Category: Indo-Pacific

Australia, Philippines Lead Against Chinese Maritime Aggression

Commentary In the past month, two of America’s treaty allies in the Indo-Pacific have demonstrated, that regardless of a nation or navy’s size, one of the best methods for dealing with an expansionist and aggressive China is to expose its bad behavior at sea, something the U.S. Department of Defense has been reluctant to do…


Japanese Defense Paper Warns Over Taiwan Security for First Time

For the first time, Japan has explicitly warned over Taiwan’s security in its annual defense white paper on July 12. The direct wording on the Taiwan issue in the 2021 defense paper is very different from previous years, which carefully avoided any words that could provoke the Chinese communist regime. The white paper states that…


UK Pushes Pacific Trade Talks Amid Broader New Focus on Asia

BANGKOK—The UK launched negotiations Tuesday to join a trans-Pacific trade bloc as it looks to explore new opportunities following its departure from the European Union and strengthen its strategic interests in Asia. The start of talks to join the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), made up of 11 counties with a combined…


How Communist China Weaponizes Healthcare and Medicine Against Foreign Adversaries—Cleo Paskal

India’s second wave of COVID-19 has prompted growing questions and suspicions of the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) involvement, following a deadly border clash last year. In this episode, we sit down with Cleo Paskal, an expert on the Chinese Communist Party and its Indo-Pacific strategy, to understand how the CCP systematically exploits the weaknesses of…


$90B Australian Submarine Program Likely to Be Salvaged, Not Wrecked: Experts

Defence experts say the cancellation of the troubled $90 billion Future Submarine Program is unlikely, despite extensive delays and calls to abandon the program amid a race to address perceived gaps in Australia’s defence capability. The comments come as Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison held discussions with French President Emmanuel Macron to salvage the sinking…


‘We Stand by Your Side’: France, UK Back Australia Against Beijing

European leaders have backed Australia against Beijing’s ongoing economic coercion campaign and its increased belligerence in the Indo-Pacific region. Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison was in Paris on Tuesday where he met with French President Emmanuel Macron at Elysees Palace. They discussed issues ranging from tensions in the Indo-Pacific, counter-terrorism efforts, and the Future Submarine…


Taiwan Thanks G-7 Leaders for Support Despite China’s Aggression

TAIPEI, Taiwan—The Taiwanese government on Monday thanked Group of Seven (G-7) leaders for calling for peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait. On Sunday, G-7 leaders issued a statement that was highly critical of the Chinese regime, including its human rights abuses in China’s far-western Xinjiang region and Hong Kong, and unfair trade practices. The leaders…


Australia-NZ Present United Front on China, Warning Against ‘Those Who Seek to Divide Us’

The prime ministers of Australia and New Zealand have presented a united front on the issue of China and warned against actors seeking to divide the trans-Tasman allies by creating “points of difference” between them. Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison joined NZ Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern for the Annual Leaders’ Summit in Queenstown to discuss…


UK Carrier Strike Group Sets Sail on Seven-Month Indo-Pacific Deployment

Britain’s Carrier Strike Group, led by Royal Navy aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth, will set sail later on Saturday on its maiden operational deployment to the Indo-Pacific region, which is aimed at countering the security challenges posed by the Chinese regime. The Queen visited the carrier in Portsmouth earlier Saturday, meeting crew members and wishing…


Biden Appoints Special Envoy to North Korea, Commits to Diplomacy

President Joe Biden on Friday announced he will appoint career diplomat Ambassador Sung Kim as a special envoy to North Korea as the United States and South Korea affirmed their shared commitment to engage diplomatically with the rogue nation to end its nuclear program. Biden made the announcement at a joint press conference with South…