Navigating the middle: Japan-Cambodia relations and the challenge of geopolitical competition

Written by Dr Sophal Ear

Cambodia offers a litmus test: if Japan can sustain influence there, it may do so across mainland Southeast Asia.

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Japan’s defence plans: What matters is implementation

Written by Dr Ryo Hinata-Yamaguchi

Without continuous efforts in Japan including securing monetary and political capital — together with coordinating and cooperating with regional partners — Tokyo’s push for defence modernisation will face a myriad of challenges going forward.

East Asia9DLMay 8, 2023Japan’s defence plans: what matters is implementation, 9DashLine, Ryo Hinata-Yamaguchi, Japan, defence, military, National Security Strategy (NSS), National Defense Strategy (NDS), Defense Buildup Program (DBP), pacifism, Japan’s pacifist constitution, Tokyo, Japan Self-Defense Force (JSDF), counterattacks, military readiness, defence planning, National Defense Program Guidelines, China, North Korea, Russia, threats, Beijing, Moscow, Pyongyang, conflict, warfare, military modernisation, strike capabilities, nuclear doctrine, preemptive strikes, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Russia-Ukraine war, hybrid warfare, psychological warfare, cognitive warfare, capabilities, resilience, hypervelocity gliding projectiles, Okinawa, Japan Ground Self-Defense Force, Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force, Japan Air Self-Defense Force, defence budget, US-Japan alliance, Korean Peninsula, Taiwan Strait, US-Japan-South Korea trilateral coordination, Seoul, South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol, Japanese Prime Minister Kishida Fumio, free and open Indo-Pacific, Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (Quad), NATO, Southeast Asia, rule of law, security dilemma

Seoul’s Indo-Pacific strategy will not make big waves in Southeast Asia

Written by Alessandro Vesprini and Matteo Piasentini

The best option for South Korea is to double down on diplomacy, economic ties, and military sales, as well as tighten the dialogue with like-minded middle powers in the region.

East Asia9DLFebruary 28, 20239dashline, Seoul’s Indo-Pacific strategy will not make big waves in Southeast Asia, Alessandro Vesprini, Matteo Piasentini, Seoul, south korea, Southeast Asia, 23rd Association of Southeast Asian Nations, ROK, ASEAN summit, ASEAN-ROK summit, Strategy for a Free, Peaceful, and Prosperous Indo-Pacific Region, Indo-Pacific, Yoon, Yoon Suk-yeol, rules-based order, New Southern Policy, Moon Jae-in, China, Korea-ASEAN Solidarity Initiative, KASI, ASEAN Member States, ASMs, Indo-Pacific Strategy, rules-based international order, United States, US, Beijing, People, Prosperity, and Peace, NSP Plus, economic cooperation, bilateral relationships, principles of cooperation, Inclusiveness, Trust, and Reciprocity, building regional order, rule of law, human rights, non-proliferation, counter-terrorism, security cooperation, security and defence, Mekong-ROK, New Northern Policy, Pyongyang, strategic partnerships, multilateral trade deals, Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership, Asia Power Index, ASEAN Outlook on Indo-Pacific, AOIP, mechanisms of conflict management, 2022 ASEAN Summit, South China Sea, Global Pivotal Power, military capabilities, strategic constraints, security dialogue initiatives, autonomous foreign policy, US-China competition, North Korea, inter-Korean relations, soft power

Political pardons in South Korea: President Yoon’s relationship to rule of law

Written by Hannes B. Mosler

Alongside Japan, South Korea plays a central role for Western allies in the region to support value-based multilateralism with liberal-democratic principles and norms at its core.

Power Politics9DLFebruary 21, 20239dashline, Political pardons in South Korea: President Yoon’s relationship to rule of law, HANNES B. MOSLER, political pardons, South Korea, Yoon Suk-yeol, rule of law, Indo-Pacific Strategy, foreign policy strategy, international norms, rules-based order, freedom, democracy, human rights, US, Japan, EU, germany, China, Russia, North Korea, value-based multilateralism, liberal-democratic principles, Global Pivotal State, corruption, election, workers rights, UN International Labor Organization, ILO, freedom of association, freedom of the press, MBC, members of congress, International Federation of Journalists, IFJ, constitutional complaint, pardon, bribery, election interference, white-collar crimes, Lee Myung-bak, embezzlement, tax evasion, prison sentence, fines, Won Se-hoon, smear campaigns, presidential election, influence-peddling scandal, impeachment, abuse of power, officials, high-ranking officials, Kim Ki-chun, Park Chung-hee, Park Geun-hye, Park scandal, special pardons, reconciliation, mass mercy, Democratic Party, amnesty, political gains, democratic deterioration

2023: More tumultuous times ahead for Sri Lanka?

9DASHLINE asks several experts how they assess the prospects for political and economic recovery in 2023 after the turbulence of last year.

South Asia9DLFebruary 2, 20232023: More tumultuous times ahead for Sri Lanka?, 9DashLine, Sri Lanka, economic crisis, anti-government protests, Gotabaya Rajapaksa, economic recovery, RAJNI GAMAGE, Unsustainable debt, balance of payment challenges, bankrupt, foreign debt obligations, Mass protests, World Bank, poverty, IMF, tax reforms, state-owned enterprise reforms, geopolitics, balancing game, India, Japan, Western powers, China, debt restructuring, democracy, police surveillance, arrests, political opposition, emergency laws, military, rule of law, ASANGA ABEYAGOONASEKARA, Rajapaksas, powder keg, people’s uprising, Ranil Wickremasinghe, iron fist, Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA), economic hardship, law and order, Ukraine war, oil prices, Colombo, financial assistance, political-economic crisis, internal and external geopolitical shocks, BHAGYA SENARATNE, currency default, youth-driven protests, Economic stability, political stability, popular mandate, legitimate president, Extended Fund Facility (EFF), inflation, accountability, attitudinal change

2023: The future of the QUAD in the Indo-Pacific

As a reinvigorated Quad steps up its engagement, some observers have called for the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue to establish a permanent presence in the Indo-Pacific via a standing maritime force. But how viable is this idea?

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The EU’s self-perceived role in the Indo-Pacific — still a normative power?

Written by Phuong Mai Tran

Obviously, the EU must prioritise Europe’s defence. The important question here is whether its Indo-Pacific strategy would be affected as a result.

Pacific9DLSeptember 8, 20229DashLine, The EU’s self-perceived role in the Indo-Pacific — still a normative power?, Phuong Mai Tran, EU, European Union, Indo-Pacific, normative power, Indo-Pacific strategy, Brussels, geopolitical, France, Germany, The Netherlands, European Commission, EU High Representative, joint communication, military, Ursula von der Leyen, von der Leyen, Vice-President Borrell, Borrell, Josep Borrell, President von der Leyen, proactive cooperative power, strategic autonomy, democracy, rule of law, human rights, Human RIghts, sustainable development, Common Security and Defence Policy, CSDP, partnership, multi-dimensional, cooperative power, polarisation, ASEAN, minilateral, minilateralism, US, Japan, UK, Australia, India, China, Multilateralism, Global Gateway, trade, cyberattacks, like-minded partners, Indian Ocean, Russia, Ukraine, PHUONG MAI TRAN