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
On a single day in 1965, an Indonesian coup rapidly turned into a full-frontal massacre, resulting in an estimated 500,000 to three million deaths. Although the September 30th Movement, as it later became known, was an event of incredible brutality, many parts of this story have regrettably not been told. The atrocities committed as a result of this coup have been largely concealed — unfortunately swept beneath Indonesian and foreign governments’ carpets, for purely economic and strategic aims.
Monique Westcott delves into the history of one of Indonesia’s darkest periods, and the Western interference that helped precipitated it. … Continue readingIndonesia: Swept under the Carpet
Sri Lanka, the island nation off the southern coast of India, is currently facing its worst economic crisis in 73 years (by its government’s estimation). Inflation is skyrocketing and shortages of food, medicine and other critical supplies are crippling the country. The country faces defaulting on its debt. Severe political unrest has predictably erupted in response. The crisis facing Sri Lanka is an example of a true perfect storm: multiple economic stressors have hit the country all at once … Continue reading#GOHOMEGOTA: SRI LANKA’S WORST ECONOMIC CRISIS SINCE INDEPENDENCE
At the beginning of 2022, in the Indian state of Karnataka, Muslim students of a junior college who wore a hijab to classes were denied entry on the grounds that it was a violation of the college’s uniform policy. In the following weeks, protests on the issue were met with counter-protests from Hindu students, demanding to wear saffron scarves (the colour is seen as a Hindu symbol). Ultimately, the dispute was considered by the Karnataka High Court, where they determined that the restrictions on hijabs should be upheld. The decision was criticised inside India and internationally, by the likes of the Human Rights Watch, and by human rights activists such as Malala Yousafzai.
… Continue readingHINDU NATIONALISM – A NEW INDIA
Does India offer Australia’s greatest hope of secure diplomatic and economic integration in the Indo-Pacific?
In light of the recently signed Australia-India Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement, and both countries’ souring relationship with China, Nicholas Butler explores this fundamental question and its ongoing implications. … Continue readingAustralia-China Tensions: India to the Rescue?
At the close of 2020,the UNHCR predicted that the number of displaced persons would, for the first time in history, reach 82.4 million people. The twenty-first century has seen many factors that have contributed to the number of peoples displaced; a global pandemic, climate change, economic crises, a surge in nationalist foreign policies, harsher border policies and domestic as well as interstate conflict. Many people have been left uprooted and unable to stay in their own homes, sometimes even their own country. … Continue readingTHE WORST IS YET TO COME IF WE DON’T ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY – AN UPDATE ON DISPLACEMENT CRISES AND ATTITUDES TO MIGRATION ACROSS THE WORLD
As we enter another year, it is imperative that we reflect on previous significant events in order to anticipate what the coming twelve months may bring. While much of 2021 has been overshadowed by COVID-19, the emergence of the Delta and Omicron variants, and the rollout of various vaccines, significant geopolitical rumblings have brewed and will continue to rumble well into 2022. The following issues may define the upcoming year in international affairs and even have impacts into 2023 and beyond.
… Continue reading2021 – THE SEQUEL | WHAT TO EXPECT IN 2022