9DASHLINE — Articles

Increased engagement with Taiwan needs less rhetoric and more (quiet) action

Increased engagement with Taiwan needs less rhetoric and more (quiet) action

Written by Dr Simona Grano

The key question remains to define and push for concrete tools and policies through which Europe can transform its growing solidarity towards Taiwan into a foundational basis of Europe’s China policy, without failing because of hindrances developing out of tight economic dependencies with China.

Europe and the Indo-Pacific9DLDecember 20, 20239DashLine, Simona Grano, Increased engagement with Taiwan needs less rhetoric and more (quiet) action, China, Taiwan, geopolitics, geopolitical competition, US, trade, Beijing, Taiwan Strait, business, balance, democracy, Taiwan’s autonomy, universal public goods, COVID-19 pandemic, supply chains, semiconductor industry, like-minded, Russian invasion of Ukraine, human rights, Taiwan Issue, global economy, European Union, chip manufacturing industry, European Chips Act, trade agreement, China’s economic coercion, diversification, economic dependence, parliamentarian delegations, World Health Assembly (WHA), INTERPOL, ernational Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO), COP28, public health, climate change, civil society, think tanks, NGOs, Taipei, Chinese trade practices, EU-China summit, de-risking

BRICS Plus: India’s perspective on the group’s expansion

BRICS Plus: India’s perspective on the group’s expansion

Written by Rishma Banerjee

Given the broader context of India’s rivalry with China, and its tightrope act of balancing ties between Russia and the West, New Delhi’s support for the six new BRICS members reflects its broader strategic and geopolitical interests.

Editor's Picks9DLDecember 19, 20239dashline, BRICS Plus: India’s perspective on the group’s expansion, BRICS, BRICS Plus, BRICS expansion, Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, Argentine, Ethiopia, Egypt, Iran, Saudi Arabia, UAE, eligibility criteria, New Delhi, Global South, geopolitical interests, strategic partnership, bilateral relations, Prime Minister Modi, African Union, regional bloc, AU, foreign policy, international forums, G20, I2U2 grouping, strategic partnerships, Middle East, INSTC, IMEEC, oil, oil imports, energy security, diaspora, Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, Gulf region, strategic autonomy, bilateral trade, GCC, BRICS platform, US-India nuclear deal, New Delhi Declaration, Chabahar Port, global economic output, global governance, oil-producing nations, BRICS Interbank Cooperation Mechanism, BRICS Pay digital payment platform

Democratic resilience – Why Taiwan and Europe must be more ambitious in 2024

Democratic resilience – Why Taiwan and Europe must be more ambitious in 2024

Written by Dr Zsuzsa Anna Ferenczy

Taiwan is a frontline democracy, which makes it an indispensable partner for Europe, one it should learn from as it braces for its own elections, with interference and information manipulation expected to increase, in particular from China and Russia.

Europe and the Indo-Pacific9DLDecember 18, 2023Democratic resilience – Why Taiwan and Europe must be more ambitious in 2024, Dr Zsuzsa Anna Ferenczy, EU-Taiwan relations, China, Europe, Parliamentary diplomacy, Russia, Taiwan national election, European Parliament, democratic resilience, European Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee (AFET), European Parliament’s Special Committee on Foreign Interference in all Democratic Processes (INGE), Committee on International Trade (INTA), Foreign Minister Joseph Wu, President Tsai Ing-wen, Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies Markéta Pekarová Adamová, Senate President Miloš Vystrčil, Ukraine, Baltic nations, Lai Ching-te, Hou Yu-ih, Ko Wen-je, Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), Kuomintang (KMT), Taiwan People’s Party (TPP), Disinformation, Doublethink Lab, Taiwanese identity

The Fukushima water release and South Korea: it's complicated

The Fukushima water release and South Korea: it's complicated

Written by Yeonsu Lee

Although the South Korean government has accepted Japan’s plan to release the Fukushima water, politicians, scientists, and citizens continue to raise concerns and criticisms.

