Written by Angshuman Choudhury
COVID-19 cases in Myanmar have grown rapidly since the end of August. Although postponing the election has so far been ruled out, the government is scrambling to contain the virus. What’s more, the dramatic spurt began in arguably the most strife-torn region in the country today, Rakhine State.
Read MoreWritten by Antoine Bondaz
Maintaining peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait is a key interest for the EU. A military conflict in the Taiwan Strait would entail heavy humanitarian consequences, tremendous economic disruptions, and would embolden authoritarian regimes to act aggressively in violation of international law.
Read MoreWritten by Javed Iqbal Wani & L. David Lal
The Indian government’s attitude towards the people of the region has become clear over the past year. It has not taken enough steps towards ameliorating Kashmiri fears of Hindu nationalism and overreach by the Indian state has put them at the crossroads of an active confrontation between three nuclear powers in South Asia.
Read MoreWritten by Zsuzsa Anna Ferenczy
Building on its gratitude towards Taiwan for its provision of medical supplies, the EU and its member states should meaningfully push for Taiwan’s inclusion in international efforts. More importantly, the EU should support Taiwan’s participation in international organisations.
Read MoreWritten by Sana Hashmi
Calls for India to engage Taiwan from its domestic sphere and China’s continued aggression provide India with an opportunity to rethink its Taiwan policy – not because Taiwan can be used as a “card” against China but because India needs to find new credible partners in East Asia as New Delhi moves away from Beijing.
Read MoreWritten by Melissa Conley Tyler
The Morrison government wants sweeping new powers to cancel international arrangements by universities, councils and state governments. After announcing its intentions in August, it introduced a bill to parliament last week.
Read MoreWritten by Felix Kuhn
A policy that will find much greater favour among LDP hardliners is Suga’s promise in his election pamphlet to revise the constitution, which would include a clear statement on Japan’s right to hold military forces. This has long been a dream of more right-wing politicians.
Read MoreWritten by Simran Walia
Abe attempted to reorient Japan’s security policy with regard to a rising and increasingly assertive China and in so doing expanded its security and strategic ties with Australia, India, France, the UK, and several countries in Southeast Asia. Abe has therefore left an indelible imprint on the country’s foreign and security policy.
Read MoreWritten by Garima Mohan
The real significance of these guidelines lies in the signal they send — to China, to partners in the region, and to other European countries. Timing is significant — coinciding with Germany’s EU Council presidency, releasing this document suggests Germany will make a real push, along with France and other Member States, towards an EU-wide approach to the Indo-Pacific.
Read MoreWritten by Robert Ward
While Abe may have had his most obvious successes in foreign relations, he also leaves his successor a full in-tray of foreign policy problems, not least a failure to advance on a territorial dispute with Russia and relations with South Korea that are at their lowest ebb since the 1965 bilateral normalisation treaty.
Read MoreWritten by Charles Dunst
Thai demonstrators’ sense of malaise stems from a number of factors: The unfair nature of the 2019 election; a restrictive political environment in which activists are disappeared; the disbanding of the opposition party; vast economic inequality (the widest in ASEAN); and an economy that was already anaemic even before COVID-19.
Read MoreWritten by Trang Pham
The arguments made by the Philippines and Vietnam about the legal status of maritime features in the South China Sea are in line with the 2016 PCA Award; on the other hand, China has denied such an analysis and has continued to assert itself in the littorals through sheer force of will.
Read MoreWritten by Nick Bisley
Tit-for-tat consulate closures in Houston and Chengdu, the expulsion of journalists, ideological rhetoric from the likes of US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and increased military manoeuvres in the East and South China Seas have led many to conclude the world is on the cusp of a second Cold War.
Read MoreWritten by Rushali Saha
Russia’s ‘return’ to the Indo-Pacific strengthens India’s claim for a multipolar Indo-Pacific and opens up another avenue, beyond defence, for closer cooperation with a long-term partner. The presence of a strong military power such as Russia can increase the weight of middle powers such as India in the increasingly bipolar contest between the US and China.
Read MoreWritten by Ellen Ehrnrooth
Abe Shinzo will also be remembered for his efforts to redefine Japan’s bilateral relations. Under his premiership, he strengthened Japan’s ties to the US through his adept management of President Donald Trump, built on Japan’s ties to actors like Australia, India, and a host of Southeast Asian countries.
Read MoreWritten by Shishir Rao
India’s Defence Minister Rajnath Singh recently announced a five-year import embargo on 101 defence items beginning in December 2020. The embargo aims to boost the ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’ and ‘Make in India’ initiatives promoted by the Modi government.
Read MoreWritten by Shantanu Roy-Chaudhury
The latest RIC meeting took place on 23 June 2020. For India, however, questions arise about whether the RIC fits New Delhi’s aims as it increases its strategic engagement with the United States, Japan, and Australia. This goes against the RIC’s objective to undermine a growing American presence in the Indo-Pacific.
Read MoreWritten by Alexey D Muraviev
It came as no surprise that a month later, the honour guards of the People’s Liberation Army marched in Red Square as part of grand celebrations to mark the 75th anniversary of Soviet victory over Germany. The event was heavy on symbolism — yet another way for the two rivals to signal their growing closeness.
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