Indo-Pacific
Navigating the tides of innovation and influence
The Working Group Indo-Pacific examines the Indo-Pacific's strategic significance, focusing on regional security, maritime disputes, and power dynamics between the US, China, and regional players. It analyses economic integration, military cooperation, and emerging threats. Monthly briefings provide fact-based insights and visualisations on key geopolitical trends shaping the region's security landscape.
Fuel Crisis: Car dependence & Environmental Impact
Argument: How Australia’s car-dependent urban policy model and heavy reliance on imports for fuel expose Australian cities and the national economy to…
The Weak Yen Trap
Q: Does Japan’s dollar exposure prevent the BoJ from raising rates? Arg: Low rates fuel carry trades that weaken the yen, while $1T+ in U.S. Treasuries ties…
Taiwan’s Porcupine Strategy
To what extent does Taiwan’s defence production and external security cooperation enhance the effectiveness of its porcupine strategy in response to escalating…
Bridging Euro-Atlantic and Indo-Pacific Security
RQ: Can NATO and the IP4 build a deeper, structured partnership now that the Euro-Atlantic and Indo-Pacific security theatres have merged? Arg: The political…
NATO and the IP4 – Closer Cooperation Incoming?
Main question: How and to what extent is cooperation between NATO and the Indo-Pacific Four evolving? Argument: Cooperation is deepening across political,…
Regionalising Maritime Domain Awareness in SEA
– what are the challenges inhibiting a comprehensive MDA strategy in SEA? – On a technical and governance level, SEA states are uncoordinated – states should…
Philippine Energy Security: The 2026 Crisis
– How can the Philippines mitigate national security threats from “single-source” energy reliance and Maritime chokepoint disruptions? – The Philippines must…
The Cost of Blindness
Prioritisation and fascination with the democratisation and economic development of Myanmar blinded the International Community from the genocidal human rights…
ME Instability & the US-China Power Balance
1: How does the escalation of instability in the Middle East affect the global balance of power between the U.S. and China, and what are the secondary…
Beyond Succession
Main question: Do Kim Ju-ae’s appearances signal succession, or something broader about regime strategy? Argument: Her visibility is less about naming a…
Taiwan’s Big Brother
Main question: Does Taiwan prefer partnership with the U.S. or China? Argument: Shifting opinions and geopolitics in East Asia affect Taiwan’s confidence and…
Tianxia, All Under Heaven
– What is the Chinese concept of Tianxia? Can be useful in the international system? – Tianxia aimed to represent a civilised society governed by rituals,…
Accountability Gaps in Indonesia’s Palm Oil
How do governance failures and land conflicts in Indonesia’s palm oil sector contribute to broader climate security risks? Weak legal frameworks and…
THE STRAIT OF HORMUZ AND THE INDO-PACIFIC
The US-Iran conflict that began on March 2, followed by the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, affected the Indo-Pacific countries the most. As an important…
Reconciling Cambodia and Thailand
Have international legal regimes been effective in mediating the border conflict between Thailand and Cambodia? While each side pursues different international…
Beyond Formal Diplomatic Relations
Main question: How does Taiwan stay internationally present despite diplomatic isolation? Argument: It relies on strong informal economic, political, and…
Global South Korea
Main question: How does South Korea navigate through the current geopolitical landscape? Argument: Considering the fact that the country has a new…
Critical political ecology (CPE)
– The concept of critical political ecology highlights the link between the moral and practical concerns of the environmental movement and contemporary…
When Aid Becomes a Weapon
1. Does the long-standing belief that independent, international agencies are best suited to deliver humanitarian assistance still hold today? 2. Aid…
A Starter’s Guide to the “Chip” Industry
Chips have proven that geography, cutting-edge expertise and power matter in a globalised world. They have been a key ingredient in great power competition and…
