China sees a chance in Nepal with Left Alliance

Written by Dr Rishi Gupta

Nepal has reportedly conveyed that it would prefer to receive more grants from China instead of taking high-interest loans under the development partnership, including for BRI projects.

Editor's Picks9DLMay 2, 2024China sees a chance in Nepal with Left Alliance, 9dashline, Rishi Gupta, Asia Society Policy Institute, Nepal, China, Left Alliance, Chinese Communist Party (CCP), Narayan Kaji Shrestha, Wang Yi, India, South Asia, Tibet, Kathmandu, Belt and Road Initiative, BRI, Global Security Initiative

Harmony over hostility: Key to the India-Middle East-Europe economic corridor

Written by Anshu Meghe and Siddharth Sridhar

Currently, IMEC represents a bold vision more than a reality. Only time will reveal whether IMEC can transition from concept to reality, facing the challenge of meeting its member states’ high expectations.

Europe and the Indo-Pacific9DLMay 1, 20249dashline, IMEC, Inida, Middle east, Anshu Meghe, Siddharth Sridhar, Europe, G20, Arabian Sea, Harmony over hostility: Key to the India-Middle East-Europe economic corridor

What multipolar world order and for whom?

Written by Dr Felix Heiduk and Dr Johannes Thimm

Currently, the global balance of power is shifting again, according to many, in the direction of multipolarity. But even if one accepts the concept of polarity in principle, the question immediately becomes which states could be considered as additional poles. China certainly qualifies, but beyond that?

Strongman politics are returning to Southeast Asia

Written by Chris Fitzgerald

Their return represents and legitimises a darker time of dictators, corruption and atrocities, which many older Indonesians and Filipinos hoped was history. It is undoubtedly a step back and suggests strongmen are now the norm, not the exception.

Southeast Asia9DLApril 26, 2024Chris Fitzgerald, 9DASHLINE, Indonesia elections, Indonesia, Philippines, Prabowo Subianto, Ferdinand Marcos, Ferdinand Marcos Jr, Southeast Asia, elections, strong-man politics, Democracy, authoritarianism, Populism, human rights, Strongman politics are returning to Southeast Asia

Charting the future: US elections and the evolving US-Japan alliance

Written by Dr Elli-Katharina Pohlkamp

In Japan’s business sector, the speculative phrase “moshi tora”, meaning “if Trump” has become widespread, indicating various industrial scenarios developed in the Japanese business sector for the possibility of a Trump presidency.

Sino-India rivalry for port dominance in Bangladesh

Written by Mae Chow and Shakthi De Silva

Ultimately, Bangladesh's ability to maintain constructive engagements with China and India will not only shape its own future trajectory but also contribute significantly to the stability and prosperity of the broader Indo-Pacific region.

South Asia, Faultlines9DLApril 24, 2024Sino-India rivalry for port dominance in Bangladesh, Mae Chow, Shakthi de Silva, 9DASHLINE, Bangladesh, India China, India, China, Sino-India rivalry, least developed country, developed economy, port, maritime, infrastructure, trade, port infrastructure, Beijing, New Delhi, Dhaka, intra-regional trade, Belt and Road, Belt and Road Initiative, BRI, Bangladesh-China-Myanmar Economic Corridor (BCM-EC), Myanmar, Mongla Port, Bay of Bengal, Neighbourhood First Policy, Kyaukpyu, Sri Lanka, Hambantota Port, Chittagong, foreign direct investment, China Harbour Engineering Company, investment, Sheikh Hasina, Sonadia Deep-Sea Port Project, single-point mooring, sea-land integrated super-large oil storage and transportation system, Chittagong port, China Harbour Engineering Company (CHEC), China State Engineering and Construction Company (CSCEC), Payra Deep Seaport, Indian Ocean, littoral, String Of Pearls, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Maldives, Nepal, connectivity, sea lines, Mongla port, Khulna-Mongla Port Rail Line, Eigs India Consulting Engineers, Mongla Port Authority, development, Bangladesh Export Processing Zone Authority (BEPZA), Yun Sheng BD, Mongla Export Processing Zone, electric vehicle manufacturing supply chains, loans, balancing, strategic partnerships, sovereignty, diplomacy

The Japanese yen in a turbulent global economy

Written by Dr Seohee Park

Japan’s currency policy will continue to be a subject of international scrutiny as it is intertwined with the country’s strategic choices in an interconnected global economy.

