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Pacific

Book Review: Island off the Coast of Asia: Instruments of Statecraft in Australian Foreign Policy
RUSI Journal, 29 November 2019
William Clapton
William Clapton reviews Island off the Coast of Asia: Instruments of Statecraft in Australian Foreign Policy, by Clinton Fernandes.
Tags: Defence Policy, Pacific
Huawei and Siemens
In The News, 26 November 2019
Tags: China, Military Sciences, Modern Deterrence, UK, Europe, Pacific

Crossing the River by Feeling the Stones: The Trajectory of China's Maritime Transformation
Occasional Papers, 14 October 2019
Sidharth Kaushal and Magdalena Markiewicz
This Occasional Paper examines China's maritime strategy by placing its contemporary evolution in context.
Tags: Armed Forces, Asia, China, Military Sciences, Equipment and Acquisitions, Maritime Forces, Military Personnel, Technology, Pacific
"“What is clear is that while China and Russia may be in lockstep against the U.S. right now, that closeness doesn’t play out in all other contexts" said Raffaello Pantucci, the director of international security studies at the London-based RUSI think tank. "
Xi Jinping Has Embraced Vladimir Putin—for Now
In The News, 3 October 2019 Tags: China, International Security Studies, Pacific
"In February 1984, the deputy head of the Indian Consulate in Birmingham was grabbed as he got off the bus heading home with a cake for his daughter’s birthday. The next day, Kashmiri nationalists announced that they had kidnapped him and were demanding a ransom and the release of a Kashmiri leader in Indian custody. The Indian government refused and Mhatre was brutally murdered. Three decades later in 2005, the Kashmiri connection came to life once again when a group of British born young men blew themselves up on the London public transport system murdering 52 innocent commuters. Their journey to Al Qaeda training camps had started through Kashmiri oriented ones. "
India's actions in Kashmir could have bloody consequences in the UK
In The News, 5 August 2019 Tags: International Security Studies, Pakistan, Pacific
"Still, Lam chose the worst possible moment to try to rush the bill through and “badly mismanaged” the issue, wrote the former British diplomat Charles Parton, a senior associate fellow at the U.K.-based Royal United Services Institute. Not only did it virtually coincide with the 30th anniversary of the Tiananmen crackdown—traditionally marked by heightened emotions and a public vigil in Hong Kong—but it was equally risky to court potential unrest so close to the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China on Oct. 1, 1949. "
Ich Bin Ein Hong Konger
In The News, 16 July 2019 Tags: China, PacificPages

America First Now or America Last Later?
Commentary, 15 May 2017Peter Roberts and Veerle Nouwens
The Trump administration appears eager to change its position frequently, keeping both friends and adversaries on their toes. The snag is that, at least for the moment, allies are more rattled than potential enemies.
China, United States, Americas, Pacific
China: Understanding Beijing’s Belt and Road Initiative
Commentary, 12 May 2017Raffaello Pantucci
A great deal of rhetoric is expended over China’s gigantic investment initiatives. Still, many of the economic projects are real, and Western governments will be well advised to understand their purpose.
China, New Silk Road, Pacific
ASEAN at 50: Time for a Stronger Political and Security Community
Commentary, 4 May 2017Veerle Nouwens
ASEAN is navigating the choppy waters of regional power struggles as it marks a successful half-century.
Pacific
The ‘Celestial Empire’ Looks to Space
Commentary, 24 February 2017Veerle Nouwens and Alexandra Stickings
A new Chinese White Paper on the country’s space policy raises a number of questions regarding both its role as a space power and the links between its peaceful exploration and use as a military domain.
Aerospace, China, Pacific
Trump’s Response to North Korea’s Latest Missile Test
Commentary, 13 February 2017Emil Dall
US President Donald Trump’s reaction to North Korea’s latest missile launch is consistent with policies pursued by the Obama administration. But the president will need to be better prepared if Pyongyang crosses the red line and successfully develops a long-range missile capability.
Proliferation and Nuclear Policy, US Defence Policy, North Korea, Proliferation and Nuclear Policy, PacificPages

