Towards an open, secure and rules-based maritime order in Asia.

Water is the dominant geographic feature in Asia, covering nearly 60 percent of its area. From the South China Sea to the Malacca Strait, and from the Sea of Japan to the Gulf of Thailand, the maritime realm is central to the economic, political and security affairs of the region. Asia Maritime Index is a project of Tokyo International University’s Maritime Security Lab and funded by the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS) / 日本学術振興会.

Research

In-depth, policy-driven research on maritime security issues in Asia.

What does it look like for Australia and Southeast Asia to Develop a Joint Agenda for Maritime Security
AP4D

Maritime security is vital for Australia and Southeast Asia, making it a shared priority issue for the region. With Australia’s future economic and…

What does it look like for Australia to be an Effective Partner in Combatting Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated Fishing
AP4D

Australia can be a global leader in sustainable fisheries management, including maritime domain awareness (MDA), monitoring, control and surveillance…

South China Sea, East China Sea, and the Emerging US-Japan-Philippines Trilateral
Author: Jeffrey Ordaniel and Carl Baker, for Pacific Forum

This paper argues that pursuing cooperation around shared legal norms and ideas to advance maritime security in the South China Sea will be a more…

Extended ‘Gray Zone’ Deterrence in the South China Sea
Author: Shusuke Ioku Ph.D. Student at the Department of Political Science, the University of Rochester, for Pacific Forum

Strong military commitments by stronger allies to defend weaker partners is just one necessary component of extended deterrence to limited (gray…

Curated Analyses

Submitted policy briefs and opinion editorials, and curated analytical pieces from various sources.