This Alert focuses on the new South Korean President's efforts to pursue a policy of re-engagement with Pyongyang, and assesses to what extent this approach has chances of success, given the paucity of other diplomatic options.
This Alert examines how Chinese-financed infrastructure projects in the Western Balkans often serve as a conduit for China’s political and normative influence, exacerbating both the high levels of corruption and governance problems that exist in the region.
In summer 2016, two unexpected events brought the issue of power transition to the top of the agenda in Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan. This Alert analyses how both transitions entail risks for Central Asia’s stability, but also potentially open up opportunities for further domestic liberalisation and regional cooperation.
China is increasingly engaged in a combination of investments and infrastructure development, forum-building and political messaging around the world with various sub-regional groupings of countries. Could this potentially challenge the role of the EU in Europe in the long term?
The EU and China have long sought to cooperate in and with Africa. Illegal migration to Europe, China’s growing commercial investments and terrorists looking for safe haven in Africa bind European, Chinese and African interests. The proliferation of these challenges beyond African borders is now driving the three parties closer together.
Since lifting its historic ban on arms exports in April 2014, Japan has faced an obstacle-ridden path in becoming an arms exporter. This Alert explores the track record of transfers of Japanese military equipment in the past 18 months, and how the transfers contribute to Tokyo’s strategic ambition of becoming a fully-fledged security actor in the region, even at the expense of economic benefits.
As the US solidifies its position in the Pacific through the Trans-Pacific-Partnership (TPP) agreement, China is striving to rebalance to the West. The ‘One Belt One Road’ initiative is now driving the promotion of loans, investments and high-technology in the Middle East. But what are Beijing’s wider strategic goals?
For many years, Beijing left security engagement with Central Asia to Moscow and Washington. However, growing risks for Chinese personnel and investments are causing China to rethink its policy towards the region.
With Singapore facilitating greater dialogue between ASEAN and China, what are the prospects for regional stability in South-East Asia? And can the city-state sustain its role as an honest broker given its long-standing security ties with the US?
The third in a mini-series looking at China’s rise from the perspective of Asian countries, this Alert examines the stance of the Republic of Korea (ROK). Beyond economics, what now binds Beijing and Seoul?