The Meridian100 Podcast

China is now a peer competitor to the US in the Asia-Pacific and aspires to be a global rival, influencing international and regional structures, says Dennis Richardson. What global powers need from each other and what other nations need from them is consistency and predictability. That’s why a second Trump presidency would risk stability in the Asia-Pacific and damage to American interests in the region

Move Forward Party was the surprise winner of Thailand’s May 14 election, moving quickly to a coalition with Pheu Thai, the other main pro-democracy, anti-military party. Thai politics expert Punchada Sirivunnabood explains why Move Forward faces high hurdles to forming a government, let alone realising its policies. Problems begin with the Senate opposed to lese majeste law reform, abolishing conscription, rewriting ...

Myanmar’s army coup in February 2021 has unleashed destructive forces the junta can’t control – a civil war, thousands of civilians killed, more than 1 million internal refugees. ASEAN governments are deeply divided and apparently unable to influence the regime. Charles Santiago, of ASEAN Parliamentarians for Human Rights, says the army has “gone berserk” against civilians in disputed areas, sanctioned by junta leaders. He argues A...

Japan has transitioned in a decade from strategic passivity to the “most important net exporter of security” in the Indo-Pacific, says Michael Green. This has profound implications for how the rest of the region deals with aggressively rising China and how the US handles alliance relations. Tokyo recognised and responded to China’s strategic threat earlier and more effectively than Washington, says Green, and this und...

Until Xi Jingping, no Chinese leader since Mao had subordinated economic development to Communist Party political domination, says Yasheng Huang. This has been developing since the early in Xi’s leadership and manifests in mounting hostility to the private sector and tightening CCP controls over every significant part of the economy. China is already paying a price in dramatically slowing domestic growth and, Yasheng ...

Scott Morrison was prime minister when Australia fell into serious trade and political disputes with China, signed the AUKUS security pact which will deliver his country nuclear-powered submarines and revived the Quad security partnership with the US, Japan and India. These developments have serious, ongoing ramifications for the Indo-Pacific region. Morrison explains his thinking and the strategic challenges and obje...