BIMSTEC: India’s unlikely regional security platform in the Bay of Bengal

Written by Tobias Scholz

The recent enhancement of security dialogues and mechanisms will continue to look inward by building trust, resilience, and capacity among BIMSTEC partners.

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Player or pawn? The geopolitics of the Nuclear Suppliers Group

Written by Syeda Saba Batool

Whether the NSG can impartially assess India’s and Pakistan’s bids for membership is a litmus test for the group’s credibility.

Structural trends could force swing states to choose sides

Written by Marc Saxer

‘Partnerships of the Middle’ recognise the aversion of Asian powers against alliances and offer informal avenues of collaboration to safeguard global public goods.

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New Zealand votes for change, but to what end?

Written by Lucas Knotter

Labour promised a lot of change but apparently did not feel it had to back such promises up with meaningful policy reform. It is implausible that New Zealand’s new conservative government will not fervently commit to such reforms.

Challenges remain in the Philippines despite Maria Ressa’s court victory

Written by Chris Fitzgerald

Maria Ressa’s acquittal is not only a rare victory for press freedom, but it offers the Philippines a chance to distance itself from the brutal regime of the former President, Rodrigo Duterte.

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Forum: The Israel-Palestine conflict and the Indo-Pacific

Recent events have again shaken the decades-long conflict between Israel and Palestine leading to new unspeakable levels of suffering.

Here, 9DASHLINE brings together a group of experts to provide us with a view from the Indo-Pacific and explore the conflict’s significance for the region.

Why the Philippines and Indonesia have warmed to AUKUS

Written by Julian Neuweiler and Patrick Triglavcanin

Continuing efforts in transparency are also important. A formal mechanism for communication should be established between AUKUS members and Southeast Asia.

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Should South Korea develop nuclear weapons?

Written by Yulgok Kim

South Korea's nuclear development has been an unthinkable taboo for decades, but North Korea's upgrading nuclear capabilities requires a policy shift.

Quantum sensors and submarine invulnerability

Written by Samanvya Hooda

As long as research into quantum sensing technologies is guided by realistic expectations and sober policy discussions, quantum sensors will not make SSBNs vulnerable to the point of threatening nuclear deterrence.

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The global politics of Barbenheimer

Written by Dr Rhys Crilley

Barbenheimer offers a focus onto subjects that define our modern moment, such as the dominance of patriarchy that ruins the lives of women and men across the planet, the anxiety and existentialism of modern life, and the existence of nuclear weapons that threaten to destroy it.

A balancing act: COP28 and China’s critical role in the international climate crisis

Written by Taylah Bland

Despite China’s continued strengthening of its domestic climate agenda, it needs to take the same approach to its leadership in the international arena.

What the presidential election tells us about Singaporean politics

Written by Dr Walid Jumblatt Abdullah

Will the presidential election results translate into the general elections in 2025? Probably not, since Tharman is indeed an exception. But the ruling PAP can take heart from the results for reasons already mentioned.

Fukushima’s waters: discharge decision, politics, and nuclear safety standards

Written by Shivani Singh and Chetan Rana

The fact that different states in the region, despite being exposed to similar risks, are not aligned in either supporting or protesting Japan’s decision is an indicator of the divisions being caused by the great power politics at play.

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The Kim-Putin summit: thrusting Russia-US tensions into Northeast Asia

Written by Anthony V. Rinna

From a longer-term perspective, the summit between Kim and Putin could also thrust Moscow-Washington tensions into the Asia-Pacific in ways not seen since the Cold War.

How does the Philippines make sense of future warfare?

Written by Joshua Bernard Espeña

Philippine political leaders must carefully understand what multidomain warfare implies for national security; military leaders must do what they can to show the risks of not understanding it.

In Conversation with Kate Cronin-Furman

9DASHLINE recently sat down with Dr Kate Cronin-Furman to discuss her important new book Hypocrisy and Human Rights: Resisting Accountability for Mass Atrocities.

The book investigates the diverse ways in which repressive regimes respond to calls for justice and accountability and argues that international pressure can produce valuable results through indirect paths.

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Chartering a course for peace: EU-Philippines maritime security cooperation

Written by Daniela Braun, Marie Antoinette de Jesus, and Sophiya Navarro

Increasing EU-Philippine maritime security cooperation is a positive development that reflects both actors’ mutual interests and values, as well as their willingness to engage with each other and other Indo-Pacific actors.

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Hold on tight! The US, Indo-Pacific, and expectations for a second Trump term

Written by Blake H. Berger

If Trump prevails in the 2024 election, and if his first term indicates what the region can expect from a second one, hold tight because it will get ugly.