This week, we speak with Pavin Chachavalpongpun, Founder of 112Watch and Professor at Kyoto University, about Thailand’s lèse-majesté law (Article 112), political repression in Thailand and Southeast Asia, defending civic space, and the future of the movement against Article 112.
Read MoreAs 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.
Read MoreWritten 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.
Read MoreWritten 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.
Read MoreWritten by Khyati Singh
The potential to combine Chinese technological innovation with localised implementation means that Southeast Asia could yet transform its demographic challenge from a looming crisis into an engine of economically innovative and socially equitable growth.
Read MoreWritten 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.
Read MoreWritten by Pheng Thean
If the Philippines seeks a realistic pathway towards a functional COC — and to preserve ASEAN’s credibility as a neutral convening platform — it must complement its instruments of statecraft with more targeted diplomatic adjustments.
Read MoreWritten by Emanuele Ballestracci
Italy cannot rival the hard-power presence of France or the UK, nor does it aspire to. Instead, it has constructed a pathway based on economic cooperation, private-sector activism, and steady institutional ties, which over time create the trust needed to expand into political and security spheres.
Read MoreWritten by Chhay Lim and Chandarith Neak
Without institutional mechanisms that both parties accept as legitimate and binding, border disputes remain vulnerable to escalation and external intervention whenever domestic political pressures or regional tensions rise.
Read MoreWritten by Yatana Yamahata
Solidarity among Southeast Asians has strengthened pro-democracy movements across the region and, in doing so, fostered a sense of shared regional identity. ASEAN, however, does not mirror nor reinforce this solidarity. Instead, it remains constrained by its founding principle of non-interference.
Read MoreWritten 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.
Read MoreWritten by Dr Apila Sangtam
Crucially, reinvigorating key connectivity initiatives such as the India–Myanmar–Thailand Trilateral Highway would serve as both a symbolic and practical demonstration of India’s commitment to regional integration.
Read MoreWritten 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.
Read MoreWritten by Dr Hunter Marston
Despite the opportunity presented by American retrenchment, China lacks the soft power to step in as a natural leader and its economic and political influence continue to be met with suspicion by regional elites.
Read MoreWritten by Thu Nguyen Hoang Anh
Based on estimates from the Vietnam National Plastics Action Partnership, if the country’s current systems are not improved, the volume of plastics in its waterways could double by 2030.
Read MoreWritten by James Bowen
The risk posed by Trump’s new strategy will be most pronounced abroad, particularly in the Indo-Pacific region. Home to the world’s most rapidly developing and energy-hungry economies, it also hosts many fossil fuels and/or prospective clean energy producers whose future trajectories remain open to external influence.
Read MoreWritten by Melissa Conley Tyler and Viet Dung Trinh
By balancing domestic production and free trade, the Future Made in Australia Act aims to promote economic growth, create jobs, and support Australia's transition to a net-zero emissions economy.
Read MoreCentral and Eastern Europe’s (CEE) relationship with Taiwan is evolving amid shifting global dynamics.
Dr Zsuzsa Anna Ferenczy speaks with Matej Šimalčík, a Taiwan Fellowship recipient currently based at the Institute for National Defense and Security Research (INDSR) in Taipei, to explore the implications of these developments for CEE, Taiwan, and the broader geopolitical landscape.
Read More
