Geopolitical Monitor • 2nd March 2020

U.S. Won’t Gamble on ASEAN Summit in Las Vegas

The global escalation of a novel coronavirus (COVID-19) has prompted U.S. officials to fold their diplomatic playing cards and postpone the scheduled Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit from the bright lights of 24-hour entertainment in Las Vegas. The Trump administration along with at least 8 of the 10 ASEAN nations, Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Myanmar, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam, anticipated the venue could forge closer cooperation and chart an improved geopoliti

NAR • 14th February 2020

In Vietnam, economic success underpins literary boom

Against the colorful backdrop of Vietnam's Tet (Lunar New Year) holidays in late January, there is plenty of evidence of rising consumerism among the country's burgeoning middle class. Hanoi's Doi Moi economic policy reforms from the mid-1980s were intended to drive a shift toward a socialist-oriented market economy. What emerged was a distinctive blend of capitalism and socialism, with growing focus on entrepreneurism and material success. One surprising trend, however, has been the revival of

The Washington Times • 7th December 2019

A ‘Game of Drones’ resets the rules in the South China Sea

As the rules of the sovereignty endgame are revved up for reconnaissance and surveillance of the environment and Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZs), the increased use of unmanned aerial vehicles or non-lethal drones emits more than a steady buzz in the latest foreign policy salvos among claimant nations against Beijing’s control of the South China Sea. A few months ago, the Pentagon announced the $47 million sale of 34 ScanEagle drones, made by Boeing, to the governments of Malaysia, Indonesia, th

The Washington Times • 7th December 2019

How Vietnam may curb China’s ambitions

At the U.N. Secretariat building, sheathed in shiny aluminum, glass and marble and overlooking New York’s East River, Vietnamese diplomats are soon to celebrate their nation’s selection as a non-permanent member in the U.N. Security Council. As a country that has experienced the tragedies of wars, including one drawn out and fierce conflict with America five decades ago, Hanoi’s foreign policy role is now forged on peaceful cooperation, stability and independence. While there are five permanent

chinadialogue ocean • 22nd July 2019

South Pacific islanders threatened by climate change and overfishing

The Pacific tuna fishing grounds are the largest in the world, contributing more than 60% of the global tuna catch. According to the Pacific Islands Forum Fisheries Agency (FFA), almost all tuna in the region are caught in one of two ways. Those to be sold in cans are mainly caught by purse seine fishing boats targeting skipjack tuna. While longline vessels catch bigeye and yellowfin destined for high-value sashimi markets. It’s a lucrative industry where a single tuna can net US$3 million. The

Tokyo Business Today • 7th December 2019

China is Destroying the Deep Blue Sea | GlobalEye

HO CHI MINH CITY – Since December 2013, China has added more than 1,200 hectares to islands in the South China Sea. The geopolitical implications of these land reclamation efforts are well documented: The majority of the activity has taken place on the Spratly Islands, an archipelago in the waters between Vietnam, Malaysia, and the Philippines, all of which – along with China, Taiwan, and Brunei – have competing claims to the region. What has been less discussed is the project’s environmental i

The Washington Times • 7th December 2019

How China violates international law with impunity

Dark clouds continue to hang over the horizon. The mariner weather lore, “red sky in the morning, sailors (fishermen) take warning,” resonates sharply due to China’s high pressure drilling operations located in Vanguard Bank, inside Vietnam’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). Last month’s Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) South China Sea conference in Washington provided a forum for experts to address why the international community, especially the United States, should speak o

The Washington Times • 10th February 2019

Vietnam’s fertile ‘rice bowl’ threatened by climate shifts, Chinese dams

CAN THO, Vietnam — Overloaded trucks barrel down the National Highway from Can Tho, Vietnam’s fourth-largest city and the largest city in the southern Mekong Delta, rumbling past industrial campuses and export-processing zones, kicking up dust from a newly landscaped Chinese paper and pulp mill.

10th February 2019

Can ‘Citizen Science’ Save Vietnam’s Environment From Unchecked Economic Growth?

In early April 2016, fishermen in Vietnam began noticing something alarming: Dead fish were washing up on the shores of several provinces. Days turned into weeks, and the dead tuna and mackerel kept coming, joined by clams and even one whale.

South China Morning Post • 29th December 2018

A silent death in the contested waters of the South China Sea

The worst of nature’s battlefields are visible in the destroyed South China Sea coral reefs. Over the past five years, China has added more than 1,300 hectares to islands, reefs and atolls primarily on the Spratly archipelago, in the waters between Vietnam, Malaysia and the Philippines – which, along with China, Taiwan, and Brunei, have competing claims to the territories.

Geopolitical Monitor • 24th July 2018

Fishing Frontlines: A Sea Change for Southeast Asia Fish Exports

The tides wait for no one. Southeast Asia fishers live this truth daily and know that their catches are in decline, particularly for those leading hardscrabble lives casting their nets close to shore.

Planet Experts • 17th July 2017

Managing the South China Sea Commons through Science Policy

The South China Sea is the home, for now, to some of the most spectacular biodiverse coral reefs in the world. Yet the world continues to witness satellite images in the troubled waters that show the rapid destructions of such extraordinary reefs.

The Diplomat • 29th June 2016

Vietnam’s ‘Soft Diplomacy’ in the South China Sea

Ly Son Island is a living museum documenting Vietnam’s claims to the Paracels and Spratlys.

Geopoliticalmonitor.com • 29th June 2016

Dispatches from the East Sea: Vietnam Showcases Island’s Environmental Policy

“Sure the fishing is still good, in fact, its improved, but we are happy to make our living from running dive shops and even home stays these days because of our marine protected area.”

The Diplomat • 30th April 2016

Managing The South China Sea: Where Policy Meets Science

Environmental degradation remains at the center of scientific conversation on the South China Sea as more marine scientists sound the alarm about the environmental consequences of China’s island-building activities.

South China Sea Think Tank / 南海智庫 • 10th February 2016

Interview with James Borton: Vietnamese Environmental Nationalism and the Campaign to “Save the East Sea”

The South China Sea Think Tank interviews James Borton about his experiences in the Chàm Islands, the emerging environmental awareness there, and the campaign to inspire Vietnamese youth to become more involved in national environmental issues.

Eurasia Review • 5th February 2016

South China Sea Dispute Compels Washington To Ratify Sea Law – Analysis

The upcoming US-ASEAN summit on February 15-16 in Rancho Mirage, California provides an opportunity for the Obama administration to boldly demonstrate its rebalance towards Asia, and for the U.S. Senate to assert America’s national interests by ratifying the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). Since the ten countries that make up ASEAN are home to 660 million people and represent the world’s seventh largest economy, it’s vital to demonstrate proof of strategic commitment to US allies,

Washington Times Article • 3rd February 2016

U.S. approval of the Law of the Sea treaty is long overdue

International Policy Digest • 11th April 2015

China’s Reclamations Roil South China Sea by James Borton

The Washingtion Times • 24th June 2014

Chinese oil expansion has Vietnam seeking American partnership