In June 2016 led to a remarkable shift in the foreign policy of the archipelagic state. Unlike the previous administration of Benigno Aquino III, which was somewhat confrontational with China on several fronts, including dragging Beijing to the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) over the maritime disputes in the South China Sea (SCS), Duterte downplayed […]
Continued ethnic strife and the State’s overtly discriminatory policies in the Rakhine province of Myanmar have resulted in hundreds of thousands of Rohingyas fleeing their homes. As the exodus began in earnest in the late 1970s, the majority of the Rohingyas, escaping prosecution, crossed into Bangladesh through the land route, although a significant number […]
This is part three of a three-part series on China’s naval power (PART 3: TACTICAL LEVEL) As introduced in the Part 1, so far, most analysis of China’s naval power worldwide has focused on the PLA Navy’s existing and projected force-levels, and their associated hardware inductions and technological progression, with little emphasis on the […]
Introduction This issue brief aims at analysing China’s geo-economics and geostrategic intentions as manifested in its generous assistance to Malaysia for development of the Melaka port project. The issue brief also intends to study the impact of this project upon another key player within the area, namely, Singapore, especially since the Melaka port project will, […]
Introduction The advent of domestic cruise tourism in India is a relatively new phenomenon, although it is a well-known industry around the world. Many coastal countries, particularly island countries, are dependent on cruise tourism for their economic growth. With a 7,516-km long coastline, India has immense potential to develop a domestic cruise industry, which […]
The Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) was established in 1997. Its members are Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Thailand. On 11 August 2017, the 15th BIMSTEC Ministerial Meeting was held in Kathmandu. Addressing the meeting, India’s External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj said, “For India, BIMSTEC is […]
When India first announced its plans of setting up a Tsunami Warning System (TWS) in South China Sea (SCS) region, these evoked a negative reaction from China. However, China later rescinded its initial inhibitions, with the Chinese Foreign Ministry declaring that improving the efficiency of the TWS in the region would serve the interests […]
Introduction On 20 June 2017, China for the first time put forward a blueprint of its grand “21st Century Maritime Silk Road” (MSR) under the “Vision for Maritime Cooperation under the Belt and Road Initiative”. The blueprint emphasised the establishment of a Blue Economy and sustainable development. China, through the MSR seeks to build a […]
A lot has been said and written about the series of collisions at sea particularly concerning the USN ships. According to one writer, there were four major incidents in as many years demanding serious introspection and more importantly, an audit of the procedures and policies adopted at sea for training and watch keeping. The most […]
Introduction North Korea has been under the dictatorial regime of the Kim dynasty since the end of the Second World War. Currently under Kim Jong-un, it is considered a pariah state which pays no heed to democratic values, prioritises military build-up at the cost of starving its citizens, has a closed Stalinist economy, and has […]
On 06 August 2017, the foreign ministers from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and China met in Manila, The Philippines, and adopted the “Framework of the code of conduct (CoC) in the South China Sea (SCS)”. The framework is meant to lead eventually to the CoC comprising a set of rules outlining certain […]
This is part two of a three-part series on China’s naval power (PART 2: OPERATIONAL LEVEL) As introduced in Part 1, so far, most analyses of China’s naval power worldwide have examined the PLA Navy’s existing and projected force-levels, and its associated hardware inductions and technological progression, with little emphasis on the ‘intangibles’ of […]