East Asia9DLApril 18, 2024The Japanese yen in a turbulent global economy, Seohee Park, 9DASHLINE, yen, Japanese yen, JPY, dollar, dollarisation, de-dollarisation, US Dollar, currencies, trade, economy, depreciation, appreciation, exchange rate, export, corporate profits, consumer prices, global financial sector, inflation rates, inflation, central bank policies, Swiss franc, safe-haven currency, low sovereign risk, economic stability, monetary policies, interest rate hikes, US Federal Reserve, European Central Bank, lost decade, 1997-98 Asian Financial Crisis, Asian Financial Crisis, asset price collapse, 2008 global financial crisis, 2011 East Japan earthquake, Mrs. Watanabe, investors, housewives, international investors, trade surplus, COVID-19 pandemic, Bank of Japan, interest rates, inflationary pressure, raw materials, debtors, Keynesian economics, animal spirits, John Maynard Keynes, deflationary stagnation, stagflation, savings, taxation, fiscal, Abenomics, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Plaza Accord of 1985, Plaza Accord, G5, currency markets, ageing population, wage growth, deflation

China-Maldives military agreement: an upgrade to the bilateral relationship

Written by Lea Thome

The Maldives finds itself caught in a tug-of-war between India and China. However, Malé under Muizzu’s presidency has shown increasing openness towards China as it strives to navigate the balance between the two countries and maintain its own sovereignty.

Leadership transition: A curious moment in Singapore’s politics

Written by Pradeep Krishnan

Post-independence politics in Singapore has known a few watershed moments; each noteworthy for chipping away at the PAP’s dominance.

Power Politics, Southeast Asia9DLApril 15, 20249DASHLINE, Pradeep Krishnan, Leadership transition: a curious moment in Singapore’s politics, Singapore, Leadership transition, Singapore’s Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, Lee Kuan Yew, Lawrence Wong, COVID-19 pandemic, People’s Action Party (PAP), Leadership successions, island-republic, illiberal brand of democracy, illiberal democracy, democracy, political stability, economic vitality, Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat, non-Chinese prime minister, integrity, clean governance, governance, corruption, Senior Minister S. Iswaran, political courtroom drama, National Development Minister Teh Cheang Wan, conflict of interest, inequality, inequality in Singapore, Gini Coefficient, financial hub, Lee Cheng Hui, Tan Chuan-Jin, parliament, extramarital affair, Jamus Lim, opposition, Tharman Shanmugaratnam, Workers’ Party (WP), Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, Goh Chok Tong, General Elections, gerrymandering, political and civil liberties, mandate, Post-independence politics in Singapore, opposition leader J.B. Jeyaretnam, Group Representation Constituency (GRC), city-state

In Conversation with Walter F. Hatch

9DASHLINE recently had the pleasure of speaking with Dr Walter Hatch about his latest book Ghosts in the Neighborhood: Why Japan Is Haunted by Its Past and Germany Is Not.

In Conversation9DLApril 12, 2024Walter F. Hatch, 9dashline, Ghosts in the neighborhood: Why Japan is haunted by its past and Germany os not, In Conversation with Walter F. Hatch, Germany, Japan, United States, European Union, NATO, Europe, Asia

France’s stance on first-ever European Huawei factory underscores EU’s inaction on China

Written by Megan Khoo

Anything less than preventing a Huawei factory in France blatantly disregards France’s current restrictions on Huawei, French national security, and the greater security of the EU.

Europe and the Indo-Pacific, Faultlines9DLApril 11, 2024Huawei, France’s stance on first-ever European Huawei factory underscores EU’s inaction on China, 9dashline, Megan Khoo, France, 5G, EU, China

South Korea's midterm election tests democratic resilience

Written by Dr Hannes B. Mosler

The short-term challenge of this election is to prevent a conservative majority in parliament, lest the current autocratic episode in South Korean democracy turn into a post-democratic vortex.

East Asia9DLApril 9, 2024HANNES B. MOSLER, South Korea's midterm election tests democratic resilience, 9Dashline, South Korea, democracy, election, parliament, midterm election, democratic resilience, K-pop, Park Geun-hye, Park Geun-hye’s impeachment, corruption, FES Human Rights Prize, mass demonstrations, democracy research, formal democracy, Moon Jae-in, President Yoon Suk-yeol, democracy problem, democratisation, democracy index, V-DEM, South Korea’s democracy, backsliding, autocratizing country, autocratisation, Cambodia, Indonesia, Myanmar, Liberal Democracy Index, negative campaigning, governance failures, New Right ideology, Itaewon disaster, press freedom, labour rights, ageing society, inflation, real estate prices, medical schools, political parties, President Yoon's inauguration, party leadership, People Power Party (PPP), Lee Jae-myung, Democratic Party (DP), electoral law reform, National Assembly, satellite parties, Justice Minister Cho Kuk, Rebuilding Korea Party, Public Official Election Act, constituency, lame-duck, lame duck, Yoon’s ‘lame duck’ presidency, post-democratic

India and Bangladesh must address climate migration together

Written by Soraya Kishtwari

As there is no clear legal framework whereby governments or international bodies are able to categorise and process migrants displaced by climate change, many struggle in legal limbo.

