Institute for Security & Development Policy

Navigating the Rising Tide: NATO’s Role in a Changing Asia-Pacific

Hasim Turker writes on NATO's rising profile in a changing Asia-Pacific (Indo-Pacific) region. He argues that NATO’s plans to establish a liaison office in Japan have important ramifications for its presence and activities in the Asia-Pacific. The opening of a NATO liaison office in Japan could further exacerbate existing geopolitical fault lines. It could be seen as a signal of increased militarization and power projection in the region. This could lead to a potential arms race and a shift in the delicate balance of power. Other regional actors may interpret NATO’s expanded presence as a disruption of the established security architecture and respond accordingly, potentially leading to an escalation of regional rivalries and instability, writes Turker.

Drivers of U.S.-China Strategic Competition: Understanding the Chinese Perspective

Stephen Nagy writes on the U.S.-China strategic competition. He examines the drivers of U.S.-China strategic competition from the perspective of Beijing incorporating the prism of Marxist-Leninist ideology, domestic politics in the U.S., China's needed alignment with Russia, nationalism, technological advancements such as AI, the role of regional players such as ASEAN, Japan, and the E.U., and Comprehensive National Power (CNP). Understanding these analytical lens contributes to deeper comprehension of China's security anxieties and worldview that may provide insight to enhance engagement, resilience, and deterrence in bilateral relations with China, writes Nagy.

Awaiting a Pivotal Partnership? The Case of India and South Korea

Jagannath Panda discusses the scope of a pivotal states partnership between South Korea and India. He addresses a few critical questions: how do the ROK and India fit into the geopolitical framework as today’s pivotal states? Will the ROK and India find increased convergence in their inclusive vision for the Indo-Pacific and beyond? Could an effective middle power coalition surface to combat the global challenges and balance the great power rivalry? The shift toward showcasing South Korea as a proactive stakeholder in the global arena—beyond its foreign policy limitations that have thus far centered on Northeast Asian security—has unlocked the potential for wider regional engagement and the growth of “like-minded” pivotal states with global ambitions such as Australia, India, France, Germany, and Japan. In this great transition phase in the global order, which is facing the ill-effects of a widening ideological divide, India has emerged as one of the most prominent states with a burgeoning global profile and hence a natural partner for the ROK, writes Jagannath Panda.

Nordic-ASEAN Forum 2023: Climate change, new technologies, and changing geopolitical landscapes

On May 26, 2023, ISDP, in cooperation with the city of Malmö, ERIA (Economic Research Institute of ASEAN and East-Asia), and STRING, a cross-border organization spanning cities and regions in Northern Europe, organized a one-day forum in Malmö on pressing issues surrounding the ongoing climate change, development of new technologies and changes in the geopolitical landscapes. With the purpose of sharing knowledge, strategy, and visions for creative regional cooperation and an accelerated green transition in their respective geographical areas, policymakers, business leaders, and experts from the Nordic countries and East Asia exchanged ideas at this high-level conference.

European Economic Self-defense in the Face of Authoritarianism

Niklas Swanström writes on the strategic need to fight against economic coercion. He writes that there is not only a need to develop an ability to stand up as one against foreign economic coercion, but maybe more importantly strengthen the European, and allied, economies to the extent that economic coercion is no longer possible. This is possible by not only reducing dependencies on authoritarian economies, but also home-shoring critical industries to safeguard economic independence and develop a blue supply line that is based on transparency and democratic and legal institutions, writes Swanström.

India-Sweden Strategic Compass Vol. 2, No. 1, January-February 2023

The latest Strategic Compass is a deep dive into India-Sweden related news and features key developments over the past two months on topics ranging from the prestigious Raisina Dialogue and the plethora of G20 events all held in India, to Holi celebrations and Indian ministers, senior diplomats, and officials visiting Sweden. To discover more about India’s growing partnership with Sweden and many other important EU partners, please give the bi-monthly newsletter a read.

The Dalai Lama’s Succession: Strategic Realities of the Tibet Question

This special paper by Jagannath Panda & Eerishika Pankaj covers the succession politics of the Dalai Lama, factoring in China-Tibet-India complexity. They essentially argue that despite China’s monumental arrangements in preparation for the coming succession struggle, its final goal of obtaining the support of the Tibetan population within Tibet and of world opinion, remains distant and uncertain. This special paper put forward a case that the Dalai’s successor is most likely going to be found in India, from amidst the sixth generation of Tibetan Buddhist families in the country. There is an emergent need for New Delhi to have a clear policy on Tibetan matters, and for the Central Tibetan Administration (CTA) to have a clear policy on its approach to India, write Panda and Pankaj.

