Malaysia
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Conflicts - Tensions
Malaysia, South Korea boost defense industry ties
Reuters Malaysia and South Korea have agreed to cooperate in supplying critical minerals from Malaysia’s reserves and to boost defense industry cooperation as the Southeast Asian country seeks to upgrade its Air Force jets. Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim and South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol also affirmed their commitment to conclude a free trade agreement by 2025, Yoon’s office…
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Free and Open Indo-Pacific/FOIP
Germany’s naval deployment deepens ties in Southeast Asia
Maria T. Reyes Germany has taken another significant step in reestablishing its presence in the Indo-Pacific with the recent deployment of naval assets to Malaysia and the Philippines. The visits were Germany’s first naval engagements with those Southeast Asian countries in over two decades and signal Berlin’s strategic shift toward a more active role in bolstering regional security cooperation amid…
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Free and Open Indo-Pacific/FOIP
CCP coercion stands in stark contrast to Coast Guard cooperation by Allies and Partners
FORUM Staff An increasingly aggressive coast guard signals the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) willingness to risk escalation in the South China Sea and Taiwan Strait, analysts say. Meanwhile, like-minded nations are cooperating to uphold stability in the region. Rather than focusing on traditional law enforcement missions targeting smugglers or providing search and rescue, the CCP has militarized coast guard ships…
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Partnerships
Indo-Pacific Endeavour links Australia with Allies and Partners for military exercises, training
FORUM Staff Legal workshops on security issues hosted in Sri Lanka recently kicked off Indo-Pacific Endeavour 24 (IPE), Australia’s five-month engagement involving 14 countries across Southeast Asia and the northeast Indian Ocean. Australian ships, aircraft and personnel deployed to individual countries for military exercises, training, workshops, and cultural and athletic activities. IPE, which runs from August to December 2024, covers…
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Across The Region
Japan Assists Malaysia with Maritime Security
Japan and Malaysia have signed an assistance deal that includes a $2.8 million grant to boost Malaysia’s maritime security as Indo-Pacific nations seek to counter an increasingly assertive People’s Republic of China (PRC). Japan will provide equipment such as rescue boats and supplies under the agreement, signed by the countries’ foreign ministers in December 2023 on the sidelines of a…
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Northeast Asia
Allies, partners enhance all-domain readiness with military exercises across Indo-Pacific
FORUM Staff More than 30 allied and partner militaries deployed personnel, aircraft, ships, submarines, uncrewed vehicles and other assets across the Indo-Pacific in mid-2024. The multinational, near-simultaneous exercises Pitch Black, Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) and Valiant Shield stretched from Oceania and the Western Pacific to Northeast Asia. Tens of thousands of troops joined the all-domain training to build interoperability…
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Free and Open Indo-Pacific/FOIP
Vietnam’s artificial-island building draws measured response from Philippines, other neighbors
FORUM Staff Vietnam is fast-tracking its artificial island projects in the disputed South China Sea, a move that aims to counter the People’s Republic of China (PRC), analysts say. By dredging the seabed and piling the material atop reefs in the Spratly Islands, Hanoi added more than 280 hectares of land between November 2023 and June 2024, reported the Asia…
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Free and Open Indo-Pacific/FOIP
Amphibious, maritime force leaders collaborate for Free and Open Indo-Pacific
FORUM Staff In its 10th iteration, the Pacific Amphibious Leaders Symposium (PALS) unveiled a new motto: Stronger Together. It is a reminder that regular collaboration among Allies and Partners is the foundation to respond to crises and perform at a high level to ensure a Free and Open Indo-Pacific. PALS 24 drew delegations from 24 nations to Seoul, South Korea,…
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Free and Open Indo-Pacific/FOIP
Trilateral partnership strengthening maritime law enforcement in Southeast Asia
Gusty Da Costa Maritime law enforcement cooperation among Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines, known as INDOMALPHI, has significantly mitigated security threats such as armed robbery, kidnapping, transnational crime and terrorism in the Sulu and Sulawesi seas, officials say. The 24th INDOMALPHI Joint Working Group Meeting on the Trilateral Cooperative Arrangement (TCA), held in mid-May 2024 in Bandung, Indonesia, highlighted the…
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Partnerships
Multilateral Cobra Gold returns to Thailand with all-domain drills, humanitarian focus
FORUM Staff More than 9,500 participants and observers from 30 nations joined forces in Thailand in February and March 2024 for exercise Cobra Gold, the largest post-pandemic edition of the annual security cooperation drills co-hosted by Thailand and the United States. Cobra Gold kicks off in Thailand in late February 2024 with opening ceremonies, live-fire and medical evacuation training, and…
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