Eastern Promises: Russia and the 2012 APEC Summit
The 2012 APEC summit at Vladivostok has become the stage on which Russia is announcing its presence in the Asia-Pacific as a modern, dynamic country, which should be welcomed into the region.
The Importance of the Straits of Malacca
The vast majority of China’s oil imports pass through the Straits of Malacca. This creates a security issue for China as the Straits function as a strategic chokepoint through which their energy supply must pass.
Foreign Policy and the 2012 Presidential Election: Divergent Visions for the Future
Foreign policy matters in this presidential election. President Obama has offered an approach to American foreign policy that rejects the policy of the George W. Bush administration, while Governor Romney is likely to offer an updated version of it.
Nothing is Something Dangerous
Politics (when politicians can be bothered) is all about doing. As conscious citizens, we must begin to deconstruct the status quo that doing nothing is an inconsequential act.
Targeted Killing: The Limits of Power
Targeted killing is a legal, legitimate and effective form of active self-defense provided it is conducted in accordance with international law, morality and a narrow definition of legitimate target.
Intervention vs Non-Intervention in Syria: Assessing Costs and Benefits for the West
In the case of Syria, Western policymakers need to focus on, not whether to choose between intervention and non-intervention, but what sort of intervention will minimize costs and maximize benefits.
Nuclear Disaster in Taiwan: An Ignored Factor in the US-China Relationship
A major incident at any nuclear power plant in Taiwan could quite possibly lead, in a worst-case scenario, to a failed state. This could open up space for China and the US to compete in the ensuing political vacuum.
Sri Lanka’s Attitude to International Threatening: The Upcoming UPR
The upcoming Sri Lankan Universal Periodic Review (UPR) is due to start this November in Geneva. This UPR session will be an important test for the Sri Lankan authorities.
Rethinking Development
We require a decolonization of the imagination. We need to abandon the search for alternative models of development and start imagining alternatives to development. The project today is not so much to rethink development, but to un-think it.
Two Cheers for Public Diplomacy and Place Branding
Public diplomacy and place branding are putting traditional diplomacy to the test. But these newer forms of diplomacy should not be considered harbingers of a mediatized global democracy.
