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Geopolitics

Global

The Blame Game: Asia, Democracy and Covid-19

Wednesday, March 25, 2020

Winning the battle against the coronavirus pandemic is not a case of democracy vs. dictatorship or “East vs. West”. What matters are trust, equality and competence.

ASEAN

Crossing the Rubicon: Duterte Moves to End the Philippine-US Alliance

Thursday, February 20, 2020

Behind Duterte's façade of triviality and pettiness is a concerted plan to shift the Philippines away from the US and closer to China.

Asia Pacific

Rethinking US Alliances and Partnerships as Insurance Contracts

Wednesday, February 19, 2020

Alliances and partnerships with the US should be viewed as insurance contracts to hedge against the uncertainties of Beijing’s growing power and influence.

China

Russia, China and Central Asia: Cooperation over Competition

Thursday, February 6, 2020

Central Asia has become an important arena of collaboration for Russia and China, with Moscow focusing on the region's security and Beijing promoting trade and commerce

China

India’s China Conundrum

Thursday, January 23, 2020

India and China have been trying to break out of the cycle of diplomatic ups and downs, yet obstacles remain.

ASEAN

Asia 2020: Learn the Lessons of 2019

Thursday, January 2, 2020

Vasuki Shastry, Associate Asia Fellow of Chatham House in London, offers lessons from the past year and considers what they may portend at the beginning of a new decade.

ASEAN

Can New ASEAN Chair Vietnam Make Progress on the South China Sea?

Thursday, December 19, 2019

Vietnam’s taking the ASEAN chair in January 2020 offers a diplomatic opportunity, says Vietnam scholar Truong-Minh Vu.

China

The China-US Technological Competition and its Opportunity Costs

Thursday, December 12, 2019

The US-China trade dispute is much more than a battle over a US$420 billion deficit, what the tensions are really about is a race for “geo-technological” superiority.

China

Abe Power and the US-China Cold War

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Shinzo Abe, now Japan’s longest-serving prime minister, is steering Japan across tricky diplomatic waters.

China

The Security Dimension of China’s Belt and Road Initiative

Thursday, November 14, 2019

China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) is far more than an instrument of Chinese foreign economic and development policy, argues Mher D Sahakyan

ASEAN

Blowing Hot and Cold Over the South China Sea

Thursday, October 31, 2019

Could Manila's soft-pedaling of its territorial dispute with Beijing lead to a Code of Conduct in the South China Sea that fits Chinese interests?

Global

For a Truly Global Peace Agenda in a Multipolar World

Thursday, October 17, 2019

The Global South, particularly China and other Asian countries, is more active in conflict prevention and resolution

India

The Politics of FDI in Indian States

Thursday, October 3, 2019

The level of foreign direct investment across India varies widely by state, we look at the differing situations in Tamil Nadu and Odisha.

China

Trump Won Trade War 1.0 – Will He Now Rush a Deal?

Friday, September 20, 2019

While the US president may want to forge an agreement soon to boost his re-election hopes, Xi Jinping is in no rush.

ASEAN

ASEAN’s Infrastructure Dilemma

Thursday, September 19, 2019

Japan-financed urban railway project in Ho Chi Minh City: ASEAN needs a collaborative and coordinated approach to infrastructure development

ASEAN

Flawed Assumptions: Why the ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific is Defective

Thursday, September 19, 2019

Foreign ministers including US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo (4th from left) and China's Wang Yi (far right) demonstrate ASEAN centrality

Asia Pacific

Australia’s Pacific “Step Up” Stumbles

Thursday, September 5, 2019

Australia must find its home in the region instead of looking like the uncomfortable colonial among strangers.

Japan

History Hurts: Japan and Korea Should Dial their Dispute Down

Thursday, September 5, 2019

Domestic politics trumps diplomacy: Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has taken a strong line on Korea to boost his approval ratings