Faultlines9DLDecember 15, 20239dashline, The Fukushima water release and South Korea: It's complicated, Japan, Fukushima disaster, Fukushima, Fukushima water, Daiichi nuclear power plants, nuclear energy, Advanced Liquid Processing System, ALPS, filtration system, radioactive materials, tritium, nuclear-contaminated water, South Korea, domestic policies, nuclear policies, opposition party policies, environmental implications, scientific implications, nuclear policy, health risks, ocean, Lee Jae-Myung, Democratic Party of Korea, controversies, treated water, seafood contamination, enhanced radiation tests, radiation tests, public opinion, policymaking, security threats, north korea, global supply trade, international trade, nuclear safety issues, anti-nuclear movements, nuclear technology, international laws, human rights, environmental impacts, IAEA, phase-out policy, nuclear-powered submarines, Korean nuclear programme, nuclear reactors, long-term effects, nuclear armament

Australia-China relations: Where to now?

Australia-China relations: Where to now?

Written by Elena Collinson

After seven years marked by bullying and heavy-handed tactics by Beijing, episodes of diplomatic inelegance by Canberra, and the asperity of mutual criticism, Australia-China relations have tentatively shifted to a more normalised state.

EU-China Summit: A relationship stuck in time

EU-China Summit: A relationship stuck in time

Written by Dr Francesca Ghiretti

Holding the first in-person summit since 2019 is an important achievement, and the EU has been able to express some important concerns to Xi Jinping directly; however, the words — especially from China — demonstrate Beijing still views the EU mostly as an economic partner.

NZ: Maori foreign policy to manage increasingly challenging relationship with China

NZ: Maori foreign policy to manage increasingly challenging relationship with China

Written by Bonnie Holster and Nicholas Ross Smith

Beyond the changing language of New Zealand’s strategic communications, its experimentation with a kaupapa Maori foreign policy has the potential to be transformative.

Inconvenient truth — Young and unemployed in China

Inconvenient truth — Young and unemployed in China

Written by Anand P. Krishnan

Clearly, unemployment captures the anxieties and disillusionment of youth on both sides of the Himalayan Gap. By the same count, there are no easy solutions for either government to manage, if not completely resolve, this crisis.

Emerging Issues9DLDecember 11, 2023Inconvenient truth — Young and unemployed in China, Anand P. Krishnan, China, PRC, Beijing, A4 protests, White Paper Protests, urban protests, zero-COVID policy, post-pandemic recovery, pandemic, COVID-19, real estate sector, US restrictions, technology transfer, Chinese entities, tech sector, investor confidence, Communist Party of China, CPC, India, unemployment, unemployment statistics, National Bureau of Statistics, employment crisis, Chinese leadership, economic data, university graduates, lower-paid work, remote areas, private sector, massive layoffs, hiring quotas, Chinese graduates, foreign universities, students, education abroad, university education, employers, employment market, job market, graduates, education, manufacturing, service sectors, blue-collar workforce, livestream sales, ride-hailing services, flexible employment, popular narrative, economic downturn, fiscal reforms, raising wages, social protection, pensions, medical insurance, higher welfare spending, Common Prosperity, Xi Jinping, welfarism, New Deal, human capital, disillusionment, involution, neijuan, tang ping, ‘Lying Flat’, ‘Let it Rot’, bai lan, hypercompetitive culture, culture of overwork, protests, economic transition, pro-market reforms, globalisation, socio-economic challenge, state-society relations, policymakers, balour, youth, young people, young graduates, 9DASHLINE

In Conversation with Vincent Brussee

In Conversation with Vincent Brussee

9DASHLINE recently had the pleasure of speaking with Vincent Brussee about his new book Social Credit: The Warring States of China’s Emerging Data Empire.

This book offers one of the first comprehensive assessments of the People’s Republic of China’s infamous ‘Social Credit System’.

Manila is shopping, not re-aligning

Written by Drake Long

Rather than celebrating each time a country publicly cancels a Chinese project, the US, Australia, the EU, and other nations competing for influence at the expense of Beijing should keep in mind the wider picture — Manila and other capitals like it are shopping around for alternatives.

