Resource Security
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Global Commons
Japan focuses on economic resilience, technology safeguards to bolster national defense
Tom Abke With geopolitical pressures growing, Japan is reshaping its national defense with a focus on economic resilience and technological independence. Through initiatives such as the Economic Security Promotion Act (ESPA), Tokyo aims to shield critical technologies, secure supply chains and protect essential infrastructure from foreign interference. The shift is integral to Japan’s national security strategy, where economic stability is…
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Global Commons
Indonesian Army expands clean water, environmental programs
Gusty Da Costa The Indonesian Army is tackling clean water shortages and supporting environmental sustainability through its Manunggal Air program. The initiative, launched in 2022, has established thousands of clean water points across the country, many of them serving rural and remote areas with limited access to basic necessities. Led by Gen. Maruli Simanjuntak, the Army’s chief of staff, the…
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Conflicts - Tensions
Illegal PRC fishing hurts East African communities, report says
RADIO FREE ASIA A multibillion-dollar global fishing industry backed by the People’s Republic of China (PRC) government is driving a surge of vessels engaged in illegal activities and exploiting fishing grounds off East Africa, according to a London-based environmental group. “Before the Chinese fishing boats came here, we could expect a good catch when we cast our nets, even if…
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Conflicts - Tensions
PRC sends glacial water from Tibet to the Maldives, raising concerns
Radio Free Asia The People’s Republic of China (PRC) gave 3,000 metric tons of Tibet’s glacial water to the island nation of the Maldives in two batches in March and May 2024 — the same months it announced and imposed water conservation regulations in Tibet. The PRC’s State Council issued the new rules a week before the first delivery of…
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Climate
Climate Change Impacts program strives to understand threats, increase resilience
FORUM Staff Climate change could impact more than 80% of the Indo-Pacific’s population by 2050, according to the United States Indo-Pacific Command’s (USINDOPACOM) Center for Excellence in Disaster Management and Humanitarian Assistance (CFE-DM). Worldwide, rising seas and coastal floods are expected to force more than 200 million people from their homes, with Blue Pacific nations among the worst hit. Extreme…
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Global Commons
Australia cultivating food security projects across Indo-Pacific
Tom Abke Australia is tackling hunger and food insecurity from Cambodia to Papua New Guinea with pioneering agricultural projects and innovative fisheries management. At the heart of Canberra’s efforts is the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR), a government agency established in 1982 that has partnered with more than 200 domestic and foreign institutions to support projects in East…
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Climate
Chinese dredging imperils South China Sea coral reefs: report
Radio Free Asia Dredging and other maritime activities by countries claiming territory in the South China Sea, primarily the People’s Republic of China (PRC), have devastated coral reefs, with vast areas destroyed or badly damaged, a new report found. “In recent decades, increased fishing, dredging, and landfill, along with giant clam harvesting, have taken a devastating toll on thousands of…
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Global Commons
Nations consider trade route alternatives as Malacca Strait nears capacity
FORUM Staff Minutes after midnight on July 11, 2021, the bulk carrier MV Galapagos and the container ship Zephyr Lumos collided as the behemoths transited the Malacca Strait off the coast of southern Malaysia. The enveloping darkness of sea and sky would have been pierced by the stream of navigation lights from some of the more than 250 vessels that…
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Global Commons
Indian drugmakers benefit from interest beyond China
Reuters Drug manufacturers are seeking to limit their reliance on Chinese contractors to produce drugs for clinical trials and early-stage manufacturing, a move that is benefiting Indian companies, executives and experts say. Factors such as low cost and speed made contract drugmakers in the People’s Republic of China (PRC) the preferred option for pharmaceutical research and manufacturing services for nearly…
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