Asia Rising

Singapore has long been a global hub of business, uniquely positioned in the world of economics at a crossroads serving multiple time zones and business interests. While the highly developed city-state is home to the world’s second busiest port, it has no natural resources and relies largely on international trade for its economic prosperity. How does a new reality of limited travel and pandemic r...

The Chinese Government is building the world’s largest police-run DNA database, profiling tens of millions of people across the country who have no history of serious criminal activity. Those individuals (including preschool-age children) have no control over how their samples are collected, stored and used. When combined with other surveillance tools it will increase the power of the Chinese stat...

The United States’ approach to Taiwan has long been defined by ‘strategic ambiguity’. While it has never directly challenged China’s claim over the island, the U.S. has also never shied away from selling weapons to Taipei or making use of the Taiwan Strait for naval exercises. The Trump administration has arguably provided more tangible and symbolic support for Taiwan than any previous U.S. presid...

The election of Donald Trump was met with mixed emotions across Asia, and in the years since his presidency has had a marked effect on the stability of the region. Countries are adjusting and re-evaluating their perspectives on regional security, alliances are being tested, and many countries are facing the reality of an Asia without a United States presence. A live recording of the Asia Rising po...

The election of Donald Trump heralded a new era in the relationship between the United States and India. For India, America has become arguably its most important partner, and the new president represented a volatile unknown. In subsequent years, policy-makers have tried to limit disruption and move the India-U.S. relationship forward. While the strategic side of the relationship has not been with...

Donald J. Trump’s win in the 2016 US elections was met with mixed emotions across Asia. Many in the region greeted the election with cautious optimism. They assumed that Washington would take a more pragmatic line, and that a man who prided himself on his business acumen would present new opportunities in trade and resource relations. But the Trump presidency has proven to be unpredictable. His re...

Over the past decade the hotly disputed South China Sea has become increasingly used as example of the rising strategic competition between the People’s Republic of China and the United States. Overlapping territory claims and maritime jurisdiction, strategic control over maritime domain, and differences in legal interpretations of freedom of navigation combine in a broader contest that affects mu...

The United States and North Korea both share a desire to achieve a breakthrough in their relationship, but to very different ends. At one time there was the hope that strongman personalities of Donald Trump and Kim Jong-un could push their way through diplomatic roadblocks, but with a year since their last significant meeting interaction has stalled. Guest: Sea Young Kim, (Research Associate and P...

This La Trobe Asia event launches the newly released Australian Journal of International Affairs special issue “Critical Analyses in Australian Foreign, Defence and Strategic Policy”, a collection of essays by early- to mid-career Australian women researchers that arose as a response to ongoing issues around women’s visibility and representation in Australian International Affairs. Session One:vWo...

Countries in Asia are dealing with the Covid-19 crisis differently, and Vietnam has been widely praised in its apparent success. But is this success down to luck, or tight government control? Guest: Bill Hayton (Author of Vietnam: Rising Dragon (2010), his forthcoming book is The Invention of China (2020).

While much of the world is still in the grips of a tumultuous pandemic, areas of Asia are in recovery and planning for the year ahead, albeit at a cautious pace. China, Hong Kong, South Korea and Australia are executing roadmaps for economic recovery, and there are signs that some countries will benefit at the expense of distracted western democracies. How does the next year look for the region? W...

Since 2017, more than a million Uyghurs and members of other Turkic Muslim minorities have disappeared into a vast network of ‘re-education camps’ in the far west region of Xinjiang in what some experts call a systematic, government-led program of cultural genocide. Now it appears that plans have entered a new phase, as government officials now claim that all ‘trainees’ have ‘graduated’. There is...

Asia has been coping with the coronavirus in a variety of ways. Some regions, such as China, Hong Kong and South Korea, have reached a point where they are living with it. Others, such as India, Indonesia and the Philippines, are just emerging with cases, and due to low testing it’s hard to get a full picture of the situation. In this episode of Asia Rising, we will hear from three countries in lo...