Southeast Asia9DLDecember 7, 20239dashline, Drake Long, Manila is Shopping, Not Re-Aligning, Philippines, Manila, Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), Subic-Clark freight railway, Calamba-Bicol commuter rail line, inter-city Mindanao railway, Beijing’s influence, China Global Investment tracker, additional memorandum of understanding, Ferdinand Marcos, Marcos’ inauguration, Vanautu, cambodia, indonesia, vietnam, Laos, Sri Lanka, high-profile Chinese investment, Beijing, frontier market, Asian Development Bank, ASEAN, Mindanao, Brunei, Malaysia, conflict zone, Subic bay, state-owned enterprises, Loan repayments, debt-soaked Southeast Asian capitals, Chinese company, Western democracy, US Secretary of the Navy Carlos Del Toro, maritime statecraft, EU, Australia, Chinese project, Beijing camp, investment deficit, Economic growth, Manila is shopping, not re-aligning, Manila is shopping not re-aligning

Italy and the Indo-Pacific: towards an Italian Indo-Pacific strategy

Italy and the Indo-Pacific: towards an Italian Indo-Pacific strategy

Written by Dr Gabriele Abbondanza

All things considered, it seems evident that Italy is ready to develop and issue a formal Indo-Pacific strategy that considers national, European, and Indo-Pacific interests as vital components of a strategic whole.

Europe and the Indo-Pacific9DLDecember 6, 20239dashline, Italy and the Indo-Pacific: towards an Italian Indo-Pacific strategy, Gabriele Abbondanza, Indo-Pacific, Italy, flashpoints, Taiwan, East China Seas, South China Seas, Korean Peninsula, choke points, global maritime trade, Bab-el-Mandeb Strait, Strait of Hormuz, Strait of Malacca, macro-region, US, Indo-Pacific nations, Europe, IPSR, International Political Science Review, European foreign policy, France, UK, Germany, EU, European Union, Indo-Pacific strategy, Indo-Pacific committee, Italian parliament, naval deployments, Rome, Enlarged Mediterranean, Mediterraneo Allargato, United Nations, Carabiniere frigate, European missions, NATO missions, Indian Ocean, Indo-Pacific mission, Morosini offshore patrol vessel, offshore patrol vessels, South China Sea, multilateral exercises, Cavour carrier strike group, international law, multilateralism, strategic partnerships, China, beijing, international order, Pacific Island Forum, PIF, Vietnam, South Korea, Indian Ocean Rim Association, IORA, ASEAN, Italian-Indian-Japanese trilateral, Japan, Global Combat Air Programme, Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative, multilateral approach, strategic compass, political affiliation, foreign policy priorities, Chamber of Deputies, parliamentary committee, risk-benefit analysis

Southeast Asia’s security partnerships stronger and more diverse at the end of 2023

Southeast Asia’s security partnerships stronger and more diverse at the end of 2023

Written by Hunter Marston

Japan has emerged as a critical partner of choice for Southeast Asian countries, particularly in its efforts to build maritime and coast guard capacity for frontline states in the South China Sea, including the Philippines, Malaysia, and Vietnam.

Building a safe shared future for the People’s Republic of China

Building a safe shared future for the People’s Republic of China

Written by Dr Sari Arho Havrén

China has already made considerable progress in planting the seeds of an international order that would make the future safe for its one-party rule at home by insulating it from outside threats.

BIMSTEC revival: A compelling alternative to the BRI in the Bay of Bengal

BIMSTEC revival: A compelling alternative to the BRI in the Bay of Bengal

Written by Eve Register

It will be important for BIMSTEC to learn from the mistakes of the BRI if it is to work as a viable alternative for countries in the Bay of Bengal region.

How the UK supports regional order in the Indo-Pacific

How the UK supports regional order in the Indo-Pacific

Written by Dr Thomas Wilkins

Despite dangers closer to home and straitened finances, London does appear to be committed to the region, even if the implementation of some aspects of its new strategic approach remains patchy.

Europe and the Indo-Pacific9DLNovember 30, 2023How the UK supports regional order in the Indo-Pacific, Dr Thomas Wilkins, 9Dashline, Great Britain, France, EU, Indian Ocean, Pacific Ocean, resident power, minilateral engagements, Indo-Pacific Strategy, Integrated Review, Integrated Review Refresh, EU Strategy for Cooperation in the Indo-Pacific, Global Britain, liberal international order, Royal Navy, multilateral military exercises, Development Assistance, China, Japan, India, ‘over the horizon’ partner, James Cleverly, networks and grids, Free and Open Indo-Pacific, Australia, Singapore, TALISMAN SABRE military exercises, UK-Japan Strategic Partnership, British Defence Singapore Support Unit, AUKUS, Global Combat Aircraft Programme, Partnership for the Blue Pacific, Five Power Defence Arrangements, New Zealand, Malaysia, ASEAN, Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement toward Transpacific Partnership

Movement on climate mobilities: developments from the Pacific Islands Forum

Movement on climate mobilities: developments from the Pacific Islands Forum

Written by Liam Moore

While alarmist reports of massive numbers of people potentially fleeing across borders because of climate change are incorrect and misunderstand the dynamics of migration, mobility — both within and between states — is a reality in the Pacific.

