra, Albanese government, Anthony Albanese, In Forum: 2024 — China’s policy towards the West

Germany’s Indo-Pacific aspirations and realities

Written by Dr Rafal Ulatowski

Germany is too weak militarily to change the balance of power in the Indo-Pacific. Its military presence satisfies the expectations of the regional middle powers and of the United States while having only a minor adverse impact on Germany’s relations with China.

Europe and the Indo-Pacific9DLJanuary 10, 20249DashLine, Germany’s Indo-Pacific aspirations and realities, Rafal Ulatowski, Germany, Indo-Pacific, European Union, EU, bilateral, regional powers, liberal international order, open markets, China, trade, Chinese-German cooperation, intergovernmental consultations, German-Chinese partnership, Policy Guidelines for the Indo-Pacific, National Security Strategy, Strategy on China, German Navy, German frigate Bayern, German National Security Strategy, German Strategy on China, US-Chinese competition, diversifying, diversification, democratic values, German-Chinese relations, comprehensive strategic partnership, Federation of German Industries (BDI), partner, competitor, Italy, important partner, systemic rival, military presence, Bayern frigate, Operation Rapid Pacific, Australia, symbolic, middle powers, Japan, India, South Korea, Singapore, democracies, shared values, resilient supply chains, German arms exports, investments, export, Taiwan, Hing Kong, Hong Kong, malaysia, Thailand, FDI, Luxembourg, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock, de-risking, decoupling, Alliance 90/The Greens, Social Democrats, German companies, sensitive technologies, United Kingdom, Bundeswehr, Zeitenwende, NATO, defence spending, 2 per cent goal, Berlin, United States, confrontation, strategic interests, SIPRI, Russia-Ukrainian war, dependence, great powers, COVID-19 pandemic

NZ: Maori foreign policy to manage increasingly challenging relationship with China

Written by Bonnie Holster and Nicholas Ross Smith

Beyond the changing language of New Zealand’s strategic communications, its experimentation with a kaupapa Maori foreign policy has the potential to be transformative.

Player or pawn? The geopolitics of the Nuclear Suppliers Group

Written by Syeda Saba Batool

Whether the NSG can impartially assess India’s and Pakistan’s bids for membership is a litmus test for the group’s credibility.

Structural trends could force swing states to choose sides

Written by Marc Saxer

‘Partnerships of the Middle’ recognise the aversion of Asian powers against alliances and offer informal avenues of collaboration to safeguard global public goods.

Power Politics9DLNovember 7, 20239DASHLINE, Will structural trends force ‘swing states’ to choose sides?, Marc Saxer, China, United States, hegemony, competition, Indo-Pacific, superpowers, allies, balancing, balancing power, balancing game, balancing strategies, bloc building, bloc, technological bifurcation, bipolarity, band-waggon, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, South Korea, military alliance, Marcos Jr., President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., President Marcos Jr., treaty ally, Russia, North Korea, Philippines, Cambodia, Laos, Burmese junta, Myanmar, ASEAN, bloc formation, binaries, Taiwan, cold war, hot war, hedging, Global South, Russian invasion, Russian invasion of Ukraine, Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), Malaysia, Pakistan, Beijing, International Monetary Fund (IMF), bailout, swing state, bamboo diplomacy, Thailand, Washington, Quad, Quadrilateral Dialogue, technology transfers, BRICS, Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, Bangladesh, Vietnam, diversification, supply chains, China plus One, multi-alignment, non-alignment, Biden administration, de-risking, decoupling, democracies, systemic rivalry, autocracies, rules-based international order, Tokyo, Canberra, G20, 5G, Huawei, Netherlands, South China Sea, geoeconomic, geoeconomy, geoeconomics, export controls, investment bans, strategic competition, friend-shoring, Eurozone, sovereign debt crises, the West, sanction regime, SWIFT, de-dollarisation, Renminbi, Russian System for Transfer of Financial Messages (SPFS), Chinese Cross-Border Interbank Payment System (CIPS), Chip4, Partnerships of the Middle, Group of Friends for Multilateralism, Structural trends could force swing states to choose sides

How does the Philippines make sense of future warfare?

