Author Archives: Luke Austin
Luke Austin has recently completed his MA with distinction in Governance and Global Affairs at the Moscow State Institute of International Relations (MGIMO). He wrote his master’s dissertation on the levels of consistency and contradiction between actual policy-making and political discourse in the framework of EU-Russia relations. Luke also holds a BA in Japanese and Russian from the University of Leeds. He has previously interned for the Primakov Institute of World Economy and International Relations (IMEMO) in Moscow.
Luke Austin
January 17, 2022
Asia and Pacific, Latest Articles, Security and Defence, The Policy Unit, Uncategorized
How long Kishida remains in office depends on the potentially uncomfortable choices he will have to make: as the moderate leader of a conservative-dominated party, either his old dovishness will alienate the LDP right or his new hawkishness will alienate the Japanese public.
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Luke Austin
November 7, 2021
Asia and Pacific, Latest Articles, Security and Defence
South Korea and Taiwan share surprisingly complex bilateral relations, especially considering that they have so much in common: they are US allies who have experienced far-reaching democratisation and economic growth in the past three decades, they are both former Japanese colonies and they both possess historical links with China.
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Luke Austin
September 18, 2021
Asia and Pacific, Latest Articles, Security and Defence
The future shape of Japan’s Myanmar policy depends on who wins the LDP leadership election. Despite their membership of the same political party, the candidates’ respective political positions vary considerably.
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Luke Austin
July 3, 2021
Asia and Pacific, Latest Articles, Security and Defence
Japan and Taiwan share complex bilateral relations. An important element of this complexity is that while the dispute over Senkaku Islands is principally between Japan and China, Taiwan also claims them as its own territory.
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Luke Austin
May 24, 2021
Asia and Pacific, Economic Development, Latest Articles
Owing to Central Asia’s geographical proximity and historical links to both Russia and China, it is understandable that the activities of both powers in this region receive the most attention. There is, however, one other power whose influence and activities in the region are often left out of the equation: Japan
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Luke Austin
February 10, 2021
Africa, Economic Development, Latest Articles
The Japanese military presence in the Horn of Africa commenced in 2009, when two Japan Maritime Self-Defence Force (JMSDF) destroyers were dispatched to the region to participate in counterpiracy operations following an emergency order from the cabinet. In 2011, in order to facilitate this, Japan Self-Defence Force (JSDF) Base Djibouti was established.
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Luke Austin
December 16, 2020
Asia and Pacific, Latest Articles, Security and Defence
Despite the storm of attention generated by the regeneration of Japan's hard power capabilities under Shinzo Abe, the concept of 'soft balancing' may provide a better theoretical approach to understanding Japan's approach to international relations
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Luke Austin
November 14, 2020
Asia and Pacific, Latest Articles, Security and Defence
There has been extensive discussion of the challenges faced by Japan’s new Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga. One major issue facing Suga which has not been analysed in depth is the ongoing territorial dispute between Russia and Japan concerning the ownership of the southern Kuril Islands.
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Luke Austin
October 22, 2020
Asia and Pacific, Latest Articles, Uncategorized
Shinzo Abe has caused a significant commotion recently with his resignation. What has perhaps caused just as much of a disturbance is the election of his successor, a veteran LDP politician of more humble origins by the name of Yoshihide Suga.
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