Latest Publications

Awaiting a Pivotal Partnership? The Case of India and South Korea

Jagannath P. Panda

The shift toward showcasing South Korea as a proactive stakeholder in the global arena—beyond its foreign policy limitations that have thus far centered on Northeast Asian security—has unlocked the potential […]

European Economic Self-defense in the Face of Authoritarianism

Niklas Swanström

Economic coercion by states has always been present in one form or the other, but the challenges have escalated to an unprecedented level in today’s globalized economy. Most notably, as […]

The Dalai Lama’s Succession: Strategic Realities of the Tibet Question

Jagannath P. Panda and Eerishika Pankaj

Executive Summary The 14th Dalai Lama Tenzin Gyatso remains one of the most recognized and beloved spiritual leaders of contemporary times. By China, he is viewed in unflattering terms, ranging […]

Books

India-Japan-ASEAN Triangularity: Emergence of a Possible Indo-Pacific Axis?

Jagannath P. Panda

This book focuses on the scope, potential and future of the India-Japan-Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) trilateral. Through this book, contributors examine the strategic and global partnership between India […]

Books & Monographs September, 2022
Diogenes Issue on Global Ethics

Torbjörn Lodén

“A Global Ethic has a fundamental role to play not only in defining basic values but also in reaching transcultural consensus about the meaning of key notions such as ‘well-being’ […]

Books & Monographs March, 2023, Vol. 64 Issue 1-2, February 2017.
Quad Plus and Indo-Pacific: The Changing Profile of International Relations

Jagannath P. Panda and Ernest Gunasekara-Rockwell

This book explores how the Quad Plus mechanism is set to reshape the global multilateral economic and security co-operations between Quad partner countries and the rest of the world. With […]

Books & Monographs June, 2022
Japanese Prime Ministers and Their Peace Philosophy

Daisuke Akimoto

This book focuses on the lives and peace philosophy of Japanese prime ministers from 1945 to the present, attempting to extract one consistent political philosophy, namely, the ‘peace philosophy’ that has consistently […]

Books & Monographs April, 2022

News

Latest Blog Posts

June 9 2023 by Hasim Turker

June 9 2023 by Hasim Turker
Navigating the Rising Tide: NATO’s Role in a Changing Asia-Pacific

In recent years, much attention has been paid to whether NATO will extend its reach into the Asia-Pacific (Indo-Pacific) region. I ventured the assessment that NATO would inevitably play a more active role in the Asia-Pacific region in my book titled “Towards a New Cold War: Rising China, The United States, and NATO,” published in […]
May 28 2023 by Lwanga Egbewatt Arrey

May 28 2023 by Lwanga Egbewatt Arrey
China’s Push for Normative Change in UN Peacekeeping

United Nations peacekeeping operations (UNPKOs) represent the most visible and tangible symbol of the UN’s core prerogative in maintaining international peace and security. However, like its authorizing body – the UN Security Council (UNSC) – the UN peacekeeping enterprise has, in recent years, come under sharp criticism associated with its failure to bring lasting peace […]
May 23 2023 by Kajari Kamal

May 23 2023 by Kajari Kamal
From the India Dividend to a Bad Bet: Changing U.S. Expectations or a Veiled Threat?

A recent, widely commented upon essay in Foreign Affairs by Ashley Tellis, an acclaimed strategic analyst on India-U.S. relations, argues that Washington’s more than two-decade long bet on India as a key strategic partner that would come to U.S.’ help in its contest with China, has been a bad one. The article, which is “meant […]

Tweets by ISDP_Sweden

Most Popular

The Dalai Lama’s Succession: Strategic Realities of the Tibet Question

Jagannath P. Panda and Eerishika Pankaj

Executive Summary The 14th Dalai Lama Tenzin Gyatso remains one of the most recognized and beloved spiritual leaders of contemporary times. By China, he is viewed in unflattering terms, ranging […]

Special Paper May, 2023
31 May
How to Deter China from Invading Taiwan?
April 13 2023 by Agust Börjesson

April 13 2023 by Agust Börjesson
Sweden and China: Once Bitten, Twice Shy

At the Munich Security Conference in February, Wang Yi, China’s highest-ranking diplomat and member of the Politburo, stated that China should not be perceived as a rival but rather as a partner of Europe. The EU, however, designated China a “systemic rival” in 2019. In January this year, Sweden assumed the presidency of the European […]

Navigating the Rising Tide: NATO’s Role in a Changing Asia-Pacific

Drivers of U.S.-China Strategic Competition: Understanding the Chinese Perspective

Awaiting a Pivotal Partnership? The Case of India and South Korea

Nordic-ASEAN Forum 2023: Climate change, new technologies, and changing geopolitical landscapes

European Economic Self-defense in the Face of Authoritarianism

India-Sweden Strategic Compass Vol. 2, No. 1, January-February 2023

The Dalai Lama’s Succession: Strategic Realities of the Tibet Question

Latest Publications

Awaiting a Pivotal Partnership? The Case of India and South Korea

European Economic Self-defense in the Face of Authoritarianism

The Dalai Lama’s Succession: Strategic Realities of the Tibet Question

Books

India-Japan-ASEAN Triangularity: Emergence of a Possible Indo-Pacific Axis?

Diogenes Issue on Global Ethics

Quad Plus and Indo-Pacific: The Changing Profile of International Relations

Japanese Prime Ministers and Their Peace Philosophy