9DASHLINE — Articles

The Korean Peninsula: Lessons from Russia's aggression against Ukraine

Written by Oskar Pietrewicz

The different reactions of South Korea and North Korea to the Russian invasion, the deepening Chinese-Russian cooperation, and US efforts to strengthen alliances, may perpetuate tensions on the Korean Peninsula.

Techno-nationalism: A key driver behind China’s geostrategic ambitions

Written by Dibakar De

Thousands of people from around the world have already clustered in China to fill positions related to technological research, raising the nation’s status as a top destination for high-end activities and adding to the growing national pride.

Taiwan's midterm elections are about more than geopolitics

Written by Brian Hioe

Local midterm elections are more often about domestic issues than international, cross-strait ones, and it would be misleading to view Taiwanese politics solely through the frame of cross-strait issues.

Why India won’t break from Russia.. yet

Written by Ian Hall

New Delhi clearly believes — rightly — that India’s relationship with the United States, underpinned by a shared interest in better managing China’s assertiveness in the Indo-Pacific, is sufficiently robust to weather disagreement over this war.

Pacific9DLNovember 7, 20229DashLine, Ian Hall, Why India won’t break from Russia… yet, India, Russia, Ukraine, Russia-China bloc, Russia's aggression, Russian gas, Russian President Vladimir Putin, Ukraine war, Narendra Modi, Prime Minister Modi, Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), SCO Summit, Vladimir Putin, India’s Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, Russia’s invasion, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, inflation, Food Prices, UN Security Council, Security Council Resolution, annexation, UN General Assembly (UNGA), COVID-19, post-pandemic recovery, Indian economy, Sino-Indian border, Himalayas, New Delhi, Moscow, Kremlin, Beijing, United States, Indo-Pacific, China’s coercion, humanitarian crisis, Indian students, media, diplomacy, Soviet, military hardware, S-400 air defence systems, Pakistan, Alliance, allies, multipolar order, bloc, nuclear, geopolitics, China challenge, nuclear submarine, South Asia, Indian Ocean, client state

Alignment without alliance: China’s growing ambivalence to Putin’s war

Written by Lunting Wu and Kamil Matusiewicz

Functional, strategic and normative factors have shaped Beijing’s growing ambivalence towards the war, and despite the absence of outright condemnation, a subtle shift and distancing can be discerned.

Faultlines9DLNovember 4, 20229DashLine, Lunting Wu, Kamil Matusiewicz, Alignment without alliance: China’s growing ambivalence to Putin’s war, China, Russia, Vladimir Putin, Xi Jingping, Xi Jinping, SCO, SCO Summit, Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), Samarkand, Ukraine, Ukraine war, military, Moscow, Beijing, Russia's aggression, cooperation, economic partners, Russian oil, gas, and coal, Saudi Arabia, trade, decoupling, US, NATO, security, Taiwan, AUKUS, Quad, Li Zhanshu, Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, State Duma, NATO allies, liberal hegemony, Liberal International Order, liberal internationalism, Orange Revolution, colour revolutions, 20th Chinese Communist Party Congress, Yang Jiechi, Foreign Affairs Commission, US hegemony, Western powers, liberal democracy, US interests, Western sanctions, Sinopec, Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB), New Development Bank (NDB), Huawei, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Arctic LNG 2 project, EU sanctions, Xiaomi Corp., Lenovo Group Ltd., Power of Siberia 2, zero-covid, secondary sanctions, food security, food insecurity, China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi, Wang Yi, Kremlin, social media, Ukraine's counter-offensives, Weibo, Central Asian states, Belt and Road Initiative, humanitarian aid, Central and Eastern European countries, 17+1, People’s Liberation Army, indivisible security, Global Security Initiative, Cold War, sovereignty, Nuclear weapons, autonomous regions

In Brief: Perle Petit and Philip Lott, our new assistant editors

With a busy summer already behind them, our Editor-in-Chief, Dr Manali Kumar recently took the opportunity to learn more about their interests and their early thoughts on what makes a strong article.

