Facing a $1 trillion bill to recapitalise its nuclear triad, the US should now seek to assess the purpose for which it is sustaining its nuclear force not just in the context of symbolism, but for the practical value it can provide to the defence of its interests.
Read More »President Duterte’s volte-face on Philippine foreign policy
In the world of realpolitik, President Duterte needs to repair the country’s relations with its only bulwark, the US, unless it wishes to grant its territorial claims to China on a silver platter.
Read More »Japan and North Korea: Options for a way forward
jn Japan's options going forward in dealing with belligerent neighbour North Korea.
Read More »Kim Jong-un’s Cavalier Behavior: Driving Northeast Asia to Respond
North Korea’s most recent missile test, which involved the firing of a submarine-launched ballistic missile, elevates the level of instability in Northeast Asia at a time when the regional political climate is already fragile
Read More »Political Earthquake in ASEAN: Exploring Each Member’s Standing
The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) is a cosmopolitan group drawing from diverse ethnic, historical, and political backgrounds. If there is one thing that unites all ten states, it is that change is occurring at a lightning-fast pace.
Read More »China’s National Century of Humiliation: Context for Today’s Tensions
The challenge for the US and its partners in the region is appreciating China’s complex history and the difficulties the CCP now finds itself in while also trying to develop negotiating space.
Read More »Next Steps in the South China Sea: What to do After Victory
September 8th, 2016 By Davis Florick – Junior Fellow The Philippines’ victory at the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) was significant for the states bordering the South China Sea. For once, China’s smaller neighbors were able to stand up and ...
Read More »Freedom of Navigation and the Liberal World Order
International legal norms such as freedom of navigation must be actively upheld for them to remain relevant.
Read More »The Great Wall of Japan
Japan is embracing a role in the security order of South East Asia that it has long denied itself. Whilst it will never take over the role of the US in ensuring regional stability, the country is currently in the process of positioning itself as a leader in the drive to contain Beijing’s ambitions.
Read More »The Tragedy of Cambodia: Hun Sen’s Silent Dictatorship
The relativist argument that Hun Sen’s corruption is better than King Sihanouk’s ineptitude, Lon Nol’s civil war, and Pol Pot’s genocide is no longer acceptable for people born long after these other leaders’ times in power.
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