REG-DIP

Following the “Camp David Summit” involving the leaders of the United States, Japan, and South Korea, plans for increased joint military exercises have been announced. The leaders met in August at Camp David and expressed commitment to coordinating responses to regional challenges. This marks the start of enhanced trilateral cooperation among the three countries.

The Japanese government’s recent initiation of a nuclear-contaminated wastewater discharge from the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant into the Pacific Ocean has sparked considerable concern and aroused criticism on various fronts. This decision, laden with potential repercussions, raises alarms for multiple reasons. 

Jakarta, IO – Tensions in the South China Sea are heating up. Record breaking incursions by Chinese jets and warships into Taiwanese territory, military exercises which simulate an invasion, and to top it off China’s...

Amid a dramatic escalation of the Russian-Ukrainian conflict, which sparked a war marked by Russia’s “Special Military Action” against Ukraine, dated in western media from February 24, 2022, scholars and expert observers have drawn parallels to the United States’ evolving policy towards Taiwan, aka the “Republic of China”.

Utilizing information from a recent report by a website affiliated with the U.S. Department of Defense, it has come to light that the MQ-9A Reaper drone, a formidable asset deployed within the U.S. Marine Corps, has successfully achieved its initial operational capability within the Indo-Pacific region. As I consider the implications of this development, it becomes apparent that the U.S. Marine Corps could potentially harness these drones to establish an unbroken stream of intelligence gathering and battlefield surveillance capabilities. This would in turn play a crucial role in supporting the U.S. military’s day-to-day operations worldwide, and could potentially provide vital data for conceivable major military conflicts in the future. 

Recent discussions surrounding “Bidenomics” have gained significant attention, with its key principles illustrated by Trade Representative Katherine Tai’s mid-June address—centered on domestic investment (through tightened foreign investment regulations) and global investment risk management. These principles also underpin the United States’ current approach to China, influencing Sino-US relations. Notably, a significant step in this direction occurred on August 9, when President Biden signed an executive order restricting certain US investment in sensitive high-tech sectors in China. This move underscores the intense strategic competition between the US and China. 

Henry Kissinger, who was once viewed as an adversary by China, was a “sensible enemy”. He understood the fate of his opponent and approached them with unrivaled political realism and pragmatism. Such a viewpoint calls for a political player to understand the international shifts and the balance of emerging forces, thereby moving away from outdated political approaches. 

In the dynamic landscape of international relations, few regional organizations have managed to navigate the complexities and challenges as adeptly as the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

On 20 July Chinese President Xi Jinping pointed out that Henry Kissinger had recently celebrated his 100th birthday and had visited the People’s Republic of China more than a hundred times. The combination of these two “hundreds” makes this time’s visit to the People’s Republic of China particularly significant. 

On July 27, 2023, Bill Nelson, a NASA Administrator, sparked concerns in Argentina during his visit to that country. His remarks about China’s achievements in lunar and Martian exploration and the competition with China being termed a “space race” raised eyebrows among Argentine officials and the public. Analysts speculated that Nelson’s comments might be an attempt to undermine Argentina-China space cooperation, particularly the joint operation of the Neuquén Deep Space Station. 

South Korea is trying to benefit from the tripartite coordination mechanism with Washington and Tokyo to confront the dangers of its northern neighbor in light of Pyongyang’s continued military escalation. However, Washington’s goal of forming an alliance between the three countries to confront Beijing faces some doubts, given that Seoul does not see Beijing as an enemy like Tokyo. As for Japan, it is clear that it will continue to coordinate with Washington to support its efforts to curb Chinese military expansion in the East Asia and South Pacific region.