In Brief9DLNovember 3, 20229DashLine, In Brief: Perle Petit and Philip Lott, our new assistant editors, Perle Petit, Philip Lott, democratic backsliding, authoritarianism, press freedom, freedom of the press, media freedom, Southeast Asia, democratic standards, independent media, journalists, Myanmar, Cambodia, Vietnam, The Philippines, elections, technologies, artificial intelligence, Indo-Pacific, digital transformation, social media, semiconductors, semiconductor supply chains, Pakistan, South Asia, separatist movements, Balochistan, US drone war, Kashmir conflict, Russia-Ukraine war, climate change, droughts, floods, health crisis, disinformation, Thailand, 'information chaos', foreign interference, propaganda, opposition parties, illiberal governments, opposition coalitions, city diplomacy, urban development, innovation hubs, population density, climate change mitigation

Russia’s self-inflicted annus horribilis

Written by Joe Varner

The strategic importance of the Russian Pacific Fleet has never been greater to Moscow than it is now as the key means to engage and support Chinese foreign policy objectives in the Indo-Pacific and beyond.

Most Popular, Pacific9DLNovember 2, 2022Russia, Russian Armed Forces, Vladimir Putin, Putin, Russian President Vladimir Putin, Russian Federation, Kyiv, Ukraine, Ukraine war, military, Black Sea Fleet, Moskva, cruiser Moskva, Russian Navy, Snake Island, nuclear weapons, sanctions, Admiral Gorshkov, Soviet, aircraft carrier, cruisers, destroyers, China, Russia’s Pacific Command, Pacific Fleet, Eastern Military District Headquarters, Khabarovsk, Russia’s Pacific fleet, nuclear deterrence, naval diplomacy, Indo-Pacific region, Mediterranean, International Institute of Strategic Studie, Borey-class, Delta III nuclear-powered strategic ballistic missile submarines (SSBN), Oscar II and Yasen-class nuclear-powered guided-missile submarines (SSGN), Akula and Akula II attack submarines (SSN), conventional-powered Kilo and improved Kilo patrol submarines (SSK), Slava-class guided missile cruiser, Udaloy I and Sovremenny-class guided missile destroyers, Steregushchiy-class frigates, corvettes, mine warfare ships, amphibious vessels, anti-ship missile brigades, fighter squadron, attack helicopter squadrons, squadron of Tu-142 Bear strategic bombers, electronic warfare, Russia’s nuclear deterrent, Soviet-era, Borey-class submarines, Delta III submarine, Steregushchiy-class corvettes, Eastern Military District’s Naval Infantry, Second World War, geography, geostrategic, Finland and Sweden’s accession to NATO, Finland, Sweden, NATO, Russia’s Baltic Fleet, Russia’s Black Sea Fleet, Turkey, Moscow, Norway, Russia’s Northern Fleet, Kola peninsula, Russia’s Pacific Fleet, Sea of Okhotsk, ballistic missile submarines, forgotten Pacific power, Chinese Civil War, Korean War, North Korea, Indo-Pacific, the West, Beijing, Baltic region, Central Europe, Chinese President Xi Jinping, Xi Jinping, US, allies, Japan, Taiwan, Sea of Japan, East China Sea, Pacific Ocean, Tsushima Strait, South Korea, La Pérouse Strait, Russian Ministry of Defence, Russian war games, Vostok 2022, Russia’s Far East, India, Laos, Mongolia, Nicaragua, Syria, United States Coast Guard, Bering Sea, Aleutian Islands, United States Exclusive Economic Zone, Cape Soya, Hokkaido, Hokkaidō, green-water navy, Russia’s self-inflicted annus horribilis, Joe Varner, Black Sea, Pacific, International Institute of Strategic Studies, SSBN, Ukraine War, Xi Jingping

Building a case for disaster diplomacy in South Asia

Written by Apoorva Jain

South Asia is increasingly facing threats from natural, technological, and complex disasters. Meanwhile, coordination failure is turning natural disasters into catastrophes. Disaster aid and relief can be an effective diplomatic tool in the region.

