As Sri Lanka’s economic crisis began to unfold in March, 2022, nationwide protests erupted that led to the defeat of political royalty Gotabaya Rajapaksa and the start of the Ranil Wickremesinghe-led government. The economic crisis is a result of low foreign reserves and a high current account deficit, which has left the country dependent on Read More…
Indo-Pacific and NATO
The Indo-Pacific is the geopolitical centre of the world and combines the Asia-Pacific and the Indian Ocean into a single region. As a strategic concept, the Indo-Pacific captures the interest of global powers like the U.S., China, India, Australia, Japan, and the UK, and tests NATO’s ability to adapt and maintain global peace in an inter-connected world. The program’s mandate is to provide Canadians with an analysis of security challenges in the region and to uncover the interplay of global powers, amidst emerging multipolarity in the region.
SEATO: The tantalizing promise of NATO’s forgotten counterpart in the Indo-Pacific
June 30th, 1977, Bangkok, Thailand. After 23 years of operations the South-East Asian Treaty Organization, or SEATO, was formally dissolved, having been dogged with criticism throughout the nearly two decades since its founding. What was this NATO counterpart in the Indo-Pacific, why did it fail, and could it be revived today? The basics: Read More…
Do not be fooled, Ukraine and Taiwan are not the same: Key strategic lessons for NATO to learn in the event it aids Taiwan
In this article, Research Analyst Andrew Erskine compares and contrast the Russo-Ukraine war with the geopolitical climate existing between Taiwan and China, and argues that NATO needs to learn from its key strategic operations in Ukraine and adapt them for a multifaceted maritime operation.
Wolf Warrior Diplomacy: The Social Media Battlefield
As targeted social media campaigns work in support of political movements in China’s strategic and political goals, how is social media becoming a new NATO battlefield?
To Counter China’s Rise, the Quad Needs to Shift to Economic Diplomacy
How can we unite like-minded countries against threats from encroaching autocrats? Check out Kriti Samnotra’s article on Economic Diplomacy and how the Quad must shift to providing economic assistance to push back against China’s endlessly propagandized Belt and Road Initiative.
The Xinjiang Police Files and their implications for NATO’s China policy
The most drastic leak to date of files out of Xinjiang is causing leaders in NATO to review their stance on China. What are the implications of this link on NATO and members’ strategic independence?
Special Report: NATO’s Forgotten Western Flank
In this special report, Research Analyst Andrew Erskine poses the case for why NATO needs to acknowledge its western flank as a legitimate geo-security periphery. Demonstrating the periphery’s history, geo-security gravity, and opportunity to amplify intra-alliance unity and cohesion, Andrew presents a timely insight for why the time is ripe for including a new geopolitical flank to NATO’s security and defence mandate.
Special Report: Canada and Neo-Middle Power Diplomacy in the Indo-Pacific
In this article, Research Analyst Emilio Angeles examines the Canada-ASEAN free-trade negotiations and explains how it represents the continuation of neo-middle power diplomacy in the Indo-Pacific.
NATO, AUKUS & the Indo-Pacific: Further Proof of Intra-Alliance Friction
In this article, Research Analyst Andrew Erskine assesses the implications of the AUKUS security pact on NATO’s unity and cohesion towards a collective Indo-Pacific strategy and the need for the Alliance to develop an Indo-Pacific Council to avoid further debacles of intra-alliance friction.
How Should Canada Respond to Hostage Diplomacy?
Abstract: Canadian policymakers must be strategic when formulating policy in light of recent coercive diplomatic relations by China between Canada and the United States. Policymakers must respond to hostage diplomacy effectively and NATO poses a good framework on which to base the policy. “Canada can’t pick and choose when it follows the rule of law,” Read More…