Quad-Fiji: Supply Chains, Security, and a Regional Voice
The Quad-Fiji agreement may indicate the Quad becoming more operational in the Indo-Pacific
Managed Competition: The U.S.-China Stabilisation Phase
The U.S.-China summit ended without any major outcomes. Instead, the meeting was an assessment of positions on a range of topics, with attempts at stabilisation.
Financial Chokepoint: Economic Fury Targeting Evasion Systems
The U.S. is now targeting Chinese refineries and financial networks associated with the Iranian oil trade.
Monetised Maritime Chokepoints: How Access is Becoming a Revenue Stream
Chokepoints are becoming revenue streams where access is shaped by demand.
Controlling the Flow: The U.S. Maritime Enforcement Strategy
The specific targeting of vessels signals how the U.S. aims to control maritime space beyond the blockade.
Conditional Access: How Navigation Is Being shaped in the South China Sea
The South China Sea continues to be a disputed maritime domain where states are shaping territorial influence through access.
Japan’s Policy Shift: From Defensive to Counterstrike
Japan’s defence budget increase reflects a transition from passive military policy to a counterstrike capability.
Pacific Alignment Under Pressure: The U.S., New Zealand, the Cook Islands, and China.
The New Zealand–Cook Islands defence partnership coincides with high-level U.S. engagement.
Access Denied: Maritime Competition and Chokepoint Strategy
Chokepoint control is not through stopping movement but by shaping risk through uncertainty, increased costs, and selective access.
Indonesia’s Evolving Foreign Policy
Indonesia has long maintained an independent foreign policy, but recent decisions suggest this may be evolving under strategic pressure.
Sanctioned Oil Strategy: Exposing China’s Energy Vulnerability
China’s energy supply is under pressure following the disruption in the Strait of Hormuz.
The Pacific Pivot: U.S.–China and the Shadow Fleet Connection
New Zealand may need to balance Chinese economic ties and regional security interests with the U.S.