indo-pacific — 9DASHLINE

Charting the future: US elections and the evolving US-Japan alliance

Written by Dr Elli-Katharina Pohlkamp

In Japan’s business sector, the speculative phrase “moshi tora”, meaning “if Trump” has become widespread, indicating various industrial scenarios developed in the Japanese business sector for the possibility of a Trump presidency.

The case for a Franco-Italian spearhead in the Mediterranean-Indo-Pacific continuum

Written by Mathieu Droin and Emanuele Rossi

Irrespective of the strategic framing, France and Italy are both seeking ways to prevent disruptions to freedom of navigation and political instability in this vast region given the potential ripple effects for their domestic stability, notably due to illegal migration.

Europe and the Indo-Pacific9DLApril 23, 20249dashline, Mathieu Droin, Emanuele Rossi, France, Italy, The Case for a Franco-Italian Spearhead in the Mediterranean-Indo-Pacific Continuum, indo-pacific, Mediterranean, Navy, cooperation, Indo-Mediterranean

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.

Editor's Picks9DLMarch 18, 20249dashline, Intersectionality as the key to Indo-Pacific climate action, indo-pacific, climate action, ACCSAP, Q-CHAMP, differentiated vulnerabilities, differentiated capacities, discrimination, oppression, intersecting identities, minority rights, gender, indigenous rights, structural inequity, discriminatory practices, Gender Action Plan, UNFCCC, intra-gender disparities, ocean acidification, extreme weather, rising sea levels, freshwater scarcity, infrastructural vulnerabilities, systemic crisis, land ownership, resource distribution, decision-making power, natural resources, gender-segregated tasks, sustenance farming, water shortages, food shortages, domestic violence, gendered violence, LGBTQIA+, disabilities, vulnerable groups, marginalised communities, island nations, coastal inundation, saltwater intrusion, drought, desertification, climate resilience, Pacific Islands Forum, PIF, major emitters, emissions, Global North, climate finance, loss and damage, IORA, ASEAN Climate Resilience Network, agricultural adaptation, regional cooperation, multilateral cooperation, sustainability, gender inclusivity, CSW66, gender inclusion, SGBV, VAWG, GBV, DV, Quad HADR, invisibilisation, DRR, exclusionary patterns, indigenous communities, knowledge custodians, decision-making agency, sustainability solutions, gender responsiveness, Indonesia, RANAPI, Pacific Gender and Climate Change Toolkit

Sustaining change in Cambodia: Hun Manet's journey of steady reform

Written by Jason Chumtong and Soth Chhayheng

The initial months of Hun Manet’s rule have been guided by public interest and the introduction of long-term strategies for the nation's progress to 2050, prompting reflection on the advancement of his vision for Cambodia's role in the region.

Southeast Asia9DLJanuary 25, 20249dashline, Sustaining change in Cambodia: Hun Manet's journey of steady reform, Jason Chumtong, Soth Chhayheng, Cambodia, Hun Manet, Hun Sen, long-term strategies, strategic policies, stability, foreign affairs, Pentagon Strategy, Kingdom of Cambodia, human capital development, economic diversification, economic competitiveness, private sector development, resilient development, sustainable development, inclusive development, digital economy, digital society, strategic shift, strategic guidance, collaboration, transregional political alliances, contemporary global strategies, reform, inclusive governance models, power sharing, domestic politics, opposition parties, competitive elections, least developed country, LDC, economic policies, economic reform, economic growth, foreign investment, national self-reliance, preferential market access, development aid, exports, garment industry, Everything But Arms, EBA, EU, duty-free access schemes, US market, EU market, Prime Minister, Prime Minister Hun Manet, human capital, social welfare, employment opportunities, healthcare, foreign direct investment, 43rd ASEAN Summit, ASEAN, UNGA, Saudi Arabia, ASEAN-Gulf Cooperation Council Summit, ASEAN-Japan Summit, Sretta Thavisin, diplomatic gesture, state visits, mass immigration, water disputes, energy resource exploration, indo-pacific, Victoria Nuland, Cambodia-US relations, USAID, diplomatic ties, US-China rivalry, Ream Naval Base, Brazil, diversification, Emmanuel Macron, France, political leadership, Khmer politics, fiscal policy, bilateral meetings, World Economic Forum, inauguration

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.