A Reality Check after Thailand's King Bhumibol
RUSI Journal, 21 December 2016Nicholas Farrelly
Thailand is entering an uncertain period following the death of its popular king.
RUSI Journal, Global Security Issues, Pacific
UK–China Cooperation on Non-Combatant Evacuation Operations
RUSI Journal, 30 November 2016Edward Schwarck
Bilateral cooperation on non-combatant evacuation operations is part of China’s renewed focus on defence engagement.
China, RUSI Journal, UK, Defence Policy, Global Security Issues, UK Defence, Europe, Pacific
Book Review: Post-War Japan as a Sea Power: Imperial Legacy, Wartime Experience and the Making of a Navy
RUSI Journal, 30 November 2016Lindsay Black
Lindsay Black reviews Post-War Japan as a Sea Power: Imperial Legacy, Wartime Experience and the Making of a Navy, by Alessio Patalano.
RUSI Journal, Japan, History, Maritime Forces, Pacific
Indonesia and the South China Sea
RUSI Newsbrief, 24 May 2016John McBeth
Will Indonesia’s aspirations to become a regional maritime power set it on a collision course with China?
China, RUSI Newsbrief, Global Security Issues, Maritime Forces, Pacific
Europe’s ‘Principled Pragmatism’ on the South China Sea
RUSI Newsbrief, 23 May 2016Theresa Fallon
As China flexes its muscles in the South China Sea, the EU is trying to balance supporting the rule of law with its need to maintain good relations with Beijing.
China, RUSI Newsbrief, Maritime Forces, Europe, PacificPages

"China is asserting itself in its border regions and changing facts on the ground to solidify claims. Indian push-back is based on strategic relations with Bhutan that go back a long way and a concern about how this changes Indian capabilities on the ground."
China must get along with regional powers to make its New Silk Road plan work
In The News, 19 August 2017 Tags: China, International Security Studies, India, Global Security Issues, Pacific, Central and South Asia
"“The big slip-up was with the stuff getting on the plane to Australia,” said Raffaello Pantucci, director of international security studies at the Royal United Services Institute thinktank. “Cargo planes have been a problem for a long time.”"
Foiled Sydney plot raises questions about how easily bomb was transported to Australia
In The News, 9 August 2017 Tags: International Security Studies, Terrorism, Pacific, Middle East and North Africa
""China's naval presence in the Indian Ocean is showing signs of a qualitative shift," Joshi said, noting the mainland's growing patrols and the July 12 dispatch of Chinese troops to a military base in Djibouti — Beijing's first long-term foreign military deployment in almost 60 years. "This Chinese facility is not just a platform from which China can project initially modest power into the western Indian Ocean, but will also justify and support a greater volume and pace of other patrols through the eastern and central Indian Ocean," Joshi added."
As India and China face off in the mountains, a new confrontation is growing in the ocean
In The News, 25 July 2017 Tags: China, India, Global Security Issues, Pacific
""Given the number of women who have traveled from other countries to Syria/Iraq, including from the West, it is unsurprising that Singapore has experienced a case of female radicalization," Winterbotham told CNN in an email. "Families have been central to the creation of the Islamic State (ISIS) with a focus on creating infrastructure and society through citizens living under strict sharia law. Women have therefore been sought as citizens, to marry fighters, mother children, and propagandize.""
Preschool assistant is the 1st woman ever detained for radicalization in Singapore
In The News, 12 June 2017 Tags: International Security Studies, Pacific
"“China needs to not only worry about walking into political traps leading to investment loss, but also worry about security of staff and assets,” said Raffaello Pantucci, director of international security studies at the Royal United Services Institute. “You are looking at parts of the world where you have politically risky and unstable governments, a variety of security threats, and a government in Beijing which has little clear skill or experience in managing these problems.”"
Chinese firms wary of political risks on Xi’s ‘Belt and Road’ plan
In The News, 25 May 2017 Tags: China, International Security Studies, Global Security Issues, Pacific
A Post Mortem of a Disintegrated Review
Revolutions Of War
Strengthening the UK’s National Resilience: The Tasks Ahead