June 23, 2023
A work in progress: The Indo-Pacific partnership for maritime domain awareness
A year ago, the four leaders of the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (“Quad”) convened in Tokyo and released a joint statement launching the Indo-Pacific Partnership for Maritime Domain Awareness (IPMDA). This initiative’s primary objective is to enhance maritime security and domain awareness by…
June 8, 2023
Coast Guard cooperation: Heading off a troubling storm?
This week the coast guards of Japan, the Philippines, and the United States conduct their first-ever exercise, two weeks after the United States and Japan delivered joint training in the Philippines. In another precedent-setting, first-ever event, on May 4 senior leaders from nine Indo-Pacific…
June 6, 2023
US, Japanese, Philippine Coast Guard Ships Stage Law Enforcement Drills Near South China Sea
Philippine officials say such joint exercises with U.S. forces do not target any country. But Beijing says increased U.S. security deployments in Asia target China and undermine regional stability.
June 5, 2023
The choppy seas and non-dialogue of US–China relations
In the Taiwan Strait on Saturday, a Chinese People’s Liberation Army Navy ship and a US Navy ship came within 150 yards of a collision. The US says the Chinese warship crossed the bow of the US destroyer in an ‘unsafe’ manoeuvre that ‘violated the maritime “rules of the road” of safe passage in…
June 2, 2023
The High Seas Treaty: A Tall Order for Implementation?
Unless countries remain committed to enforce adequate oversight and protection of the oceans that they depend on, it would be inconceivable for their blue economies to stay afloat.
June 2, 2023
India and Australia should join forces to support maritime security in the Pacific
Modi’s trip to PNG, and India’s increasing engagement with the region, show that New Delhi is beginning to see the gaps in the field. Australia may well be an effective partner for India, particularly in addressing the capacity constraints of Pacific island countries in maritime security.
May 27, 2023
AUKUS: Enhancing Undersea Deterrence
Driven by the CCP’s imperative to oversee “the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation” by 2049, US intelligence sources indicate that Chinese President Xi Jinping has ordered the PLA to become capable of countering American military power in the Indo-Pacific and ready for a takeover of Taiwan by…
May 26, 2023
Australia can combat illegal fishing through Indo-Pacific partnerships
Illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing impacts ecosystems, economies, human security, international law, governance and human development. IUU fishing is a priority issue across the Indo-Pacific region, with ASEAN member states experiencing over US$6 billion in economic losses per year…
May 26, 2023
South China Sea Tensions Haunted by European Colonialism
The legal case brought by Sulu Sultanate heirs against Malaysia highlights the unexpected links between present day tensions and European colonialism in Southeast Asia.