Pacific9DLNovember 29, 20239dashline, Movement on climate mobilities: Developments from the Pacific Islands Forum, Liam Moore, climate mobility, climate mobilities, Pacific Island Forum (PIF), Pacific Island Forum, Rarotonga, Cook Islands, Pacific Regional Framework on Climate Mobility, Falepili Union treaty, Australia, Tuvalu, Pacific, COP28, Forum Dialogue Partners, Forum Communique, Implementation Plan for the 2050 Strategy for the Blue Pacific Continent, climate change, climate disasters, human mobility, relocation migration, displacement, Declaration on the Establishment of the Pacific Resilience Facility, Paris Agreement, fossil fuel, climate finance, decarbonisation, Jane McAdam, migration, Fiji, Pacific states, the Solomon Islands, cross-border mobility, asylum protections, climate refugees, migration pathways, alternative migration pathways, working visas, visa category, Chinese influence, sovereignty, state agency, Kausea Natano, Seve Paeniu, New Zealand, climate policy, US, residency, labour mobility schemes, labour mobility, bilateral agreements, Tuvalu-Australia agreement, migration agreements, security conditions, climate migrant, climate refugee, mobility options

In Brief with Daniel McIntyre and Jonas Schneider, our assistant editors

In Brief with Daniel McIntyre and Jonas Schneider, our assistant editors

As we near the end of a busy year that has seen our team and network of experts expand, our Editor-in-Chief, Dr Manali Kumar, caught up with two of our Assistant Editors — Jonas Schneider and Daniel McIntyre — to learn more about their work and plans to help drive the platform forward.

News9DLNovember 28, 2023Daniel McIntyre, Jonas Schneider, 9DASHLINE, Taiwan, Japan, China, Indo-Pacific, In Brief, In Brief with Daniel McIntyre and Jonas Schneider, our assistant editors

Under the guise of environmental protection, China tightens its grip on Tibet

Under the guise of environmental protection, China tightens its grip on Tibet

Written by Victoria Jones

Tibet is extremely important in terms of its natural resources, so much so that former leader of the Tibetan government-in-exile Lobsang Sangay has called Tibet the blueprint for the Belt and Road Initiative.

Editor's Picks9DLNovember 27, 20239dashline, Victoria Jones, Under The Guise Of Environmental Protection, China Tightens Its Grip On Tibet, The Chinese Communist Party (CCP), extremely high-altitude ecological resettlement, poverty alleviation, Mao Zedong, 1950, spiritual leader of Tibet, Dharamsala, relocation policies, New Socialist Village, Qinghai, Human Rights Watch, nearly three-quarters of the cost of constructing their new houses, Tibetan nomads are not fluent in Mandarin, state-engineered destruction of a culture and way of life, 2021 report on International Religious Freedom in China, US State Department, system of surveillance, tibetan community, Tibet to assimilate the herders into society, new teams of party cadres, blueprint for the Belt and Road Initiative, protect the sources of the Yellow, Yangtze, and Mekong Rivers, Third Pole, the largest repository of fresh water outside the North and South Poles, Tibetan herders, forced relocation policy, environmental damage, United Nations Economic, Social and Cultural Rights Committee (UN ECOSOC), very high-altitude, China’s Tibetan relocation policy, Human Rights Watch’s China director, Tibetan pastoralists, INTERZINE, government control over Tibetan land resource, preserving ecosystem, Tibetan identity, pastoralists, Tibetan rural population, post-Mao era, eco-friendly, well-being, over 17, 000 Tibetans would be relocated, tibetan herders, “state-engineered destruction of a culture and way of life, Tibetan government-in-exile, tibet today, Tibet