BIMSTEC: India’s unlikely regional security platform in the Bay of Bengal

Written by Tobias Scholz

The recent enhancement of security dialogues and mechanisms will continue to look inward by building trust, resilience, and capacity among BIMSTEC partners.

South Asia9DLNovember 14, 20239dashline, tobias scholz, BIMSTEC: India’s unlikely regional security platform in the Bay of Bengal, Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation, the South Asian Association of Regional Cooperation (SAARC), India’s Look East policy, BIMSTEC’s security agenda, Counter Terrorism and Transnational Crime (CTTC, myanmar, Bangladesh, worsened Myanmar’s relations with Bangladesh and India, Convention on Cooperation in Combating International Terrorism, Transnational Organized Crime and Illicit Drug Trafficking, BIMSTEC Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT), Advanced Persistent Threat actors (APTs), CERT-to-CERT cooperation, QUAD, ASEAN’s Cybersecurity Skilling Programme, indo-pacific, India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor, China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), G20 Summit in New Delhi, Ordnungsmacht, BIMSTEC member states

Hold on tight! The US, Indo-Pacific, and expectations for a second Trump term

Written by Blake H. Berger

If Trump prevails in the 2024 election, and if his first term indicates what the region can expect from a second one, hold tight because it will get ugly.

Post-INF Indo-Pacific: The strategic potential of US-Philippines cooperation

Written by Rupert Schulenburg

A rotational deployment of US ground-based anti-ship missiles to Philippine bases would constitute a major deepening of US-Philippines defence cooperation and could bolster regional deterrence.

East Asia9DLMay 18, 20239dashline, Post-INF Indo-Pacific: The strategic potential of US-Philippines cooperation, RUPERT SCHULENBURG, The Philippines, China, indo-pacific, US, US military primacy, navy, US military bases, Taiwan, military capabilities, US force posture, Taiwan contingency, US-Philippines defence cooperation, regional deterrence, US-Philippines, defence cooperation, anti-ship missile system, Manila, weapons systems, conventional missile strike volume, land-based nuclear forces, precision-strike missiles, Intermediate Nuclear Forces Treaty, Trump administration, Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty, INF, Russia, Mark Esper, south korea, Terminal High Altitude Area Defense, THAAD, Beijing, economic boycott, conventional weapons, land-attack capability, missile-hosting nations, nuclear escalation, Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement, EDCA, Typhon Weapon System, TWS, Tomahawk cruise missile, US army, Block Va, naval targets, Cesar Basa Air Base, Luzon, Antonio Bautista Air Base, Palawan, Taiwan Strait, short-range ballistic missile rounds, medium-range ballistic missile, launcher, Okinawa, missile batteries, strike volume, DF-26, Guam, surface combatants, amphibious assault ships, 2+2 ministerial dialogue, 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue, Marcos Jr., Philippine sea, joint patrols, South China Sea, intelligence-sharing framework, joint jet fighter exercises, Bilateral Defense Guidelines, missile-hosting agreement, Post-INF Indo-Pacific: The strategic potential of US-Philippines cooperation, Rupert Schulenburg, Philippines, United States, South Korea, Japan, Indo-Pacific, Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty, RAND Corporation, Rodrigo Duterte

Ten-year review of China’s defence budget: Steadily toward modernisation

Written by Fei Su and Xiao Liang

Despite concerns over the transparency on the official figures, the sustained growth in China's military spending demonstrates its unwavering commitment to the PLA’s modernisation to become a ‘world-class’ military by the mid-21st century.

The United States and China: Two alternative visions of regional order

Written by Dr Matteo Dian

Both US allies and non-aligned partners are deepening their security relationship with Washington as their main insurance policy against increasingly frequent Chinese coercion.

