Written by C. Raja Mohan. Despite their proximity, physical and cultural, the strategic distance between Delhi and Jakarta has been incredibly vast. Barring a brief moment in the mid 20th century, when anti-colonial solidarity brought them together, modern India and Indonesia have barely figured in each other’s mental maps. Efforts in the early 21st century to … Continue reading India and Indonesia’s shared maritime imperatives
Written by Tai Wei Lim. The Quadrilateral Security Dialogue, or “the Quad” (US, Japan, Australia, and India), is widely regarded as a counter to China’s rising wealth, power, and ambitions. ASEAN countries are seemingly caught in the middle of this great power tug-of-war. What are their options in this predicament? ASEAN may not be in … Continue reading China and the Quad: challenges for Southeast Asia
It is unlikely a simple change of government will have a negative effect on Malaysia-China relations. Rather, a hardening in China’s attitude could occur as a PH lead government reviews the mega-project investments elaborated earlier – a key manifesto pledge.
Written by Richard Javad Heydarian. In a remarkable reflection of burgeoning strategic relations between former foes, America deployed an aircraft carrier group to Vietnam for the first time in more than four decades. The USS Carl Vinson, a 103,000-ton aircraft carrier, along with two other large warships, arrived on Monday at the Vietnamese port of … Continue reading US and Vietnam float warily together
Written by Kyle Mizokami. The best navy in Asia has a total of 114 warships and 45,800 volunteer personnel. It has a large fleet of fast, powerful destroyers, thoroughly modern diesel-electric attack submarines, and amphibious ships that can haul tanks and other ground forces. It can hunt submarines, square off against invasion fleets, and shoot … Continue reading Japan not China is Asia’s premier maritime power
Written by Tony Walker. Not for several presidential cycles, and perhaps not since Richard Nixon’s visit to China to initial the Shanghai Communique in 1972, has a visit to Asia assumed such significance – and one that is potentially fraught. US President Donald Trump leaves Washington late this week for a 13-day tour of Japan, … Continue reading Trump’s tour of Asia-Pacific is vital for the stability of the region
The EU’s expertise in fostering multilateral cooperation and its engagement in non-military modes of conflict management could prove advantageous seeing that other actors like the U.S. or China lack the equivalent skills and are unable to play the honest broker role.
Written by Cecil Victor. It is summer, and what has been the pattern over the past decade, the season of madness is upon us. Pakistan has intensified its attempts at infiltration of proxy militants into Kashmir through the subterfuge that the attackers are “freedom fighters”. This year China too decided to openly support assaults on … Continue reading India’s security challenge: A two-and-half-front war
The pattern of China’s aggressive behaviour does not seem likely to subside in the future; it may accelerate as China’s relative power increases. Like it or not, these scenarios suggest, the more Hanoi gives in, the more Beijing pushes forward.
The reality is that Duterte’s pivot to China, combined with Thailand’s flirtation with Beijing since the 2014 coup, also makes the United States more reliant on Vietnam in dealing with the South China Sea.
The Philippines as a society is extremely accepting of hierarchy; leaders expect and frequently get subservience. There is little or no ideological commitment amongst politicians, and for reasons of political expediency it is common to switch loyalties to whichever party finds itself in power. This happened after Duterte was elected, and as a result there is no effective opposition party in the country.
What smart power means in the 21st century is our ability to harness our competencies to connect and work with each other in forging durable and comprehensive security for all. Our diversities and comparative advantages are our strength in this promising region. As articulated in China’s new security concept, our problems are so closely intertwined that we will either swim or sink together when we make policy choices in our region.
The India-US collaborative partnership in the Asia-Pacific region is aimed at accommodating China in a security order which is inclusive and rules-based. Both countries are also determined to retain the status quo in the region, and hedge against a China which is increasingly unilateral and assertive in its actions.
Written by Moch Faisal Karim & Wendy A. Prajuli. This year marks the 50th anniversary of ASEAN which, despite criticism for its slow progress, has shown a tremendous achievement for its regional integration project that brings together the very diverse nations within Southeast Asia. One of the most important achievements of ASEAN is to level … Continue reading 50 years of ASEAN dealing with major powers: Indonesia’s perspective
The ‘ASEAN way’, emphasizing avoiding open criticism and resorting to an informal processes of diplomacy, centered on consensus and culminating in the theatre of ASEAN summitry, has been a significant factor in trust-building within the region.
Written by Reinhard Drifte. Last month, it was reported that Japanese Maritime Self Defense Force`s (MSDF) largest warship, the Izumo helicopter carrier (19,500 t), together with the destroyer Sazanami, conducted three days of joint drills with the aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan in the South China Sea and visited Singapore. This was the first time and … Continue reading Japan’s growing role in the South China Sea
Written by Ananda Devi Domingo-Almase The South China Sea (SCS) dispute is a complex web of strategic issues and concerns that are both real and imagined, natural and constructed. This is not just about the security realities that exist in the contested sea, but also about how we look at the security puzzle and frame … Continue reading Diplomatic Engagement and Negotiated Agreement between the Philippines and China: A Constructive-Realist Approach in Post-Arbitration
Written by Julio S. Amador III and Edcel John A. Ibarra There were arguments that the Philippine government should not have solely relied on international courts to manage the country’s most pressing national security concern: the maritime disputes in the West Philippine Sea (otherwise known as the South China Sea). Some commentators pointed out that … Continue reading Deliberate, Not Desperate: The Philippines’ National Security Strategy on the West Philippine Sea
Vietnamese President Trần Đại Quang and Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte review the honour guards at an arrival ceremony at the Presidential Palace in Hanoi on 29th September, 2016. Written by Aaron Jed Rabena Hailed as one of Forbes Magazine’s 2016 most powerful people, President Rodrigo Duterte of the Philippines continues to draw international attention by … Continue reading A Balanced Philippine Foreign Policy: Managing Relations with Major Powers
Written by Srini Sitaraman. Growing Chinese assertiveness and rapid construction has virtually transformed the South China Sea into ‘a Chinese lake.’ Satellite images reveal that Chinese crews are shoring up reefs, constructing fortified buildings and runways, and placing radars and anti-aircraft defense mechanisms on the occupied islets. By forcibly occupying these island chains and reefs and … Continue reading Act East: The India-Vietnam Comprehensive Strategic Partnership
Written by Christopher B. Primiano. Prior to Rodrigo Duterte being sworn in as President of the Philippines in late June 2016, Sino-Philippine relations were tense, relating to the dispute over Scarborough Shoal. Duterte has, from day one of his presidency, sought to improve relations with the Philippines’ most powerful neighbour whilst distancing his government from the … Continue reading The Difference a Leader Makes: A Dramatic Change in China-Philippines Relations
Written by Elliot Newbold The relationship between the United States and the Philippines is paradoxically both tense and tender. Having been an American colony for almost fifty years, the United States granted the Philippines independence on 4th of July, 1946. Since then, the Philippines has looked to America for foreign aid, economic leverage, and military … Continue reading Duterte & Trump: What Now for the Philippine-American “Special Relationship”?
IAPS Dialogue: The online magazine of the Institute of Asia & Pacific Studies 