June 4, 2024
Enhancing the Cooperation between the US and Its Allies in the Mekong Subregion
The Mekong subregion is experiencing heightened geopolitical competition between the US and China, representing a clash between the international rules-based order and a China-led order. While the US and its allies advocate for the rules-based order, China’s intentions for its own order in the…
May 7, 2024
Encounters and Escalation in the Indo-Pacific Perspectives on China’s Military and Implications for Regional Security
China’s military modernization, coupled with increasingly assertive behavior, has led to more frequent and dangerous encounters between the PLA and the militaries of countries across the Indo-Pacific. These interactions have heightened tensions, with specific incidents emphasizing the risk of…
June 5, 2023
U.S. Naval Presence Needed in Sea of Japan to Strengthen Deterrence Against Chinese Aggression
To counter China’s growing military threat and coercive tactics, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida has increased Japan’s diplomatic, economic, and security initiatives as well as expanded its coordination with regional partners. Japan has been increasingly direct in its criticism of Beijing’s…
May 31, 2023
What does it look like for Australia and Southeast Asia to Develop a Joint Agenda for Maritime Security
Maritime security is vital for Australia and Southeast Asia, making it a shared priority issue for the region. With Australia’s future economic and energy security linked to the Southeast Asian region, maritime trade activities remain integral to prosperity, and open sea lines of communication are…
April 30, 2023
What does it look like for Australia to be an Effective Partner in Combatting Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated Fishing
Australia can be a global leader in sustainable fisheries management, including maritime domain awareness (MDA), monitoring, control and surveillance (MCS) and fisheries science. Australia has much to offer regionally and globally. In the past it has led significant and successful efforts to combat…
April 25, 2023
South China Sea, East China Sea, and the Emerging US-Japan-Philippines Trilateral
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 proactive approach to deepening the U.S.-Vietnam partnership
November 8, 2022
Extended ‘Gray Zone’ Deterrence in the South China Sea
Strong military commitments by stronger allies to defend weaker partners is just one necessary component of extended deterrence to limited (gray zone) aggression. Another essential part is the weaker partners’ presence in disputed domains. In the context of the South China Sea, given the vast…
November 1, 2022
Facing the Ravenous Sea Dragon: How Weaker Nations Confront Chinese Coercion in the South China Sea
The risk of armed conflicts in the South China Sea (SCS) has been rising since the late 2000s when China increased the frequency with which it exercised its coercive power over other littoral nations, including Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia and Indonesia. Chinese coercive behaviors range from…
October 3, 2022
U.S. Naval Presence Needed in Sea of Japan to Strengthen Deterrence Against Chinese Aggression
The greatest danger to the U.S. this decade remains a war with China, most likely in the waters around Taiwan. Japan shares this risk and has focused its growing defense budget on meeting the threat, but a significant incident in the Sea of Japan could create insurmountable domestic pressures to…