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Pacific

Hong Kong: So What? Now What? In the Future What?
Commentary, 18 June 2019
Charles Parton
Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam’s attempt at introducing a Fugitive Offenders Ordinance has harmed the interests of Hong Kong and China; it may also harm their relations with foreign countries.
Tags: Asia, China, RUSI International, Global Security Issues, Law and Ethics, Pacific
Book Review: Modern Chinese Warplanes: Chinese Air Force – Combat Aircraft and Units
RUSI Journal, 31 May 2019
Justin Bronk
Justin Bronk reviews Modern Chinese Warplanes: Chinese Air Force – Combat Aircraft and Units, by Andreas Rupprecht.
Tags: Aerospace, China, Military Sciences, Defence Policy, Pacific
"The Middle East traditionally has been seen as the cradle of terrorist threats that resonate globally; this year, however, has illustrated how a set of potential dangers exists in South Asia with the potential to ultimately wreak havoc around the world – crying out for closer monitoring. "
Time for South Asia to more closely monitor regional terrorism with global reach
In The News, 19 May 2019 Tags: International Security Studies, Pacific, Central and South Asia
The Financing of North Korea’s Nuclear Ambition Remains Alive and Well
Commentary, 29 April 2019
Tom Keatinge
A lack of awareness-raising by governments and misinterpretation by the private sector mean efforts to restrict North Korea’s finances are failing.
Tags: Centre for Financial Crime and Security Studies, North Korea, Proliferation and Nuclear Policy, Pacific
‘Short of War’: No Peace in the South China Sea
RUSI Newsbrief, 1 April 2019
Huong Le Thu
China’s ongoing construction efforts have created a situation where (in the words of the Commander of the US Indo-Pacific Command, Admiral Philip Davidson) Beijing is ‘capable of controlling the South China Sea in all scenarios short of war with the United States’. The absence of outright war reflects not only China’s ability to move the threshold for instigating open conflict, but also the fact...
Tags: China, Global Security Issues, Pacific
The UK and India in the Indo-Pacific
Commentary, 1 March 2019
Aaditya Dave
Looking beyond the historical links between the UK and India, there are opportunities and reasons for the two to work together in the Indo-Pacific region.
Tags: International Security Studies, Civil–Military Relations, India, Global Strategy and Commitments, UK, Global Security Issues, Maritime Forces, PacificPages

Trump’s Asia Team is a Hawkish Work in Progress
Commentary, 9 February 2017Ashley Townshend
US President Donald Trump has hinted at a more muscular US foreign policy in Asia–Pacific. In tweets and speeches since the election, he has adopted a hard-line on North Korea and his Asia team is shaping up to reflect Trump’s hawkish stance towards China on trade and security. But it is also likely to be an eclectic group.
China, United States, US Defence Policy, Americas, Pacific
China’s 500-Ship Navy Suddenly Appears on the Horizon
Commentary, 3 February 2017Peter Roberts
The People's Liberation Army's Navy is growing fast; expect it to grow even faster.
China, Maritime Forces, Pacific
A Quiet Take Off – US Navy Deploys E-2Ds to Japan
Commentary, 24 January 2017Justin Bronk
A recent deployment of new US assets in the Pacific could represent a significant capability boost in countering improving Chinese missile and aircraft technology.
Aerospace, China, United States, US Defence Policy, Japan, North America, North Korea, Maritime Forces, Pacific
Trump’s Pivot to Asia: What Comes Next?
Commentary, 20 January 2017Patrick Cullen
Almost everything we believe we know about President Donald Trump’s future policies is based on guesswork. Not so on Asia, where evidence about the president’s intentions is plentiful.
China, United States, US Defence Policy, North America, Defence Policy, Pacific
A Benign China in Asia–Pacific? Not So Fast
Commentary, 12 January 2017Veerle Nouwens
The timing was perfect: just as the new Trump Administration is preparing to take over in the US, Beijing has published a White Paper entitled ‘China’s Policies on Asia–Pacific Security Cooperation’. It claims to outline China’s contributions to Asia–Pacific regional security. But it fails to diminish concerns over its regional ambitions.
China, Defence Policy, Maritime Forces, PacificPages

Nuclear Weapons on Trial: The Marshall Islands Versus the United Kingdom
RUSI Newsbrief, 20 May 2016Emil Dall
The tiny Marshall Islands goes to the International Court of Justice to compel nuclear weapon states to commit to disarmament.
Pakistan, Proliferation and Nuclear Policy, RUSI Newsbrief, India, UK, Proliferation and Nuclear Policy, Pacific
The Security Dilemma in the Western Pacific
RUSI Newsbrief, 17 March 2016Koichi Onodera
There is a real risk that the build-up of military capabilities in the region could spiral out of control
China, Japan, RUSI Newsbrief, Global Security Issues, Pacific
Indonesia's Forest Fires: Igniting Tensions in Southeast Asia
RUSI Newsbrief, 22 January 2016Malcolm C K Soh and Kelvin S-H Peh
Jakarta’s failure to tackle illegal burning is threatening its relations with its neighbours
Asia, RUSI Newsbrief, Defence Management, Pacific
Should the West Embrace the AIIB?
RUSI Newsbrief, 22 January 2016Nikki Lee
Is the AIIB just a new foreign-policy tool for China, or is it necessary for regional development and a project the West should welcome?
Asia, RUSI Newsbrief, Defence Policy, Pacific
Down Underwater: Australia’s Submarine Replacement Challenge
RUSI Defence Systems, 7 January 2016Andrew Davies
With operating ranges far in excess of diesel-electric norms but insufficient nuclear industry to go with SSNs, Australia’s new submarine must come up with an innovative solution
RUSI Defence Systems, Maritime Forces, PacificPages

"'Ultimately, the golden opportunity in ASEAN’s golden jubilee will lie in the UK reinventing itself as a strong, independent actor in Southeast Asia who balances its bilateral interests with the continuation of a thus far successful and stabilising regional organisation.'"
ASEAN’s Golden Jubilee and Global Britain’s Other Golden Opportunity
In The News, 3 March 2017 Tags: International Security Studies, Brexit, UK, Global Security Issues, Pacific
"'With China becoming the region’s most influential economic actor, steadily increasing its role in local security and politics, Central Asian powers are seeking to broaden their engagement and bring to life a long-advocated ‘multi-vector’ diplomatic approach.'"
Central Asian connectivity: Going beyond China
In The News, 11 January 2017 Tags: China, International Security Studies, Pacific, Central and South Asia
"The purpose of North Korea’s ICBM programme was “to be able to hold targets on the US mainland at risk”. “Most believe Pyongyang would not use that capability unless the leadership thought its survival was imminently threatened. But the ICBM development is still immensely worrying,” “The consequences of miscalculation with North Korea are significant, and US allies in East Asia could think extended deterrence guarantees are weaker once the US homeland is at stake.”"
South Korea forms unit to kill Kim Jong Un in event of war
In The News, 9 January 2017 Tags: Proliferation and Nuclear Policy, North Korea, Global Security Issues, Proliferation and Nuclear Policy, Pacific
International Women’s Day: The Tasks Ahead
Financing Right-Wing Extremism and Terrorism
Diversity in the UK's Intelligence Agencies