Human rights in the age of Southeast Asian extractivism

Written by Annika Reynolds

The differing experiences of Indonesia, Thailand, and the Philippines offer valuable lessons in the era of globalised extractivism, accelerating climate change and the struggle for human rights.

Ukraine — A wakeup call for the United States

Written by Nicholas Ross Smith

Washington needs to replace its grand strategy with more nuanced strategies that better reflect the evolving power dynamics of the international and regional systems. Without realistic adjustments, the United States and its allies face a difficult future of regional great power competitions in Eastern Europe and the Indo-Pacific.

The Tatmadaw’s flawed theory of victory

Written by Zachary Abuza

Entering the second year, one thing is certain: the military is getting both frustrated and desperate. Generals are being rotated and replaced with loyalists. The army will increase attacks on civilians, and that will further weaken morale for all but the most hardcore and indoctrinated.

Human Rights, China and the Winter Olympics — can democratic unity prevail?

Written by Zsuzsa Anna Ferenczy

After Taiwan opened a representative office in Lithuania under its own name, Beijing didn’t only retaliate bilaterally, but it went after Lithuania’s trading partners in Europe, undermining the integrity of the European single market.

2022: Where to for climate mitigation?

China and the US can suspend the superpower competition with goodwill and scientific imagination to mobilise a techno-war on carbon that will improve the quality of life not just for American and Chinese citizens but also for the planet.

What’s happening on the China-Vietnam border?

Written by Bill Hayton

This year, with Cambodia in the chair of the Association of Southeast Nations (ASEAN), China is hoping to win concessions on the content of the Code of Conduct. So far, Vietnam is holding firm.

2022: The US and its European allies

The Biden administration’s decision to withdraw from Afghanistan and the handling of the AUKUS announcement has strained relations with European allies and served as a stark reminder that the United States will always privilege its interests over those of its friends and partners.

2022: Is China losing Central and Eastern Europe?

2021 was the year of Chinese ‘wolf warrior’ diplomacy and what observers have characterised as the ‘bullying’ of countries unwilling to toe Beijing’s many lines. While this has led to souring ties between China and others within its immediate neighbourhood, Europe too found itself on the wrong side of Beijing’s new muscular diplomacy.

How rising majoritarianism affects India-Bangladesh relations

Written by Anuttama Banerji

Overt criticism of Bangladesh within Indian quarters has provided ammunition to ultra-right religious groups in Bangladesh who have been fanning anti-India sentiment.

ASEAN on migrant rights: Making process, not progress

Written by Liberty Chee

As Southeast Asia, and indeed most other world regions age, without an increase in public spending on welfare, more and more migrant women will likely be called on for providing caring services.

Countering disinformation together: First steps towards stronger EU-Taiwan ties

Written by Meghan Shoop

Future cooperation could include Taiwanese and EU think tanks working with one another to study authoritarian regimes’ current disinformation strategies and the effectiveness of various efforts to combat disinformation.

Memory under assault: Rewriting history and banning commemoration in Hong Kong 

Written by Jeppe Mulich

Too many young people have been politicised by the events of the past two years, and many of them now bear physical and mental scars, forming an embodied communal archive that will be hard to control. Commemoration, like dissent, is going underground.

High ambitions but no teeth in China’s environmental guidelines for investing abroad

Written by Mirela Petkova

If China is to rightfully claim environmental leadership, the conduct of Chinese companies going abroad should be guided by stricter environmental domestic standards, rather than merely the one's host states provide.

Japan’s climate policy in light of COP26

Written by Florentine Koppenborg

There is a striking disconnect between Japan’s greenhouse gas emissions reduction targets on the one hand and the energy strategy adopted to achieve them. An important step would be to reduce Japan’s reliance on coal, the single biggest cause of climate change.

See you later, Zooxanthellae!

By Claudia Schildknecht

Due to a lack of political intervention, researchers currently expect the reefs to disappear worldwide by the middle of the century. If we lose coral reefs, we lose the rainforest of the sea. We would lose 25 per cent of the fish that live in this ‘underwater rainforest’, leaving large marine animals without food.

China: The missing presence at COP26

Written by Barbara Pongratz and Nis Grünberg

Calculations have shown that China needs to peak earlier than 2030 to keep global warming below 1.5°C. At this point, a degree of climate competition might be even more useful than cooperation. The EU needs to overtake China in its commitments and lead by example.

The continuities in Trump’s and Biden’s foreign policies

Written by Richard Johnson

As Biden preaches his commitment to being “ethical, straight, telling the truth, supporting our allies, all those good things”, observers might wish to jot in the corner “France, Afghanistan, tariffs”. The list will likely grow.

Extreme green: How China and Germany manoeuvre through climate extremes

Written by Julia Teebken

We must understand how social routines and changed daily practices interrelate with population vulnerability, how they can foster resilience and be supported by state institutions (e.g., flexible adjustment of working hours and clothes during periods of extreme heat).