infrastructure — 9DASHLINE

The EU’s Global Gateway Initiative: Infrastructure cooperation with Southeast Asia

Written by Dr Alfred Gerstl and Nick Nieschalke

The investment in the Global Gateway Initiative (GGI) indicates the EU’s stronger global focus on infrastructure and connectivity partnerships within a dedicated scheme.

Europe and the Indo-Pacific, In Focus9DLMay 6, 20249dashline, The EU’s Global Gateway Initiative: Infrastructure cooperation with Southeast Asia, Dr Alfred Gerstl, Nick Nieschalke, EU, European Union, Indo-Pacific strategy, EU Global Gateway Initiative, Global Gateway Initiative, GGI, Indo-Pacific, Africa, Global South, geostrategic challenges, geo-economic challenges, EU institutions, EU member states, China, BRI, private sector, EU funds, Europe-Asia connectivity programme, infrastructure, connectivity partnerships, Brussels, Southeast Asia, alternative models of governance, economic benefits, values-based foreign policy, rules-based order, ASEAN, US, investment, de-risking, green transition, supply chains, energy supply, environment, health, education and research, energy, digital connectivity, UN SDG, sustainability, cooperation, Bac Ai hydropower plant, Vietnam, energy imports, net zero carbon emissions, electricity, hydropower, Hanoi, Beijing, environmental damages, lighthouse project, Philippines, Copernicus, natural disasters, climate change, Manila, soft power tool, geopolitical ambitions, security actor

Sino-India rivalry for port dominance in Bangladesh

Written by Mae Chow and Shakthi De Silva

Ultimately, Bangladesh's ability to maintain constructive engagements with China and India will not only shape its own future trajectory but also contribute significantly to the stability and prosperity of the broader Indo-Pacific region.

South Asia, Faultlines9DLApril 24, 2024Sino-India rivalry for port dominance in Bangladesh, Mae Chow, Shakthi de Silva, 9DASHLINE, Bangladesh, India China, India, China, Sino-India rivalry, least developed country, developed economy, port, maritime, infrastructure, trade, port infrastructure, Beijing, New Delhi, Dhaka, intra-regional trade, Belt and Road, Belt and Road Initiative, BRI, Bangladesh-China-Myanmar Economic Corridor (BCM-EC), Myanmar, Mongla Port, Bay of Bengal, Neighbourhood First Policy, Kyaukpyu, Sri Lanka, Hambantota Port, Chittagong, foreign direct investment, China Harbour Engineering Company, investment, Sheikh Hasina, Sonadia Deep-Sea Port Project, single-point mooring, sea-land integrated super-large oil storage and transportation system, Chittagong port, China Harbour Engineering Company (CHEC), China State Engineering and Construction Company (CSCEC), Payra Deep Seaport, Indian Ocean, littoral, String Of Pearls, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Maldives, Nepal, connectivity, sea lines, Mongla port, Khulna-Mongla Port Rail Line, Eigs India Consulting Engineers, Mongla Port Authority, development, Bangladesh Export Processing Zone Authority (BEPZA), Yun Sheng BD, Mongla Export Processing Zone, electric vehicle manufacturing supply chains, loans, balancing, strategic partnerships, sovereignty, diplomacy

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 Popular9DLApril 5, 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

Hungary’s bet on China: Smart move or desperate attempt?

Written by Dr Tamás Matura

Playing a balancing act between the East and the West, Orbán hopes to boost his international political clout and the economic development of Hungary by cosying up to other illiberal world leaders such as China’s Xi Jinping.

Europe and the Indo-Pacific9DLMarch 4, 20249dashline, Hungary’s bet on China: Smart move or desperate attempt?, Dr Tamás Matura, Hungary, China, Viktor Orbán, Beijing, Budapest, illiberal governments, Xi Jinping, Chinese investors, Western investors, China policy, Sino-Hungary, EV industry, Central Europe, EU, Orbán, Eastern Opening Policy, comprehensive strategic partnership, pro-China policies, veto, Council veto, human rights abuses, EU proposals, South China Sea, Russia-Ukrainian war, 16+1 framework, Baltic states, Poland, Czechia, Romania, diplomatic resources, economic resources, friendship, diplomacy, Beijing's strategic interests, EU statements, Hungarian economy, Chinese economic presence, Chinese capital, European automotive industry, Berlin, BRI, Budapest-Belgrade railway line, EU technological standards, Chinese factories, Serbia, multinational manufacturers, transportation corridor, infrastructure, EV, manufacturing exports, European economic crisis, domestic companies, crony capitalism, unemployment, guest workers, hatemongering, migrants, migration, minority groups, foreign workers, countryside, veto power, 16+1 cooperation, middleman strategy

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.

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

China’s Belt and Road Initiative in Central and Eastern Europe: stuttering to a halt?

