Asia and Pacific

The bushfires which rampaged across parts of southeastern Australia were finally extinguished at the end of February, after more than 240 days of blazing across New South Wales.

Through Operation Bushfire Assist, Australia and its partners continue to develop interoperability, a crucial feat which will be called upon to face future challenges in the South Pacific region.

The European Union has already committed mistakes dealing with China—in the context of 5G and many other infrastructure-related projects.

The 2019 PIF offers a glimmer of hope for engagement. However, it simultaneously moderates what to expect at upcoming climate summits.

Between 28 and 29 June 2019, Japan hosted the 14th annual G20 summit. Occurring at a time of peaking international tensions – particularly in terms of trade and environmental issues – the 2019 summit tested the resolve and priorities of the international community.

In May 2019, the OHCHR released a report that concluded North Korea was failing to provide its citizens with a number of basic rights – including an adequate standard of living.

While the European Union worried about Russian involvement in the Western Balkans, China has been taking advantage of the last few years to quietly become one of the big players in the region.

India is considered to be the largest democracy in the world and on the verge of becoming one of the super-nations on Earth alongside the United States and China. But while India’s economic future may be global, its security issues are very much local.

Mohammed Bin Salman is demonstrating Saudi Arabia’s intention to create a strategic counterweight to its ties with western partners.

Optimistically, there is a chance that 2018 will be studied in the future as a positive watershed in nuclear proliferation and diplomacy. However, there is an equal chance that 2018 will be hallmarked by errors and nuclear instability.