ARTICLES

6 Apr 2021

International Law Matters in the South China Sea

Aristyo Rizka Darmawan

China is trying to rewrite international law in the South China Sea.

17 Mar 2021

Great Expectations: the Limits of Chinese Vaccine Diplomacy in Southeast Asia

Khairulanwar Zaini

China’s vaccine diplomacy in Southeast Asia may earn Beijing some goodwill, but strategic gains will be limited.

China COVID-19 Health South China Sea Vaccine Diplomacy

1 Mar 2021

Constant and Continuous: Vietnam’s Foreign Policy After The 13th Party Congress

Chheang Vannarith|Nguyen Huu Tuc

Hedging between the US and China while promoting a rules-based South China Sea will continue to guide Vietnam’s foreign policy.

China-Vietnam Relations South China Sea U.S.-Vietnam Relations Vietnam Vietnamese Politics

22 Feb 2021

The USA and UNCLOS: Time to Ratify

Aristyo Rizka Darmawan

Actions speak louder than words. Ratifying UNCLOS would strengthen the US’ stabilising role in the Indo-Pacific.

Indo-Pacfic South China Sea U.S. U.S. Foreign Policy UNCLOS

19 Feb 2021

The US-Philippines Visiting Forces Agreement: The Duterte Punchbag That Will Probably Survive the Blows

Ian Storey

A long-standing Visiting Forces Agreement between the Philippines and the United States will probably survive despite threats from President Rodrigo Duterte to see the end of it.

Philippine Philippine-U.S. Relations South China Sea U.S. Foreign Policy

1 Feb 2021

The Philippine-US Alliance: Keeping Things on an Even Keel

Renato Cruz De Castro

Given the challenges posed by an assertive China and a changing geopolitical environment, Manila and Washington must work hard to sustain their decades-old alliance.

Philippine Philippine-U.S. Relations South China Sea U.S. Foreign Policy

29 Jan 2021

The US Coast Guard and the Indo-Pacific: Straddling the Sweet Spot between Diplomacy and Lethality

Ian Storey

The United States has added the US Coast Guard to its South China Sea toolbox. This bodes well for regional security and the maritime rules-based order.

China-U.S. Relations South China Sea U.S. U.S. Foreign Policy U.S. Pacific Fleet

27 Jan 2021

China’s New Coast Guard Law: Illegal and Escalatory

Aristyo Rizka Darmawan

A new Chinese law, which gives its coast guard legal cover to fire on foreign vessels in contested waters, is worrying. States interested in the peace and stability of the South China Sea should do something about it.

ASEAN-China Relations China-U.S. Relations International Relations South China Sea

26 Jan 2021

Japan’s Diplomatic Note on the South China Sea: Internationalising the Dispute Amid Chinese Pressure

Nguyen Hong Thao

Japan’s latest note verbale to the United Nations on the South China Sea was done out of its national interest. Nonetheless, it shows that Tokyo – and a growing coalition of countries – are digging in their heels to uphold the aegis of international law in the region.

ASEAN-China Relations Japan South China Sea