Written by Dr Jeremy Garlick

The BRI’s unfulfilled potential in the region leaves the connectivity and cooperation aims of the initiative largely on the shelf, with the main successes for China located in Western Balkan countries that are not EU members.

Europe and the Indo-Pacific9DLJune 12, 20239DashLine, China’s Belt and Road Initiative in Central and Eastern Europe: stuttering to a halt?, Jeremy Garlick, Central and Eastern Europe (CEE), China, Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), One Belt One Road, Beijing, Russia, Western Europe, developing world, Global South, investment, Cold War, Soviet influence, Sino-Soviet split, communist regimes, 16+1 framework, 16+1, 16+1 summit, 14+1, 17+1, EU, trade, economy, trade routes, China-CEE cooperation, Russian invasion of Ukraine, Russia’s invasion, Russia's aggression, Lithuania, Czech Republic, Taiwan, infrastructure, Western Balkans, Belarus, Ukraine, Moldova, China-CEE cooperation framework, Russia’s regional influence, Greece, high-speed railway, Belgrade, Budapest, EU regulations, Hungary, Baltic states, Estonia, Latvia, Southeast Europe, port of Piraeus, trade chain, Suez Canal, trade volumes, Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, North Macedonia, bilateral deals, EU bureaucracy, highway, railway, Danube River, bridge, sewer system, power plants, energy infrastructure, Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, Central Asia, Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC), Africa, EU accession, EU integration, creditor, Fudan University, ‘One China’ policy, United Nations, Xinjiang, connectivity, Eurosceptic, CEE countries, CEE region, regionalisation, CEE, Central and Eastern Europe, European Union

Beijing uses border villages to secure territorial claims

Written by Harry Thursby-Pelham

With India constructing roads and border villages leading up to the LAC in response to China’s construction, it looks like tensions on the border will continue in the foreseeable future.

Emerging Issues9DLMarch 30, 20239DashLine, Beijing uses border villages to secure territorial claims, Harry Thursby-Pelham, Tibet, Tibet Autonomous Region, India, China, LAC, Chinese Communist Party (CCP), Chinese Communist Party (CCP) Congress, 19th Chinese Communist Party (CCP) Congress, India-China border, India-China border dispute, Plan for the Construction of Well-off Villages in the Border Areas of the Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR) (2017-2020), xiaokang, 'xiaokang’ villages, People’s Republic of China, fortification, permanent infrastructure, disputed Tibetan border region, Tibet’s history, Mongols, British India, Qing Dynasty, Simla Convention, McMahon Line, Tibetan-Indian Border, Line of Actual Control (LAC), Arunachal Pradesh, suzerain, independence, 1962 Sino-Indian War, South Tibet, occupation, sovereignty, nuclear weapons, military, modern warfare, globalisation, international community, United Nations, uti possidetis, Chinese President Xi Jinping, Deng Xiaoping, ‘biding one’s time’ (tao guang yang hui), hard power, infrastructure, ethnic minority, rural revitalisation, Shigatse, Lhokha, Nyingchi, Ngari, Indian Foreign Ministry, Tibetans, Han Chinese, Global Times, South China Sea, Philippines, 2015 Hague Tribunal, Exclusive Economic Zone, judicial legitimacy, Woody Island, New Delhi, Beijing, international law, Indian Union Cabinet, Vibrant Village Programme, Galwan Valley, BEIJING USES BORDER VILLAGES TO SECURE TERRITORIAL CLAIMS

Thailand’s upcoming general election: A preview

Written by Ken Mathis Lohatepanont

The blurring of the lines between the government and the opposition means that voters may very well end up with a government that straddles Thailand’s traditional divides.

Southeast Asia9DLMarch 14, 20239dashline, Thailand’s upcoming general election: a preview, KEN MATHIS LOHATEPANONT, Thailand, 2014 military coup, military coup, 2017 constitution, election, Thai election, Thai Senate, Thai House of Representatives, Thai Prime Minister, majoritarian electoral system, conservative parties, opposition parties, COVID-19, Prayut Chan-o-cha, general election, prime ministerial term limit, Prawit Wongsuwan, prime ministerial candidate, Palang Pracharath Party, PPRP, United Thai Nation Party, UTN, patronage systems, Democrat Party, Bhumjaithai Party, marijuana legalisation, Prayut regime, Pheu Thai Party, Thaksin Shinawatra, self-imposed exile, military junta, Government House, coalition, Move Forward Party, parliament, Thai parliament, public debate, economic contraction, high inflation, economic policies, minimum wage, welfare state, Pom 700, Constitutional Court, infrastructure, electric vehicles, global hub, banking services and credit, Paethongtharn Shinawatra

The Belt and Road Initiative in China’s western frontier and Central Asia

Written by Zenel Garcia

The need for continued Chinese investment and market access ensures that Central Asian leaders will continue to relegate the question of Uyghur diasporas or the treatment of other Muslim minorities in Xinjiang to the periphery.