South Asia9DLNovember 1, 20229DashLine, Building a case for disaster diplomacy in South Asia, APOORVA JAIN, Pakistan, flood, flood-borne diseases, international aid, international organisations, Bangladesh, India, United States, China, Turkey, South Asia, regional mechanisms, natural disasters, Afghanistan, Himalayan belt, earthquakes, glacial lake outburst floods, Dudh Koshi sub-basin, Nepal, Pho Chu sub-basin, Bhutan, tropical cyclone, Bay of Bengal, Arabian Sea, climate change, flash floods, urban centres, agricultural lands, droughts, desertification, tropical storms, tsunami, Kosi flooding, Kashmir earthquake, Indian Ocean tsunami, humanitarian assistance, institutional frameworks, South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation, SAARC, sustainable development, environment, Male Declaration, Hyogo Framework of Action, HFA, Dhaka, SAARC Disaster Management Centre, SDMC, New Delhi, South Asia Disaster Knowledge Network, SADKN, South Asia Digital Vulnerability Atlas, SADVA, SAARC Food Bank, South Asian Annual Disaster Management Exercise, SAADMEx, GSAT-9, South Asia satellite, disaster diplomacy, emergency routes, disaster resilience, disaster mitigation, disaster management, Central Emergency Response Fund, CERF, World Food Programme, WFP, United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, UNOCHA, Coalition for Disaster-Resilient Infrastructure, CDRI, Climate Action Summit, European Union-South Asia Capacity Building for Disaster Risk Management Program, EU-SAR DRM Program

More than signalling: North Korea’s missiles and Japan’s enhanced need for deterrence

Written by Ryo Hinata-Yamaguchi and Christopher Lamont

Even though Japan’s defence planning faces dilemmas and doubts going forward, there is a renewed consensus in Tokyo that more must be done to deter and defend against a diverse range of challenges posed by China, North Korea, and Russia.

East Asia9DLOctober 28, 20229DashLine, More than signalling: North Korea’s missiles and Japan’s enhanced need for deterrence, Christopher Lamont, Ryo Hinata-Yamaguchi, North Korea, missile launches, tactical nuclear operation units, Korean People’s Army, KPA, intermediate-range ballistic missile, Japan, Japanese archipelago, Northern Japan, combat aircraft, artillery drills, China, Taiwan, Russia-Ukraine war, Pyongyang, Taepodong, technological demonstrators, Hwasongpho-12, intermediate-range missiles, intercontinental ballistic missile, submarine-launched ballistic missiles, hypersonic glide vehicles, missile tests, strategic signalling, South Korea, United States, Tokyo, five-year military modernisation plan, nuclear weapons doctrine, ‘dead hand’ strike mechanisms, Kim Jong-un, ‘decapitation’ strike, military readiness, hybrid warfare, high-end weapons systems, aircraft carriers, artillery, anti-air missiles, anti-ship missiles, mines, submarines, electronic and cyber warfare capabilities, information warfare, misinformation, missile drills, nuclear missile arsenal, Self-Defence Forces, SDF, ballistic missile defence, BMD, Aegis-guided SM-3 systems, SM-6, Patriot PAC-3 systems, Russia, deterrence, Korean peninsula

The EU ventures into the strategic “jungle”

Written by Mohammadbagher Forough

While tropes such as ‘values’ and ‘standards’ are promoted as the main feature of the Global Gateway’s connectivity agenda, African countries (and many others in Asia, the Middle East, and Latin America) will not overlook the fact that this promoted feature contrasts uneasily with neo-colonialist-sounding dichotomies like ‘garden/jungle’.

