Asia Pacific
The Philippines’ shifting stance towards the South China Sea dispute
Philippines president Rodrigo Duterte has been known for its conciliatory approach towards China in relation to the South China Sea dispute, preferring to engage with Beijing as close trade and investment partner rather than a threat to its sovereignty. However, recent Chinese activities in the Spratly Islands are putting this stance into question.
Fake news in Asian politics
Asian politics has been riddled with dissemination of rumours and fake news harboured by social media over the past decade.
Lessons from Hanoi with Prof Stephan Haggard
Donald Trump was widely criticised for walking away in Hanoi but the disappointing end of the summit holds prospects for a more realistic approach to denuclearisation. With input from Prof Stephan Haggard, here is some insight into what really happened in Hanoi and what we can expect to happen next.
Beijing’s ‘creeping expansionism’ in the South China Sea
The South China Sea island dispute is an ongoing and complex situation in Southeast Asia’s doorstep. It has the power to disrupt multilateral alliances.
Influence of Facebook on Asia’s election season
Various Asian nations are set to hold critical elections later on this year. And there are serious concerns over the effect Facebook and other social media platforms can have on election campaigns in terms of fake news and bots.
Economic slowdown and China’s green future
China has adopted a high-profile role as a champion for climate action and renewable energy. Yet, as the country faces new economic constraints, its climate endeavour might be in danger.
A change in the East Asian balance of power? The implications of the Trump-Kim Summit
Ever since the end of the Korean War in 1953, the United States and South Korea have formed a liberal democratic alliance, in opposition to the communist North Korea. Although the two allies have encountered ups and downs throughout the decades, recent developments gave hope that a fundamental change to the nature of America’s engagements in the Korean peninsula might occur. However, President Trump’s last two summits with Kim Jong-un have made little progress, and questions concerning how to successfully engage North Korea persist.
China and 5G: the future of technology
The race for 5G presents a new theatre for geopolitical competition, with China raising the stakes for rapid deployment of its 5G network and the US pushing back to maintain the control over its network and applications. China has situated 5G as a priority, describing it as a “key technology” under its 13th Five-Year Plan.
Japan: military expansion and instability in East Asia
With an incursive China, relaxing American input and an ambiguous Trump-Kim relationship, Japan bolsters its military capabilities to face uncertain times.
Russia and China: A pragmatic partnership
As sanctions continue, Sino-Russian relations – in many ways a pragmatic response to Western reproach – have been steadily developing. Russia’s eastward leaning strategy, or its ‘pivot to Asia,’ is largely coming in the form of energy relations and military cooperation with China.
