ISDP Voices

Britain and France have announced that their navies will conduct a joint freedom of navigation exercise through the South China Sea in June. This could signal a shift in their engagement towards the Indo-Pacific, with major implications for regional security dynamics and Chinese policy. Power Games in the Indo-Pacific The growth of China’s influence in […]

Mats Engman looks at the military and political consequences of suspending the joint U.S.-ROK military exercises announced at the recent U.S.-DPRK Summit in Singapore. Annual joint military exercises between the U.S. and South Korea are an integral component of the two countries’ defense alliance, based on the U.S.-ROK Mutual Defense Treaty signed in 1953. Accordingly, […]

The #MeToo movement has sent shockwaves through South Korean society. Alice Privey discusses its emergence with Hawon Jung, Seoul correspondent for AFP (Agence France Press), as well as offers her own reflections on its potential implications. While the world has its eyes on Trump, Kim and Moon, following closely the latest peace developments on the […]

On May 24, 2018, Burkina Faso’s Minister of foreign affairs, Alpha Barry, announced that after 24 years of cooperation, his country had decided to cease diplomatic relations with Taipei and re-engage with Beijing. While Taiwan, also known as the Republic of China (ROC), views itself as an independent sovereign state, the People’s Republic of China […]

In the wake of the shifting security environment, and with the emergence of new security threats, the protection of overseas citizens and interests has become a diplomatic priority for Beijing. While much attention has been given to the People’s Liberation Army’s (PLA) role in managing security needs abroad, few observers have taken an interest in […]