After over two years, the Bridging the Oceans podcast is coming to an end. Hosted by Veerle Nouwens, this was the first podcast dedicated specifically to the defence and security of the Indo-Pacific, exploring what the region is, where its limits lie, and the fast-evolving nature of defence and security in this dynamic part of the world. Together with a diverse range of experts, the podcast sought to understand how these matters are seen within the region itself, and how they may impact the...

The recent annual meetings of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference and the National People’s Congress (NPC) – the ‘Two Sessions’ – have already confirmed the national budget, high-level personnel appointments and noted China’s foreign and security outlook. Newly appointed Foreign Minister Qin Gang used tough language when discussing the US, while President Xi Jinping accused the West – led by the US – of seeking China’s containment. Amid growing strains in the Sino-US...

The current year is set to be a significant one for India, as it takes on both the G20 and Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) presidencies – two landmark moments for the Modi government ahead of the highly anticipated general elections next year. Host Veerle Nouwens sits down with Garima Mohan, Senior Fellow at the George Marshall Fund, to discuss just what the Indian government hopes to achieve through these two significant positions. What impact will these events have on China–India...

Tough times lie ahead for Beijing, with a turbulent external environment now matched with domestic unrest. To round out 2022, Veerle and Dr Sheena Chestnut Greitens, Associate Professor at the LBJ School of Public Affairs, UT Austin, reflect on a turbulent year for China policy. From a downward spiral in Sino-US relations and tensions over Taiwan, to the war in Ukraine and Beijing’s relationship with Moscow, this has been a tumultuous year. The search for a predictable framework to relations...

Six months in, South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol still treads a careful balance on some policy matters. Veerle speaks with Ms Saeme Kim, Korea Foundation Visiting Fellow in RUSI’s Indo-Pacific Programme from 2021–2022. Saeme explores the policy continuities and changes in the Republic of Korea (ROK) from former President Moon Jae-in to current President Yoon Suk-yeol, outlining the country’s soon-to-be-launched Indo-Pacific Strategy and some bold new endeavours with partners like the US. ...

Does the recent Congress indicate triumph or challenges ahead for China? Veerle Nouwens speaks with two guests on China’s 20th Party Congress, in which Xi Jinping attained an unprecedented third term in office and brought in a set of personnel changes in Party governance. Raffaello Pantucci, RUSI Senior Associate Fellow, explores how Xi’s speech and the Party Congress’s work report indicate an emphasis on internal stability and continuity in domestic and foreign affairs, including on Taiwan....

As strategic and economic interest in the region grows, how can states around the Indian Ocean and their partners mitigate the risk of conflict? Jeffrey Payne of the Near East South Asia Center for Strategic Studies in Washington joins Veerle and Aaditya to discuss growing competition in the Indian Ocean region. Why has interest in the region among nuclear maritime states – including India, China and the US – grown steadily over recent years? They consider the strategic risks to the region...

What lessons can be learned from the war in Ukraine when tackling the cross-strait crisis? In this special episode of Bridging the Oceans, Veerle speaks with Yuichi Hosoya of Keio University, Tokyo about the parallels between the war in Ukraine and the current standoff over Taiwan, and the extent to which these comparisons are valid. They examine escalation scenarios across the Taiwan Strait, in light of Russia’s pattern of behaviour before invading Ukraine. And they discuss what role Japan...

Will UK foreign policy under Liz Truss be business as usual or a radical departure? While the UK’s relations with China have been strained in recent years, Raffaello Pantucci, Senior Associate Fellow at RUSI, explains how current policy towards China may experience a radical shift and, should that happen, what the repercussions would be. Similarly, the Hon. Alexander Downer, the former Australian foreign minister, joins Veerle in exploring Liz Truss’ views on the Indo-Pacific, how she may...

Thoughts from Japan on the Recent Cross-Strait Tensions and a Look at What Lies Ahead. In this episode, Veerle speaks with Li Hao, Research Fellow at the Japan Institute of International Affairs (JIIA), about the Japanese reaction to Speaker of the US House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi’s recent visit to Taiwan and China’s subsequent live-fire drills in the region. They discuss the direct impacts the military exercises have had on Japan and consider the larger implications these events may...

Reflections from Taipei offer a different perspective on recent cross-Strait tensions. In this episode, Veerle speaks with activist Brian Hioe, a founder of the New Bloom Magazine – an online magazine covering activism and youth politics in Taiwan and the Asia-Pacific – about the Taiwanese reaction to US House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit and China’s subsequent live-fire military drills. While the latter marked an escalation in tensions and tactics, Taiwanese officials and...

As the war in Ukraine rages on, Japan debates its next security steps. Veerle is joined by Tetsuo Kotani, Professor at Meikai University and Senior Fellow at the Japan Institute of International Affairs. They explore the level of Japanese domestic support for sanctions policy on Russia, and the ongoing Sino-Russian military activities at sea around Japan and in Japan’s airspace. They also ask whether the ongoing situation in Ukraine is impacting Japan’s view of its national security and...