Faultlines9DLMay 1, 20239dashline, The United States and China: two alternative visions of regional order, DR MATTEO DIAN, US, US-China, China, power competition, Washington, beijing, regional order, Indo-Pacific model, democracy, maritime democracies, indo-pacific, American-led alliances, Community of Common Destiny, sovereignty, non-interference, US-led military alliances, Cold War mentality, cooperative mechanisms, consent, legitimacy, coercion, Free and Open Indo-Pacific, FOIP, Trump administration, US hegemony, Asia Pacific, liberal internationalist tradition, Biden administration, great power, middle powers, material superiority, normative pillars, US allies, Quad, US-led regional order., j, Japan, Singapore, Indonesia, liberal values, Xi Jinping, alternative leadership, Sino-centric region, Chinese model, Belt and Road Initiative, state sovereignty, Global Security Initiative, GSI, political-military blocs, ideological blocs, anti-colonial grievances, Australia, territorial disputes, Code of Conduct for maritime disputes, ASEAN

Best of 2022: Russia’s War and the International Order

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February last year took the international community by surprise and raised concerns about the precedent this might set especially for China’s policy vis-à-vis Taiwan. The differing responses from countries, particularly established and rising powers, were also scrutinised, and implications were drawn for global governance and the international order.

Faultlines9DLJanuary 4, 2023Russia, Ukraine, The day the music stopped, Jana C. von Dessien, University of St Gallen, Taiwan, Putin, Liberalism from below: The Global South, Indrajit Roy, UN, United Nations General Assembly, UNGA, Liberal International Order, The rationale behind Beijing’s position on the war in Ukraine, Wang Li, University of Aberdeen, China, Beijing, China's Endorsement of Russia's Assault: Implications for Europe and Asia, Justyna Sczudlik, propaganda, Moscow, Lithuania, Europe, Alignment without alliance: China’s growing ambivalence to Putin’s war, Lunting Wu, Kamil Matusiewicz, Nonalignment’s long shadow: India and the Ukraine crisis, ROHAN MUKHERJEE, India, indo-pacific, multipolar order, New Delhi, Japan-Russia: The end of delusions, CÉLINE PAJON, Shinzo Abe, Nicholas Ross Smith, Ukraine — A wakeup call for the United States, Ian Hall, Why India won’t break from Russia… yet

Best of 2022: The Climate Crisis

In 2022, the Indo-Pacific region witnessed several devastating climate-related disasters, from floods in Pakistan, India, and Bangladesh to heat waves and droughts in China. It is clear that the climate crisis has become an increasingly urgent global issue, and that concerted international action is necessary.

Faultlines9DLJanuary 3, 2023Best of 2022: The Climate Crisis, ASEAN leads the Indo-Pacific climate response, Clare Richardson-Barlow, Asean, indo-pacific, Net-Zero, South Asia must proactively prepare to face climate change, Manali Kumar, natural disasters, climate change, APOORVA JAIN, Building a case for disaster diplomacy in South Asia, India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Bangladesh’s manoeuvring of climate change geopolitics, Rudabeh Shahid, Atlantic Council, Sirazoom Munira, Paris Climate goals, Dhaka, China's water security dilemma, Zenel Garcia, Philip Guerreiro, Water, Beijing, Environment, economy, society, water security, Competition and cooperation: India and China in the global climate regime, Miriam Prys-Hansen, German Institute for International and Security Affairs, German Institute for Global and Area Studies, Simon Kaack, New Delhi, China, The World Needs Sino-American Climate Cooperation, Taylah Bland, Climate, Sino-American, Superpowers, Washington, Asia Society Policy Institute

Best of 2022: The Indo-Pacific

Take this opportunity to review some of our most-read analyses from the past year on the evolving strategies of several countries toward the Indo-Pacific.

Faultlines9DLJanuary 2, 2023Preparing for a crowded Indo-Pacific: where to next?, Gabriele Abbondanza, Korea, indonesia, Australia, South Korea, Europe, indo-pacific, Is South Korea’s new Indo-Pacific strategy finally forthcoming?, Wongi Choe, Moon Jae-in, south korea, japan, australia, Elli Pohlkamp, Elli-Katharina Pohlkamp, Tokyo, Russia, Ukraine, Moscow, Free and Open Indo-Pacific, United States, China, Christiane Heidbrink, Putin, Germany, Scholz, Bundeswehr, Asia-Pacific, France, Rafael Loss, Elisabeth I-Mi Suh, Hamburg Institute for Peace Research, Berlin, The Bundeswehr in the Indo-Pacific, German Council on Foreign Relations, DGAP, The fate of the Indo-Pacific: Lessons from Ukraine and US diplomacy towards Taiwan, Reuben Steff, Martin Jirušek, US, Taiwan, The US should prioritise the Indo-Pacific over Ukraine, Aine Cooke

Taking stock and looking ahead with 9DASHLINE

As we say farewell to an incredibly rewarding year and look forward to taking a brief but well-deserved break, 9DASHLINE’s leadership — David MacSweeney, Dr Manali Kumar, and Dr Zsuzsa Anna Ferenczy — answer some frequently asked questions about our goals and hopes for the platform in 2023.