South Asia9DLApril 8, 20249dashline, 9DL, Soraya Kishtwari, India and Bangladesh Must Address Climate Migration Together, Climate change, UNDP, climate migrant, Climate Crisis, india, Bangladesh, climate change mitigation, climate refugee, Sundarbans, climate governance, migrant crisis, India-Bangladesh relations

Don't expect any breakthroughs in India-Pakistan relations

Written by Syed Ali Zia Jaffery

Lacking confidence and bandwidth, Pakistan’s new government is unlikely to prioritise improving ties with India. If anything, India will be way down the pecking order of its policy actions.

South Asia9DLApril 4, 2024Syed Ali Zia Jaffery, 9dashline, Dont expect any breakthoughs in India-Pakistan relations, India, Pakistan, conflict, cooperation, ceasefire, LoC, Kashmir

A purported pact: China’s quest for security foothold in Papua New Guinea

Written by Thierry Lepani

As much is yet to be seen with the Australian and US pacts, a potential pact with China should cater to PNG’s problems, rather than solely serving as a solution to China’s strategic positioning in the Pacific.

BRI 2.0: Reflecting on the past, charting the future

Written by Kelly Antoinette Khyriem

As criticisms propel the initiative towards a BRI 2.0, if China actively addresses and mitigates risks associated with its projects by enhancing transparency and accountability frameworks, it has the potential to outpace the emerging alternatives that are challenging the BRI.

East Asia9DLMarch 29, 20249dashline, BRI 2.0: Reflecting on the past, charting the future, Kelly Antoinette Khyriem, Xi Jinping, China, PRC, Belt and Road Initiative, BRI, Maritime Silk Road, digital infrastructure, trade policy coordination, financial cooperation, multilateral institutions, Memoranda of Understanding, geopolitical strategy, domestic development, US-led international order, ‘string of pearls’ theory, Chinese investments, naval bases, Indian Ocean, crucial shipping routes, debt-trap diplomacy, BRI-related loans, Sri Lanka, economic sovereignty, debt trap narrative, governance deficiencies, corruption, 1Malaysia Development Berhad, 1MDB, China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, CPEC, human rights abuses, BRI infrastructure, BRI commitments, large-scale infrastructure projects, sustainability, ecology, carbon dioxide emissions, environmental implications, EU, US, India, transparency, labour rights, EU-Asia Connectivity Strategy, Global Gateway Initiative, Blue Dot Network, Partnership for Global Infrastructure and Investment, PGII, G20 Leaders' Summit, hydropower plants, solar farms, 5G, public-private partnerships, Third Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation, Digital Silk Road, e-commerce initiatives, BRI 2.0, Green Belt and Road, renewable energy, Clean Silk Road, Silk Road Economic Belt, Hambantota Port, Kenya, Zambia, Malaysia, debt management, digital connectivity, debt burdens, renewable energy investment, AIIB

In Brief with H.E. Sujiro Seam EU Ambassador to ASEAN

9DASHLINE recently enjoyed the opportunity to speak with H.E. Sujiro Seam, the European Union’s Ambassador to ASEAN. This discussion dives into the key aspects of this relationship, exploring areas of cooperation, shared challenges, and the future direction of EU-ASEAN ties.

US-Japan-South Korea trilateral cooperation: Overcoming the populist threat

Written by James Kaizuka

Deeper institutionalisation of security cooperation, bilaterally between Japan and South Korea and trilaterally also including the United States, can head off all of these threats and ensure that the ‘inaugural’ Indo-Pacific Dialogue is not the ‘only’ Indo-Pacific Dialogue.

East Asia9DLMarch 27, 20249dashline, US-Japan-South Korea trilateral cooperation: Overcoming the populist threat, James Kaizuka, Japan, South Korea, US, trilateral, Indo-Pacific Dialogue, Populism, Washington, cooperation, mutual threats, Security, GSOMIA intelligence-sharing agreement, GSOMIA, Soviet, Tsushima Strait, nationalism, Japan’s Prime Minister Kishida, South Korea’s President Yoon, President Biden, authoritarian threat, democracy, Republican Party, President Trump, US allies, trans-pacific, transatlantic, isolationist, free-riding, Beijing, Moscow, Pyongyang, depoliticising, Seoul, Tokyo, populism, elections, South Korea’s National Assembly, Democratic Party, Yoon’s Japan policy, Liberal Democratic Party, Nippon Kaigi, revisionism, Takaichi Sanae, Yasukuni Shrine, Ukraine, territory, history, reparations, wartime compensation, nuclear terrorism, Fukushima’s wastewater, Fukushima, Fukushima water, 1923 Kanto earthquake, second Trump presidency, Anti-military base movements, Alkonis affair, America First, Chinese disinformation, espionage, election interference, Camp David summit, NATO, European Union, Southeast Asia, Seibou Bunri, seikei bunri, diplomacy, defence