A post-Duterte presidency offers opportunities for policy shifts. In this episode, Veerle is joined by Julio S Amador III, Founder and CEO of Amador Research Services. Together, they discuss the recent elections in the Philippines, which saw Marcos Jr elected as the new president of the country. Following President Duterte, whose relations with Beijing grew ever closer, what shape will Philippine foreign policy towards the US and China take? And what national defence and security policies are...

France remains fully committed to its new Indo-Pacific Strategy, but implementation will be crucial. In this episode, Veerle is joined by Dr Antoine Bondaz, Director of the Korea and Taiwan Programmes at the Fondation pour la Recherche Stratégique (FRS). Together, they discuss domestic and foreign policy pressures on France’s new strategy, and what Indo-Pacific-related achievements have emerged from its presidency of the EU Council. They explore how France’s relationships in the Indo-Pacific...

While the war in Ukraine rages on, Taiwan is watching and learning. In this episode, Veerle is joined by Dr Norah Huang, Director for International Relations at the Prospect Foundation in Taipei, to explore similarities between the current war in Ukraine and potential cross-Strait scenarios. They ask what lessons Beijing and Taipei might be learning from the war in Ukraine, and discuss what this means for Taiwan’s future relations with the US and Europe.

India’s non-aligned position is under increasing pressure. Veerle is joined by Aaditya Dave, RUSI Research Analyst, to discuss India’s reaction to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the domestic discourse and policy debate in New Delhi, and the divergent course that India has taken from its Quad partners. They also discuss UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s current visit to New Delhi as part of the ‘Indo-Pacific Tilt’, and what opportunities lie ahead for European partners to deepen their...

In this episode, Veerle is joined by Alexander Neill, an analyst and consultant on Asia-Pacific geopolitical risk and security, foreign affairs and defence based in Singapore. They discuss current RUSI research on state-led interference as a tool of geopolitical competition below the threshold of warfare, and how this is experienced in the Indo-Pacific. They examine how the debate around this topic is evolving here and in Southeast Asia; do we see the challenge of illegitimate sub-threshold...

Veerle is joined by Jimbo Ken, Professor in International Relations at Keio University. While Ukraine seems geographically remote as seen from Tokyo, the impact of the war can be felt in Japan’s relations with Russia and China. The war has heightened Japan’s concerns that China may attempt something similar through a forceful takeover of Taiwan. Japan has therefore joined the West in placing sanctions on Russia and sending non-lethal equipment to Ukraine – an unprecedented move for Tokyo. A...

Veerle is joined by Lisa Curtis, Senior Fellow and Director of the Indo-Pacific Security Programme at the Center for a New American Security (CNAS). The Biden administration’s new strategy highlights the importance of prosperity. However, the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework still lacks details, while the Ukraine conflict is testing allies and partners both in Europe and the Indo-Pacific. Once again, the ties between the two regions are evident and place the US Indo-Pacific Strategy in a...

Veerle is joined by Dr Zack Cooper, Senior Fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, who offers insights on how AUKUS fits into US strategic thinking on meeting the rising challenges in the Indo-Pacific for the US and its allies. Further cooperation beyond exclusive groupings focused on defence is needed, particularly in the areas of technology, trade and governance. Zack explains how Europe and Indo-Pacific partners stand to play an important role.

In this episode, Veerle is joined by Dr Michito Tsuruoka, Associate Professor at Keio University in Japan. They explore Japan’s reaction to AUKUS, what this means for Japan’s security environment, and how it fits into regional security architecture. Japan will need to think critically of what role it has to play in the Indo-Pacific’s defence and security landscape in the longer term, and how it can overcome the legal, bureaucratic, and political hurdles that remain in place.

The defence partnership has divided opinion and frayed some partnerships. For Southeast Asia, the stakes are high, but consensus on AUKUS remains elusive. Veerle is joined by Dr Collin Koh, Research Fellow at the Institute of Defence and Strategic Studies of the S Rajaratnam School of International Studies in Singapore. Dr Koh explains that Southeast Asian countries can largely be divided into three camps in their responses to AUKUS, with a particularly interesting analysis of Cambodia’s...

‘A stab in the back’ is how the French government described the AUKUS announcement, maintaining that it had been misled to believe the submarine deal with Australia would survive delays and cost overruns. How can France and its partners in the Indo-Pacific rebuild trust and move forward to meet their common objectives in the region? Veerle is joined by Dr Valérie Niquet, Head of the Asia Department at the Foundation for Strategic Research in Paris, in seeking some of the answers.

In this episode, Veerle is joined by Ashley Townshend, Director of Foreign Policy and Defence at the United States Studies Centre at the University of Sydney. Against a backdrop of rising Chinese assertiveness in the Indo-Pacific and a perception that the US can no longer guarantee regional stability on its own, Australia took the bold decision to embark on an ambitious defence partnership with the US and UK, to France’s fury.