Economics and Trade
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Conflicts - Tensions
PRC funding in doubt for Cambodian canal, other promised projects
FORUM Staff Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister Sun Chanthol said in May 2024 that a People’s Republic of China (PRC)-owned company would “totally” fund the Funan Techo canal. Phnom Penh touted the project linking the Mekong River to the Gulf of Thailand as an economic game changer. By August, Cambodian leader Hun Manet said at the project’s groundbreaking that the PRC…
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Global Commons
Japan Cabinet OKs record defense budget as nation enhances counterstrike capabilities
The Associated Press The Japanese Cabinet approved a record $55 billion defense budget for 2025 as Japan enhances its counterstrike proficiency with long-range cruise missiles and begins deploying Tomahawk missiles to counter growing threats from North Korea, the People’s Republic of China (PRC) and Russia. The budget marks the third year of Japan’s five-year defense buildup under a national security…
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Global Commons
Weapons expo helps Vietnam boost domestic defense industry, reduce reliance on Russian arms
Reuters Vietnam showcased locally made weapons at an international defense fair in Hanoi as it seeks to boost its arms industry and lessen its reliance on Russian military equipment. Top defense companies from Europe, the Middle East and the Indo-Pacific were among the nearly 250 exhibitors at the mid-December 2024 fair at Gia Lam Airport. Vietnam’s National Defence Ministry holds…
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Global Commons
Maritime security group examines Southeast Asian challenges, accessible U.S. technology
FORUM Staff A new public-private plan to transform maritime security in Southeast Asia will commit about $95 million annually for low-cost, commercially available solutions to strengthen maritime domain awareness (MDA), sustainment and security in the region. The United States Department of Defense (DOD) launched the Maritime Security (MARSEC) Consortium in November 2024. It will unite Southeast Asian government leaders, U.S.…
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Free and Open Indo-Pacific/FOIP
Beijing extends its coercive campaign against neighbors
FORUM Staff Chinese Communist Party (CCP) leaders complain about a rules-based order in which Beijing did not make the rules. By refusing to accept international laws that protect the global economy and the security of his Indo-Pacific neighbors, CCP General Secretary Xi Jinping offers a preview of the authoritarian system he favors. Coercive CCP military activity in and around the…
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Oceania
Australia, Nauru boost security, economic ties with new accord
Reuters Australia and Nauru finalized an economic and security treaty in December 2024, with Canberra pledging $64 million in direct budget support over five years and $26 million to boost security in the Blue Pacific nation. The agreement effectively blocks the People’s Republic of China (PRC) from forming police ties with Nauru, giving Australia a veto over Chinese involvement in…
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Free and Open Indo-Pacific/FOIP
U.S., Allies, Partners enhance cooperative campaign to ensure secure sea passageways
FORUM Staff The United States and its Allies and Partners continue expanding Combined Joint All-Domain Operations (CJADO) to keep vital waterways free and open worldwide. Allied and partner navies, air forces and armies are cooperating throughout the nearly two-year campaign to bolster security for sea lines of communication (SLOC) across the Indo-Pacific and beyond, including economically important choke points stretching…
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Global Commons
Severed data cables linked to PRC-flagged cargo ship, European officials say
FORUM Staff European defense and government officials said a People’s Republic of China (PRC)-flagged vessel is a prime suspect after two undersea internet cables were severed in a span of hours in mid-November 2024. The cargo carrier Yi Peng 3 left a Russian port and sailed over both cables in the Baltic Sea about the time they were damaged. The…
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Global Commons
Combined cyber defense network progresses in Japan, Philippines, U.S. talks
FORUM Staff Japan, the Philippines and the United States are advancing their cyber defense framework to safeguard critical infrastructure and government information amid increasing attacks. Foreign policy officials held a cyber and digital dialogue on the sidelines of the Singapore International Cyber Week in October 2024 to discuss trilateral cooperation in cyberspace, including civilian cybersecurity capacity building, cybersecurity workforce development,…
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Across The Region
EU, U.S. Hail Closer Approach Toward PRC
The European Union and the United States are “increasing alignment” in their approach toward the People’s Republic of China (PRC), especially regarding microchips, supply chains and green technology. “What we’ve seen over the last three years is increasing alignment in our approaches to these issues. And when the United States and the European Union are aligned, when we’re working in…
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