Faultlines9DLOctober 27, 20229DashLine, Mohammadbagher Forough, The EU ventures into the strategic “Jungle”, European Diplomatic Academy, Josep Borrell, Borrell, Vice-President Borrell, HRVP, garden, jungle, diplomacy, European Union, European Commission, geoeconomic, Global Gateway, Western, Europe, US security, Russian energy, Asia, Pivot to Asia, Biden administration, Indo-Pacific, Russian war against Ukraine, Ukraine, Russia, strategic autonomy, geopolitics, Ursula von der Leyen, China, EU’s Chips Act, John Keats, Germany, China strategy, Olaf Scholz, business lobby, France, Global Gateway initiative, EU Global Gateway Initiative, Europe’s Global Gateway, Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), supply chains, resilience, shared communities of interest, India, Africa, Cold War, anti-colonialism, Middle East, Latin America, neo-colonialist, Robert Kagan, colonialism, racism, Joseph Conrad’s “Heart of Darkness”, Putin, Edward Said, decolonial

How China became the standard maker

Written by Philip Lott

The International Telecommunication Union presents a prime example of how China’s behaviour has changed the institutional dynamics from within and puts pressure on the liberal underpinnings of standardisation.

East Asia9DLOctober 26, 20229DashLine, Philip Lott, International Telecommunication Union, Doreen Bogdan-Martin, United States, US, China, Secretary-General, election, ITU, UN agency, Plenipotentiary Conference, Russia-Ukraine war, Russia, Rashid Ismailov, Houlin Zhao, EU, technical standardisation, internet governance, standardisation organisation, geopolitical competition, China’s ambitions, institutional dynamics, standardisation, global standard setting, standard setting, standards developing organisations, SDOs, technologies, standards, domestic standard, Wi-Fi, hybrid approach, partial convergence, Germany, 2017 Standardisation Law, China Standards 2035, regulatory environment, R&D spending, International Organization for Standardization, ISO, International Electrotechnical Commission, IEC, Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers, memorandum of understanding, Belt and Road Initiative, BRI, Digital Silk Road, telecom, Huawei, 5G technology, internet architecture, US Federal Communications Commission, Lenovo, Qualcomm, Technologies for Network 2030, 6G, Tomas Lamanauskas

Resilience and deterrence to guide Taiwan’s future

Written by Zsuzsa Anna Ferenczy

Strengthening deterrence in the face of growing hostility and new threats is where Taiwan’s leaders and citizens must focus more of their energy, in close cooperation with trusted partners, including the EU.

East Asia9DLOctober 25, 20229DashLine, Zsuzsa Anna Ferenczy, Resilience and deterrence to guide Taiwan’s future, Double Tenth National Day Celebration, President Tsai Ing-wen, Taiwan, resilience, deterrence, EU, post-pandemic recovery, climate crisis, economic inequality, authoritarian threat, strategic dependencies, Russia-Ukraine war, PRC, People's Republic of China, democracy protection, democracy promotion, supply chains, Beijing, economic statecraft, Taiwanese independence, Indo-Pacific, Indo-Pacific Strategy, Raphaël Glucksmann, European Parliament, disinformation, transparency, technology, fact-checking mechanisms, media literacy education, people-public-private partnership, #StrongerTogether, democracy, Audrey Tang, COVID-19 pandemic, semiconductors, New Southbound Policy, bilateral relations, Brussels, Resilient Supply Chains Agreement, Supply Chains Resilience Initiative, SCRI, Russia, sanctions, Taipei, Forward Alliance, Enoch Wu

A tall order: Germany’s comprehensive China strategy

Written by Christiane Heidbrink

For the first time in history, the German government is drafting its own China strategy. Although much is still up in the air, it is becoming apparent that Chancellor Olaf Scholz is trying to strike a balance between cooperation and tough-talking.

