Written by Joe Varner
When asking whether it is a deterrence game-changer in the short and long run, the answer is likely no. To counter the Sarmat, Washington can move more and more of its vulnerable land-based deterrent to the US sea-based portion of the triad and onto submarines.
Read MoreWritten by Joshua Bernard Espeña
It is unlikely that Manila will join Washington in balancing against Beijing — Marcos Jr has already made this clear. Neither will the country bandwagon with Beijing given domestic pressures driven by fears over creeping Chinese influence.
Read MoreWritten by Wongi Choe
In contrast to the previous Moon Jae-in administration of the Republic of Korea (ROK), the new Yoon Suk-yeol government is highly likely to take on a new broader regional strategy with a comprehensive Indo-Pacific framework at its core.
Read MoreWritten by Daniel Bruno Davis
While vice presidents in the Philippines don’t have much power, Sara’s political future is tied more than ever to the success of Marcos. Their alliance produced big electoral wins for both of them. If Marcos remains popular as president her star will continue to rise.
Read MoreWritten by Zachary Abuza
Thailand’s submarine deal with China has been put on hold, not due to the public backlash, parliamentary scrutiny, or a lack of strategic rationale; the Gulf of Siam is too shallow for submarines to operate effectively. But since the military coup of 2014, the Thai military usually gets its way regardless of strategic rationale.
Read MoreWritten by Bridget Welsh
Since 2018, Malaysian governments have been proactive in drawing attention to conditions within Myanmar, with the current foreign minister, Saifuddin Abdullah, and former foreign minister, Syed Hamid Albar, actively engaged in seeking solutions to the crisis.
Read MoreWritten by Teo S. Marasigan
Attempts to criminalise red-tagging and declare it a human rights violation show how citizens and civil society in the Philippines are fighting back in the legal sphere against an instrument of repression used by a government that has become an avatar of democratic decline in the world.
Read MoreWritten by Malcolm Campbell-Verduyn and Francesco Giumelli
The Indo-Pacific region has become a key site for informal attempts to create “crypto-utopias” and formal pilots of Central Bank Digital Currencies (CBDCs).
Read MoreWritten by Daniel Julian Savua
While the PIF started in the era of regionalism and cooperation between nations, it has now turned to individualism with some nations taking steps that are best for them rather than the region.
Read MoreWritten by Céline Pajon
Faced with the paralysis of the UN Security Council (UNSC), for instance, Tokyo condemned Russian actions and called for reform of this body. As part of this reform, the number of UNSC permanent members would increase, with a seat for Japan.
Read MoreWritten by Elli Pohlkamp
This behaviour of inactivity and standing on the sidelines has changed now, driven by the concern that one day Japan might need help from its Western alliance partners should the security situation around Japan change.
Read MoreWritten by Gabriele Abbondanza
What we are witnessing is an increasingly crowded region, one in which the many strategies of interested states and organisations do not coordinate to a meaningful extent and therefore frustrate each other.
Read MoreWritten by Bec Strating
Both the 2022 Cope North exercise and the Tonga example highlight concerns that hard and soft security are not so easily distinguishable.
Read MoreWritten by Aditi Mukund and Sanya Saroha
Policymakers across the Asia-Pacific region must work towards adopting gender mainstreaming principles. A feminist perspective, which advocates for including all marginalised groups, is necessary for fully transformative outcomes in the Indo-Pacific’s future, and an economic recovery must make provisions for women as stakeholders.
Read MoreWritten by Ahmad Rizky M. Umar
While Indonesia’s capital relocation is mostly related to the country’s domestic development priorities, it carries regional security implications that must be addressed as tensions in the Indo-Pacific region increase.
Read MoreWritten by Stephen Nagy
The raft of recent international trade agreements speaks to the multi-layered and multilateral approach many Indo-Pacific states are pursuing to deal with China.
Read MoreWritten by Moez Hayat
Canada’s omission from the AUKUS defence partnership is a missed opportunity for both Washington and Ottawa to leverage their longstanding alliance as relevant powers in the Indo-Pacific.
Read MoreWritten by Melissa Conley Tyler
The region could end up divided and with weakened regional institutions that struggle to restore the development trajectory that rising middle classes have expected. Poor economic growth could create a breeding ground for discontent and instability.
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