Indo-US Relations under a Biden Presidency and the Kamala Harris Factor
Neither Democrats nor Republicans can afford to ignore India or the Indian-American community, sizeable proportions of which are located in key battleground states. Given the size of India as a market and its increasing strategic relevance, a future Biden Presidency is unlikely to significantly change the direction of US foreign policy towards India. What remains to be seen is whether the choice of Kamala Harris as his running mate helps Joe Biden in attracting more of the South Asian vote in general and the Indian vote in particular.
Indonesia-India Maritime Defence Relations: Time for a More Robust Partnership
Indonesia, and to a lesser extent India, have jurisdiction over the major maritime choke points of the Malacca Strait, the Six-Degree Channel and the Sunda Strait, through all of which large volumes of maritime trade pass. Both have been made uneasy by China’s expansionist maritime activities and its ambivalence towards international law. As custodians of vital maritime choke points, India and Indonesia have a duty to ensure that the rules-based order is maintained in those waters.
The Politicisation of Australian Agricultural Trade with China Suggests that New Export Markets Need to be Cultivated
Beijing imposed trade bans and tariffs on some of the most valuable Australian agricultural exports in 2020. While those exports remained steady in the first half of the year, the latest trade data suggests that they have begun to sharply decline and will continue to face headwinds for the foreseeable future. Beijing has shown that…
Lebanon: A Fractured Nation with a Chequered History and a Troubled Future
In this paper, FDI Visiting Fellow Saloni Salil explores the ramifications of the massive ammonium nitrate blast that recently rocked Beirut, and which has brought to the fore – and exacerbated – the ongoing political crisis in Lebanon. To read this paper in full, on the APO website, click here
China’s Mounting Worries: How Much More Can Xi Take?
While the increasing international pushback against China’s coercive tendencies may be viewed as the international community finally standing up to Beijing, the more pertinent question ought to be: how much more pressure can General Secretary Xi endure without feeling overwhelmed or cornered and lashing out militarily?
Thailand Protests Point towards Impending Generational Change
It is unlikely that the protests will bring about major change in the short-term future, as activists continue to be arrested. They do, however, represent a generational shift in Thai politics and could lead to similar protests in the future.