Europe and the Indo-Pacific9DLOctober 24, 20229DashLine, Christiane Heidbrink, Germany, China, German government, coalition, China strategy, A tall order: Germany’s comprehensive China strategy, systemic rivalry, EU-China policy, German Social Democrats, SPD, Greens, Alliance 90/The Greens, Free Democratic Party, FDP, Sino-German relations, Chancellor Olaf Scholz, Scholz, Green BRI, Belt and Road Initiative, Green Belt and Road Initiative, climate goals, greenwashing, climate action, environmental protection, Scholz administration, Berlin, Beijing, EU Global Gateway Initiative, G7 Partnership for Global Infrastructure and Investment, Supply Chain Law, supply chains, German Foreign Trade and Payments Regulation, Federal Ministry of Economic Affairs and Energy, 13th Mechanical Engineering Summit, decoupling, diversification, Chinese Dual Circulation Strategy, Indo-Pacific Guidelines, Indo-Pacific, diplomatic efforts, NATO 2022 strategic concept, Jens Plötner, tough-talking

More of the same is not the answer to building influence in the Pacific

Written by Meg Taylor DBE and Soli Middleby

While all nations share an interest in promoting a peaceful, safe, and prosperous region, the independent Pacific states do not necessarily share the same geostrategic perspectives as the large powerful economies of the industrialised West.

Pacific9DLOctober 21, 20229DashLine, More of the same is not the answer to build influence in the Pacific, Meg Taylor, Soli Middleby, Pacific, New Zealand, Australia, Pacific interests, geostrategic perspectives, independent Pacific states, West, industrialised West, climate change, non-renewable energy sources, exploration permits, climate adaptation finance, Pacific Resilience Facility, Green Climate Fund, China, sovereignty, Chinese investments, AUKUS, Indo-Pacific strategy, Partners in the Blue Pacific, Indopacific priorities, foreign aid, Western aid paradigm, Chinese-built infrastructure, Asian Development Bank, Papua New Guinea, Japan, United States, India, aid projects, geopolitical competition, Pacific Islands Forum, regional processes, Pacific priorities, Western aid, Chinese aid, aid intermediaries, international organisations, international financial institutions, multinational companies, independent aid agency, Chinese financiers

South Asia must proactively prepare to face climate change

Written by Manali Kumar

South Asian countries would do well to finally set aside their mutual animosities and start developing transnational and regional mechanisms to adapt to climate change and recover from disasters.

South Asia9DLOctober 20, 20229DashLine, South Asia must proactively prepare to face climate change, Manali Kumar, South Asia, climate change, natural disaster, flood, flooding, Pakistan, humanitarian disaster, humanitarian crisis, health crisis, Bangladesh, Nepal, landslides, India, heatwave, heat wave, drought, Indo-Pacific, Africa, Europe, disaster-prone, hydrometeorological, storms, water scarcity, food insecurity, poverty, weather disaster, Asian Development Bank, cyclone Amphan, displacement, internal displacement, internal migration, sea level rise, climate migration, climate migrants, megapolises, Delhi, Mumbai, pollution, environmental degradation, cyclones, earthquakes, population growth, urbanisation, population density, disaster preparedness and relief, urban planning, urban development, local ecology, monsoon season, climate adaptive, resilient, multilateral humanitarian assistance and disaster relief mechanisms, regional cooperation, Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA), Myanmar, IORA Action Plan 2017-2021, South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC), SAARC Convention on Cooperation on Environment, Thimphu Statement on Climate Change, Inter-governmental Expert Group on Climate Change, United Nations, World Bank, relief, China, US, UK, EU, Germany, extreme climate events, GDP, COP27, Common But Differentiated Responsibility, Global South, 1992 UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), developed countries

Death penalty in Southeast Asia: Disturbing trends

Written by Susannah Patton

The mixed picture for the death penalty in Southeast Asia, especially in countries where the death penalty is being actively debated, such as Malaysia, suggests that further advocacy by Australia and other like-minded countries would be timely.