News9DLDecember 23, 20229DASHLINE, Hunter Marston, Tereza Novotna, Zsuzsa Anna Ferenczy, Manali Kumar, David MacSweeney, La Trobe Asia, Kubernein Initiative, indo-pacific, europe, Feminist Foreign Policy, Brussels, Berlin, Korea, Taiwan

How and why Japan can be an alternative to China in the Indo-Pacific

Written by Kyoko Hatakeyama

Moreover, since Japan has maintained a stable relationship with China — despite their territorial disputes — the region does not have to worry about backlash or anger from China just because they choose Japan over China.

East Asia9DLDecember 16, 20229dashline, How and why Japan can be an alternative to China in the Indo-Pacific, Kyoko Hatakeyama, Japan, China, South China Sea, nine-dash line, Senkaku Island, Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership, RCEP, TPP, United States, Trans-Pacific Partnership, trade partner, Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership, CPTPP, Tokyo, Beijing, regional economic integration, sphere of influence, Sino-centric order, infrastructure projects, G20 Principles for Quality Infrastructure Investment, G20, Trilateral Partnership for Infrastructure Investment, indo-pacific, Abeonomics, Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), Abenomics, Shinzo Abe, South Korea, Taiwan, Jakarta, Bandung, Indonesia, Cambodia, debt, debt trap, Pacific Island states, Solomon Islands, Australia, New Zealand, COVID-19 crisis, COVAX, WHO, ASEAN, Sinovac, Laos, Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), Donald Trump, Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), ‘debt trap’ diplomacy, Asian Development Bank, Nauru, Federated States of Micronesia, Kiribati, Philippines, Vietnam, Philippine Coast Guards (PCG), Joko Widodo, Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi, Natuna archipelago, Natuna Islands, USA

What will the Czech Republic’s EU presidency mean for China?

Written by Filip Šebok

In July, the Czech Republic takes over the reins of the EU presidency from France. While Ukraine will most likely dominate the agenda, Prague is still set up to offer new impulses on the bloc’s China policy, especially within the larger framework of the Indo-Pacific.

Pacific9DLMay 31, 20229DashLine, Czech Republic, Czechia, France, Ukraine, EU, European Union, FILIP ŠEBOK, China, Prague, Beijing, Brussels, Andrej Babiš, Taiwan, Human Rights, Václav Havel, Beijing Olympics, Miloš Zeman, Vladimír Tomšík, Jan Lipavský, Lithuania, CEE, Tibetan Government in Exile, Tibet, Badiucao, Uyghurs, Czech Chamber of Deputies' Foreign Affairs Committee, 16+1, Indo-Pacific, Libor Sečka, The Netherlands, Germany, 5G, Prague Proposals, Australia, Indonesia, New Zealand, Washington, US, climate change, Japan, South Korea, India, ASEAN, EU Commission, Russia, Huo Yuzhen, What will the Czech Republic’s EU presidency mean for China?, Czechoslovakia, indo-pacific, Beijing Winter Olympics, Olympics, Central and Eastern Europe, President Zeman, Uyghur, Netherlands, United States, China Observers in Central and Eastern Europe, Association for International Affairs, MapInfluenCE

The team behind 9DASHLINE

As we bid adieu to a busy and rewarding year for our team, 9DL’s leadership — David MacSweeney [Founder], Dr Manali Kumar [Editor-in-Chief], and Dr Zsuzsa Anna Ferenczy [Head of the Associates’ Network] — answer some frequently asked questions.

France in the Pacific: What it's been up to, and why it's good for America

Written by Michael Shurkin

Spurning France the way they have with the AUKUS deal, Australia, the US, and the UK have shut out an ally eager to enhance its role in Indo-Pacific security and do so in a manner that almost entirely coincided with American and Australian interests.