Written by Manish Jung Pulami
Beijing's presence in the Bay of Bengal’s waters has provoked a level of strategic competition among regional and extra-regional actors not seen since the Cold War when Soviet and American Indian Ocean squadrons competed for influence in South Asia.
Read MoreWritten by Prashant Kandpal and Koushlender Singh Bundela
Recent attacks from extremist splinter groups, including the resurgence of Islamic State in the region has forced Duterte to put his weight behind a reformed terrorism bill. Those protesting against the new anti-terror bill fear that provisions within it will give Manila unsupervised power over the citizens of the country.
Read MoreWritten by Anisa Heritage and Pak K Lee
The inherent contradictions between Trump’s America First strategy and the current calls for a coalition against China remain a sticking point. Trump has never attended an East Asia Summit, and his administration’s denigration of alliances has reduced American capacity to create a coalition of like-minded partners to support its position in the South China Sea.
Read MoreWritten by Muhammad Zulfikar Rakhmat and M. Habib Pashya.
Oman is no way going to replace the U.S. or China as Indonesia’s main economic and security partner. However, Muscat could become one of the many alternative partners that Indonesia should embrace to be less dependent on China and the U.S., especially in the realm of counter-terrorism.
Read MoreWritten by Dinesh Bhattarai
The current dispute concerns the territory on the eastern side of the Mahakali river, a strategic area at the trijunction between Nepal, India, and China. This area has been under India’s control since the 1962 Sino-Indian border war.
Read MoreWritten by Lokman Karadag
Prompting Seoul’s aircraft carrier program are the persistent reports of the Trump Administration’s plans to withdraw a sizeable number of US troops from the Korean peninsula, leaving South Korean officials increasingly uncertain over Washington’s defence guarantees.
Read MoreWritten by Zachary Abuza
In Thailand there is a growing frustration that after holding power for five years, the military junta continues to cling to power and disenfranchise the electorate. The government of Prayut Chan-o-cha holds little in the way of legitimacy and increasingly, so does the monarchy.
Read MoreWritten by Amelia Hadfield
What began as a single protest in 2003 has now turned into a consolidated, permanent anti-government structure, including a wide range of citizens and stakeholders from across and beyond Hong Kong, all of whom are largely united in their demands to preserve democracy and autonomy for Hong Kong.
Read MoreWritten by Chayanika Saxena
Since the Taliban’s presence in the peace process is inevitable, India must abandon its self-imposed binary approach to the impending negotiations and adjust its strategies accordingly. India’s either/or approach is no longer viable, especially when the Afghan government is willing to negotiate with the Taliban.
Read MoreWritten by Manavik Raj
The recent developments in the India-China relationship, specifically the stand-off in Ladakh, India’s growing interest in the South China Sea and the development of the Quad all have implications for the India-Sri Lanka relationship, in large part due to China’s perceived influence in Colombo.
Read MoreWritten by Don McLain Gill
In a surprising turn of events, the government of Myanmar has decided to involve international partners in the mega Yangon City Project, which is a key element of the Beijing-funded China-Myanmar Economic Corridor (CMEC).
Read MoreWritten by Tanvi Kulkarni
Since May, New Delhi has tried to delicately balance the diplomatic-military standoff on the LAC with the broader economic relationship with China. It has neither summoned the Chinese envoy over the transgressions nor explicitly demanded a status-quo ante.
Read MoreWritten by Saurav Sarkar
The attackers were well-armed and equipped pointing towards careful preparation and a well-tested strategy. The tactics used by Islamic State in Iraq and Syria appear to have been deployed with lethal effectiveness by ISKP in Afghanistan.
Read MoreWritten by Muhammad Zulfikar Rakhmat
Southeast Asian countries should lessen their dependency on China and the US due to China’s growing assertiveness in the region and growing distrust of the US as a security partner. Although the region wants to continue enjoying access to China’s market and Chinese investments, China’s expansionist policy threatens the sovereignty of Southeast Asian countries.
Read MoreWritten by David Hutt
Anti-China nationalism has grown more potent and politically important in Vietnam in recent years, and it could impact relations between both countries’ respective communist parties. It might also lead to an escalation of tensions in the South China Sea, as the VCP feels a greater need to give into nationalist cries and rebuff its far stronger adversary.
Read MoreKerry Brown is a Professor of Chinese Studies and Director of the Lau China Institute at King's College London. His latest book China (Polity Histories) was published in July 2020.
Read MoreWritten by Heidi Wang-Kaeding
Red capital refers to money from mainland China. In Hong Kong, much of this Chinese capital flows through companies registered at the Hong Kong Stock Exchange (HKEX), either as what are called red chips or H-share stocks.
Read MoreWritten by Masahiro Kurita
While further deepening cooperation with Delhi, Tokyo has selectively redefined and strengthened its relationships with certain geopolitically important countries in the region, in concert with India’s “Neighborhood First” policy.
Read More