The South China Seas comprises a large international body of water south of Taiwan. There are island and maritime claims from a number of sovereign states in the region, and is economically important as a commercial gateway for merchant shipping. While much has been said on the arena of competition between the US and China, much less ink has been spilt on comparing the approaches of regional non-c...

Since 2017, more than a million Uyghurs and members of other Turkic Muslim minorities have disappeared into a vast network of ‘re-education camps’ in the far west region of Xinjiang, China, in what some experts call a systematic, government-led program of cultural genocide. The ‘re-education' appears to be entering a new phase, as government officials now claim that all ‘trainees’ have ‘graduated’...

What started as a protest against a proposed new law, which would see people extradited from Hong Kong to mainland China to face Beijing-style justice, has now turned into a battle for the future of Hong Kong. Sophie McNeill, a Walkley award winning journalist for the ABC television program 4 corners, was on the frontlines of Hong Kong's democracy protests. Guest: Sophie McNeill (Reporter, 4 Corne...

With the coronavirus pandemic spreading throughout the world the long-term effects are hard to project, and many are starting to question how a global event like this could alter the Asian economy and the balance of power. Guest: Professor Nick Bisley (Dean of the School of Humanities and Social Sciences, La Trobe University) Recorded 13 March, 2020

The Indo-Pacific is both a place and an idea. It is the region central to global prosperity and security. It is also a metaphor for collective action. If diplomacy fails, it will be the theatre of the first general war since 1945. But if its future can be secured, the Indo-Pacific will flourish as a shared space, the centre of gravity in a connected world. Not only is the Indo-Pacific the area whe...

For months the citizens of Hong Kong have been taking to the streets, protesting democratic deterioration and rights violations. There have been frequent clashes with police, outbreaks of violence and widespread disruption to the city. As the new year begins the movement shows little sign of relenting, and while it has had some success it would take serious changes in mainland China for broader de...

North Korea is one the world's most authoritarian and isolated countries, cut off from global trade and Western influence. Yet, its doors remain open to tourists, who the government welcomes and is keen to show the North Korea it wants them to see. Guest: James Scullin (Tour leader in North Korea, co-author: The Hotels of Pyongyang) Find out more about the book: www.instagram.com/hotelsofnorthkore...

Violence against women and gender activism became central issues in Indonesia during the 2019 elections. The growing importance of these issues and events is a sign of how successful they have been at rallying supporters in the digital media environment. Guest: Dr Monika Winarnita (Honorary Research Fellow, School of Humanities and Social Sciences, La Trobe University) Recorded 5 December, 2019.

The mountains of the Himalaya are instantly recognisable, and they play a critical role in Asia’s climate, hydrology, ecology, and geopolitics. Despite their regional and global importance, they face multiple, severe, and intersecting threats that do not receive the attention they deserve. Speakers: Dr Alexander E. Davis (New Generation Network Research Fellow, Politics, La Trobe University) Dr Ru...

Japan’s national security is rapidly changing. Asia is shifting from an era of prosperity and peace to one of contestation and rivalry between powerful leaders. North Korea has grown emboldened and appears no closer to denuclearisation than when Kim Jong Un embraced dialogue with US President, Donald Trump, in 2017. Xi Jinping’s China is more confident, assertive and nationalistic than ever, and t...

When Tibet was invaded by China in the 1950s the Dalai Lama and many Tibetans left, finding a new home in India. Over the years this population has grown, now overseen by a Central Tibetan authority which has never been formally integrated into India. While this has allowed Tibetans to retain their culture and religion, it’s added challenges when it comes to citizenship. Guest: Associate Professor...

Australian universities rely heavily on China for both students and research investment, but engagement brings considerable risk. Technology theft is common, and awareness of how research is being applied is necessary for institutional security. Guest: Alex Joske (Analyst, Australian Strategic Policy Institute) Recorded on 24 October, 2019.