New Zealand is sending a small defence team to the Middle East to join an international alliance against Houthi militants targeting civilian ships in the Red Sea.

In this week’s issue of the Global Impact newsletter, we attempt to keep up with the ever-evolving tensions in the South China Sea following a busy time in the disputed waterway.

Vietnam also has the ability to isolate maritime issues from bilateral ones, analysts say, ensuring fewer confrontations with China compared to the Philippines.

China recently accused Vietnam and the Philippines of forming a ‘clique’ over their South China Sea cooperation deal. It’s a term used by Beijing to accuse actors of harming its interests whenever it is called out for its behaviour.

A top Japanese business delegation has failed to get Beijing to address Tokyo’s concerns such as China’s anti-espionage law and seafood ban.

The mooted visit to the North Korean capital would be the Russian leader’s first in over two decades. Analysts said the trip would help Kim Jong-un signal to China that he ‘still has partners’.

The countries’ opposing ideologies amid clashing sovereignty claims could lead to years of militarisation and confrontation in the region if not contained, analysts warn.

Jakarta is proposing to sell anti-submarine aircraft to Manila even as it expresses interest in acquiring Chinese naval missiles.

A ‘counterbalancing’ approach could work for France as Cambodia will not be against ‘marginal diversification’ from its close ties with China, analysts say.

The one-year ban on Chinese research ships shows Colombo ‘did not wish to trigger any tensions’ with its neighbour, given India’s economic and military capabilities in the region.

In this issue of the Global Impact newsletter, we look back at Japan’s challenging start to 2024, and ahead to what might come next.

Myanmar’s shadow government says it wants to work with China on issues ranging from investments to cross-border crime.

The move by Japan to play a bigger role in international security could compromise its long-standing pacifist stance and hurt welfare spending, analysts say.

Concerns about China, trade routes and upholding international law have seen Germany and Italy join France in making their regional presence felt, but analysts say increased European involvement could do more harm than good.

Many of Japan’s neighbours have not publicly opposed its surge in defence spending – except China.

Amid a ‘more challenging’ world order, New Zealand is mulling joining ‘pillar two’ of the Aukus defence pact that focuses on shared military technology.

As part of its flexible approach Vietnam might also elevate its partnerships with some Asean members.

Several Asean member states are believed to be upset with Thailand for organising direct talks with Myanmar.

Pyongyang historically only negotiates when it feels weak, analysts say – but that isn’t the case currently with two of the five UN Security Council members on its side.

Russia’s joint drills with Myanmar, warship port-calls in Bangladesh – and plans for a Red Sea base in Sudan – paint a picture of an embattled power out to prove it’s not isolated and weak, analysts say.

Chinese ambassador to the Philippines Huang Xilian and his counterparts have come under scrutiny more than once for their controversial comments.

Asean is unsuited to lead talks on Myanmar’s future following its past failure to stop the violence in the country, an observer says.

Global South countries will focus more on what India or China has to offer and not be fixated on the Israel-Gaza war, analysts say.

Japan’s bid to elevate ties with the Southeast Asian bloc will show what a ‘rules-based order’ can do to bring peace and stability in the region, analysts say.

In this issue of the Global Impact newsletter, we look at the latest developments in the disputed South China Sea.

A mini code of conduct with Vietnam, Malaysia and other claimant states would accomplish little, analysts say – aside from likely scuppering decades-long talks on a broader agreement if Beijing feels it’s being ‘ganged up’ on.

Many Vietnamese think Henry Kissinger ‘crippled the country’, while in Singapore he is respected as a pivotal anti-Communist ally who was a confidante of Lee Kuan Yew.

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un will ‘simply refuse’ to discuss the matter after his late father’s admission to the abductions in 2002 proved a ‘disastrous miscalculation’.

Washington will lean heavily on its regional allies to continue countering China amid the ongoing conflicts, analysts say – even if the ‘era of absolute US primacy in Asia may be over’.

It will benefit India to have a ‘working relationship’ with the resistance groups as the security situation along the border continues to deteriorate, analysts say.