Asia Pacific
How China is reforming its military
After months of discussion, President Xi has finally launched the expected reform of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA), saluted as one of the most radical and at the same time
India and Japan: Shaping a new strategic partnership
India and Japan have recently unveiled a series of important initiatives, strengthening their mutual cooperation on important issues such as defense technology, nuclear energy and freedom of navigation. However, the
Singapore at the center of the Pacific chessboard
The current Russo-Turkish standoff has echoes in the Crimean War and is also a harbinger of Singapore’s role in the Asia-Pacific. Recently, tensions have increased between Russia and Turkey due
2015 Asia Risks in Retrospect: Is Potential Conflict Giving Way to Tacit Rule Making?
From defense spending, banks, trade pacts, and historical baggage, take a look back at the main events and risk in the Asia-Pacific region in 2015. In 2015, East Asian relations
Liberal status quo likely to continue in Philippines
The Aquino administration has been able to grow the resilience of the Liberal Party of the Philippines, making a Liberal Party victory by Manuel “Mar” Roxas in the May 2016
Yuan’s accession marks end to any containment of China
With the recent IMF decision to grant China’s currency the status of reserve currency, any attempts to “contain” China are over. China has taken a major step in confirming its
Optimism in post-election Myanmar
Several meetings after the November elections between pro-democracy Aung San Suu Kyi and political and military heavyweights have signalled that both sides are working towards a peaceful transition and national
India and China vie for the Maldives
China’s increased engagement with the Maldives has fed into New Delhi’s concerns over China’s rising profile in the Indian Ocean. They say that there are three sides to every story;
Shared challenges key to Indonesia-Malaysia cooperation
Indonesia and Malaysia’s post-decolonization relations have been consistently afflicted by political disputes and tension, despite their close proximity and similar historical and linguistic features. As the political and economic dynamics
Key impacts of China’s environmental leadership
Recently, China has pursued a much stronger environmental policy than previously seen or expected, and Beijing is now in a position to lead at the climate summit in Paris. Here