Editor's Picks9DLOctober 19, 20229DashLine, Susannah Patton, Death penalty in Southeast Asia: Disturbing trends, Lowy Institute, death penalty, Southeast Asia, myanmar, Junta, Myanmar's junta, Myanmar Junta, execution, Phyo Zayar Thaw, Ko Jimmy, political prisoners, Frontier Myanmar, Cambodia, abolitionist, Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), Association of Southeast Asian Nations, ASEAN, Amnesty International, death sentence, COVID-19 pandemic, COVID-19, Singapore, UN, United Nations, ethnic minorities, justice, Capital Punishment Justice Project, drug, drugs, War on drugs, War on Drugs, Vietnam, prison, international scrutiny, Thailand, de facto abolitionist, Thailand’s King Maha Vajiralongkorn, Malaysia, Pakatan Harapan government, Pakatan Harapan, Philippine President Duterte, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin “Boying” Remulla, indonesia, civil society groups, court, Indonesia’s draft criminal code, criminal, probation, 2017 Universal Periodic Review by the UN Human Rights Council, UN Human Rights Council, Australia, European Union, EU, Australia’s new Labor government

In Brief: David McAllister MEP

Europe and the Indo-Pacific face increasingly similar challenges in a number of security related areas, such as cyber security, terrorism, organised crime, nuclear security, and non-proliferation. It makes sense to work together more.

In Brief9DLOctober 17, 2022In Brief, 9DashLine, In Brief: David McAllister MEP, Tereza Novotna, European Parliament, European Parliament’s Committee on Foreign Affairs, Committee on Foreign Affairs, David McAllister, David McAllister MEP, EPP, European People's Party, Germany, Korea, Indo-Pacific, European Union, Russia, Ukraine, Russian aggression, energy crisis, climate change, COVID-19, geostrategic, France, member states, EU Member States, oversea territories, Taiwan Strait, geopolitical, geopolitical competition, Japan, Republic of Korea, Australia, New Zealand, Russian war, sanctions, Moscow, cyber security, terrorism, organised crime, nuclear security, Non-proliferation, Indo-Pacific strategy, like-minded partners, ASEAN, European Council, Council of the European Union, Coordinated Maritime Presences, North-Western Indian Ocean, Maritime Area of Interest, Indian Ocean, naval exercises, Djibouti, India, Global Gateway, Europe’s Global Gateway, Global Gateway initiative, Brussels, Taipei, EU-Taiwan dialogue, European Army, Strategic Compass, Rapid Deployment Force, IN BRIEF: DAVID MCALLISTER MEP

Western Indian Ocean: The missing piece in the US Indo-Pacific Strategy

Written by Rushali Saha

The Biden administration’s expansion of the geographic definition of the Indo-Pacific to include the entire Indian Ocean, while a positive first step, is merely a symbolic move unless complemented with concrete policy action.

Pacific9DLOctober 13, 20229DASHLINE, Western Indian Ocean: The missing piece in the US Indo-Pacific Strategy, RUSHALI SAHA, Indo-Pacific, Indo-Pacific Strategy, Sub-Saharan Africa, White House, Biden, Department of Defense, Central Command, Africa, China, US, US-China, Indian Ocean, United States, Cocos Islands, Keeling Islands, Comoros Archipelago, Red Sea, East Africa, Gulf of Oman, Arabian Sea, Asia, Middle East, WIO, energy, Washington, USPACOM, East Asia, Southeast Asia, Quad, South Asia, Afghanistan, Gulf Cooperation Council, Djibouti, hydrocarbons, People Liberation Army Navy, Camp Lemonnier, Kenya, Ethiopia, Tanzania, Belt and Road Initiative, BRI, Madagascar, United Arab Emirates, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Japan, Free and Open Indo-Pacific, FOIP, France, India, SAGAR, Indo-Pacific Economic Framework, IPEF, Maritime Doctrine, Mozambique, Seychelles, Iran, Indian Ocean Commission, UAE, African Union, blue economy, Sagarmala Project, Delhi, Uganda, New Delhi, Modi, Mauritius, Vanilla Islands, Saint-Denis, Reunion Island, Trilateral Development Cooperation Fund, Trump, Sri Lanka, Israel, National Security Strategy, Diplomat Risk Intelligence, South Asian Voices