Posts in Faultlines
Breaking the deadlock: The Japan-South Korea ‘comfort women’ dispute

Written by Wichuta Teeratanabodee

Events, such as the ROK reversing its decision to end the military intelligence-sharing pact with Japan due to threats from the North, have shown that the two countries can put aside their bitter relations to focus on regional threats.

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India and the BRICS: Confused signalling on China

Written by Jabin T Jacob

Under the circumstances, third countries with no skin in the game but possessing a crucial vote in the UN General Assembly or asked to make a choice might be forgiven for not taking India seriously when it complains about China.

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Russia, India and the S-400 deal: Complicated geopolitics

Written by Divyanshu Jindal

While the delivery of the first batch of S-400 systems is still a few months away, in future, new dynamics in Afghanistan and increasing cooperation between India and the US in the Indo-Pacific through the Quad will surely be important factors affecting the decision to impose or waive CAATSA sanctions against India.

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Clouds on the horizon: Sino-German relations and the Bundestag election

Written by Christiane Heidbrink

The CDU/CSU, the SPD, the Greens and the FDP warn against digital competition with China. As these are the four parties with the largest predicted vote shares, their ideas for reinforcing the digital economy, critical infrastructure, and network security will shape Germany's relations with China as well as the US.

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Navigating cybersecurity amid tech rivalry

Written by Farlina Said

Southeast Asian states aim to uphold the principle of ‘technological neutrality’ which ensures the right to choose technology most appropriate for a specific need. Thus, when oversight initiatives such as the Blue Dot Network or Trump’s Clean Network Initiative are pushed, ASEAN member states can avoid choosing sides or technology.

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No strategic dialogue partner, but thinking very strategically

Written by Zachary Abuza

After the regional centre is established, Vietnam should take the lead in setting up local monitoring and other scientific and educational exchanges with their Lao and Cambodian counterparts. Here they have considerably more sway and interest than the United States.

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Labour in the time of COVID-19

Written by Drake Long

The time for introspection should not wait for the COVID narrative to shift once more. After all, the crew change crisis is still not over: the world has just entered its 30th month of leaving its seafarers out at sea, with no safe harbour for them to find.

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A renewed Atlantic Charter: Rekindling a wartime spirit between the US and UK?

Written by Amelia Hadfield and William Hitt

It reaffirms the anchor points of trans-Atlantic security alongside the values of democracy and human rights, but whether it can roll in all of Europe in this call as well as representing a clear challenge to rising antagonists remains to be seen.

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Taliban’s rapid territorial gains: The future of the post-US Afghanistan

Written by Abdul Basit

The gap and the lack of trust between Afghanistan’s political and military leadership have equally contributed to the Afghan security forces’ poor performance against the Taliban’s ground offensive. It is a well-known fact that several units of the Afghan security forces were not fighting by making arrangements with the Taliban, such as staging fake operations.

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China and Central Europe: A love affair that was never meant to be?

Written by Tamás Matura

China has indeed made mistakes in its courtship of the region in the past decade. Together with CEE governments, it raised expectations it could not fulfil and followed a top-down approach targeting the elites of CEE societies instead of winning the hearts and minds of the people.

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Dams on the Brahmaputra River

Written by Ambika Vishwanath

It is imperative that Bangladesh, China and India cooperate on the multitude of weather and climate-related issues that will continue to affect the eastern Himalayan region and work with Bhutan and Nepal to create a formal disaster mitigation and management organisation.

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What does China want in Nepal?

Written by Bindesh Dahal

The NCP split has come as a rare shock to China’s foreign policy. Its efforts to build an ideological force with a strong financial backing to counter New Delhi’s influence, which enjoys excellent political, social and cultural ties with Nepal have fallen flat.

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The CCP at 100: What next for human rights in EU-China relations?

Written by Zsuzsa Anna Ferenczy

As China entails a multi-dimensional threat to Europe, it requires a multi-dimensional strategy. Conferring a prominent role to human rights in its approach to China will be vital for Brussels’ efforts to champion human rights for all.

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The Galwan Valley one year on: What's changed with China and the PLA ?

Written by Suyash Desai

As visible from the ongoing stand-off, it’s difficult to restore the status quo ante once it is changed by force as the two sides evenly match up. Thus India needs to be cautious about the changing nature of China’s military operations and its manifestation on the Sino-Indian border.

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Negotiating the BRI: Insights from the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor

Written by Filippo Boni and Katharine Adeney

Recipient countries need to build mechanisms to ensure that technology transfers and training are integral to the development of BRI projects. Otherwise, these important issues may end up on the backburner.

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Rare earths in the grey zone

Written by Michael Brodka

Diversification policy and supply chain alternatives provide the mechanisms for Indo-Pacific countries to lessen their dependence on Chinese REEs; however, further action is necessary. Any long-term REE strategy must also contain plans to reduce consumption, improve the efficiency of the resource, and emphasise recycling.

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New Zealand’s Five Eyes stance: Not surprising, not unjust, and not unwise

Written by Lucas Knotter

New Zealand and the Five Eyes should continue to give strong signals in opposition to China’s international and domestic conduct, but it is hard to countenance a positive outcome from antagonistic machismo rhetoric.

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