Increased interest in South Korean culture improves its diplomatic capabilities, as it is able to attract and influence nations as a means of securing and maintaining a heightened status and role in the global community, as opposed to using military and economic power to force influence. Culture has become an indispensable asset in the global environment. … Continue readingKorean Soft Power and the Hallyu Wave
Bangladesh is now facing an uncertain future after months of political unrest led to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina Wazed fleeing the country, leaving her government leaderless. While an interim government was quickly established in an attempt to restore unity, Bangladesh is not out of the woods yet. … Continue readingThe Future in the Rear View Mirror: What’s happening in South Asia?
We have certainly come a long way from the enthralling public displays of boiling, burning and beheading criminals, but perhaps the death penalty hasn’t actually evolved as much as we’d like to think. … Continue readingAn Eye for an Eye: A Look into the Realities of the Death Penalty Today
The global shift to renewable energy is reshaping energy security, traditionally reliant on fossil fuels, by reducing greenhouse gas emissions and geopolitical dependence on oil-rich nations. Key players like the EU, China, and the U.S. lead this transition, creating jobs, economic growth, and altering geopolitical dynamics centered on critical materials and technology. … Continue readingEnergy Security and Transition: Navigating the Global Shift to Renewables
In an ever-evolving landscape of global environmental challenges, electronic waste, or e-waste, has emerged as a pressing concern. Given the increased proliferation of electronic devices worldwide, responsible e-waste management is crucial for environmental sustainability, underscored by the global generation of approximately 53.6 million metric tons (Mt) of electronic waste in 2019, demanding urgent attention. … Continue readingTaiwan’s E-Waste Management: A Model for Global Sustainability Amidst Geopolitical Challenges
At the beginning of March, Melbourne was bustling with preparations for a special occasion: it was the Australia-ASEAN Special Summit, marking 50 years of ASEAN-Australia Dialogue Relations. There were many reasons to be hopeful – it could usher in a new era of trade and investment between two competent and eager parties. One undoubtedly a giant in the Asia-Pacific who, after decades of hanging out with its powerful friends all the way across the globe, finally realised it might be better off being on good terms with its neighbour. The other, despite its incredibly turbulent past, has grown to become a formidable power in its own rights and is increasingly asserting its command in this neighbourhood. Eager as the parties might be, however, there are some elephants in the room – ones that have long threatened the region’s stability and stalled its consensus – that would sit high on the Summit’s agenda. … Continue readingHOW SPECIAL WAS THE ASEAN-AUSTRALIAN SPECIAL SUMMIT 2024?
In April 2022, the People’s Republic of China and the Solomon Islands signed a security pact that sparked a widespread response from the West. This pact entailed boosting the national security capacity of the Solomon islands via access to Chinese police, armed forces, military personnel … Continue readingCHINA IN THE PACIFIC: MAKING NEW FRIENDS
In the heart of Shandong province, Zibo’s streets are filled with a smoky allure. Barbecues have become a symbol of cultural resistance against the societal pressures of post-Covid China. This ‘BBQ City – Zibo‘ phenomenon contrasts sharply with ‘Runology,’ a term encapsulating the yearning of … Continue readingThe Dialectics of Discontent: A Glimpse of Reality through Societal Phenomena in Post-COVID China
China’s rise over the last several decades has at times been accompanied by turbulent relations with other states and the multilateral system more broadly.
As Owen Robinson writes, this has led to several efforts by the Chinese Government to transform its image on the global stage and with individuals on a smaller scale. … Continue readingThe Emperor’s New Groove? China’s Reimagined Image
Australia’s relationship to the Pacific has been a complicated one, to say the least. We are one of the largest powers in the region, with a huge landmass relative to our neighbours, a developed economy, and powerful allies in the U.S. and the U.K. Compared to some of our closest neighbours such as the Solomon Islands, we are a whale amongst minnows. Yet if we expand our view out from our “backyard” to the broader Indo-Pacific, we see Australia is dwarfed by some serious powers. India, Japan, South Korea, China, and the U.S. are all exerting influence in the region and Australia is doing its level best to maintain its own interests amongst these. … Continue readingKISSING UP AND KICKING DOWN: AUSTRALIA IN THE PACIFIC