Written by Joshua Bernard Espeña

Philippine political leaders must carefully understand what multidomain warfare implies for national security; military leaders must do what they can to show the risks of not understanding it.

While the world softens on the Taliban, Afghans continue to suffer

Written by Chris Fitzgerald

The international community should leverage the Taliban’s desire for recognition and the need to solve Afghanistan’s problems with improving human rights in the country.

Editor's Picks9DLAugust 16, 20239dashline, While the world softens on the Taliban, Afghans continue to suffer, Chris Fitzgerald, Afghanistan, US, United States, Taliban, Taliban regime, Doha, US department of state, Thomas West, Special Representative of Afghanistan, Qatar, humanitarian crisis, human rights situation, terrorism, authoritarian, terror groups, womens rights, minority rights, Kabul, Hamid Karzai International Airport, Washington, sanctions, Islamic extremist groups, Islamic extremism, Amina Mohammed, António Guterres, embassies, China, Uzbekistan, trans-Afghan railway, economic crises, humanitarian crises, starvation, humanitarian assistance, Al Qaeda, Islamic State in Khorasan, ISIS-K, human rights record, LGBTQIA+ rights, gender rights, enforced veiling, restricting freedom of movement, international aid organisations, domestic aid organisations, UN, United Nations, international law, Central Asia, While the world softens on the Taliban Afghans continue to suffer

China’s uncertain future as a global security provider

Written by Lukas Fiala

The key question is whether Xi’s growing assertiveness and inadequacy of existing means to ensure the security of Chinese entities abroad will lead to a more pronounced security footprint over the coming decade, featuring new military base arrangements and, potentially, institutionalised security guarantees.

Faultlines9DLAugust 11, 2023China’s uncertain future as a global security provider, Lukas Fiala, 9DashLine, China, Saudi Arabia, Iran, Beijing, Global South, security, mediator, Riyadh, Tehran, Middle East, Washington, diplomacy, isolation, COVID-19, pandemic, United States, China’s overseas security strategy, strategy, foreign policy, Chinese Communist Party (CCP), Chinese Communist Party (CCP) General Secretary Xi Jinping, mediation, peace and security, peace broker, non-state actors, intrastate conflicts, statist approach, Ukraine, Russia, Israel, Palestine, security and defence cooperation, Hu Jintao, United Nations peacekeeping (UNPK) missions, South Sudan, Mali, Africa, Latin America, multilateral, Forum on China-Africa Cooperation, Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), military base in Djibouti, Global Security Initiative (GSI), security actor, US-led global security order, global security governance, UN Charter, indivisible security, sovereignty, 1975 Helsinki Accords, Vladimir Putin, NATO expansion, NATO, Russia’s war in Ukraine, Western imperialism, imperial history, Western colonial powers, century of national humiliation, Soviet Union, Responsibility to Protect (R2P), Western hegemony, principle of non-interference, non-aligned movement, Cold War, non-intervention, 干涉, 干预, security provider, Sudan, Libya, ‘Go Out Strategy’ (走出去战略), Chinese state-owned enterprises, natural resources, raw materials, multilateral lenders, development finance, human rights, good governance, 2008 Beijing Olympics, al-Bashir regime, African Union, Darfur, Libyan civil war, People’s Liberation Army’s (PLA), Wolf Warrior Diplomacy, Chinese interests, power projection, security-development nexus, liberal peace, developmental peace, Ethiopia, civil war, Pakistan, South Asia, China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, Islamic extremism, Islamabad, sovereign lender, arbiter, Abiy Ahmed, Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF), Horn of Africa, Xue Bing, Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam, Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF), Rapid Support Forces (RSF), Saudi-Iran rapprochement, Iraq, Afghanistan, global war on terror, piracy, Gulf of Aden, 9dashline