{"id":4364,"date":"2018-05-31T16:00:58","date_gmt":"2018-05-31T06:00:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\/asiainsights\/?p=4364"},"modified":"2018-05-31T16:19:09","modified_gmt":"2018-05-31T06:19:09","slug":"regional-wrap-8","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\/asiainsights\/regional-wrap-8\/","title":{"rendered":"Regional wrap"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>The last fortnight witnessed stunning theatrics and turnarounds vis-a-vis the proposed summit meeting between US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. And it isn\u2019t over yet. The latest development, at the time of writing, is the confirmation from the White House that the summit, scheduled for the 12<sup>th<\/sup> of June in Singapore, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cnbc.com\/2018\/05\/29\/white-house-singapore-summit-with-trump-kim-jong-un-is-expected.html\">is \u2018expected\u2019<\/a> to go ahead as originally planned. A week ago, President Trump, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/world\/2018\/may\/29\/north-korea-summit-kim-jong-un-aide-singapore\">in a personal-sounding letter<\/a> to Kim, announced his decision to withdraw from the summit in response to what he called DPRK\u2019s \u2018tremendous anger and open hostility\u2019 in recent public statements. In turn, North Korea <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/world\/2018\/may\/29\/north-korea-summit-kim-jong-un-aide-singapore\">struck a conciliatory tone<\/a> and indicated its willingness to \u2018sit down with the United States\u2026to resolve the problems.\u2019<\/p>\n<p>The ensuing days have seen <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2018\/05\/30\/world\/asia\/trump-kim-jong-un-summit-meetings.html?rref=collection%2Fsectioncollection%2Fworld\">frantic diplomatic activity<\/a> from all quarters; at the time of writing, Pyongyang\u2019s top nuclear negotiator and former spy chief, Kim Yong-chol <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/world\/2018\/may\/29\/north-korea-summit-kim-jong-un-aide-singapore\">is on his way<\/a> to meet US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to attempt to salvage the summit. A few days ago, Kim and South Korean President Moon Jae-in <a href=\"https:\/\/edition.cnn.com\/2018\/05\/26\/politics\/north-and-south-korean-leaders-meet-again\/index.html\">held a surprise meeting<\/a> at the demilitarised zone between the North and South, their second rendezvous in two months, to discuss the situation. The unpredictability of the path ahead, owing largely due to what analysts call the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ft.com\/content\/dcc48a64-63b3-11e8-a39d-4df188287fff\">\u2018summit brinksmanship\u2019<\/a> of Trump and Kim, has world leaders scrambling to make sense of the impact of the different eventualities that could play out in the next few days and weeks.<\/p>\n<p>Two major stakeholders in the developments on the Korean peninsula, Japanese Prime Minister Shizo Abe and Russian President Vladimir Putin <a href=\"https:\/\/www.japantimes.co.jp\/news\/2018\/05\/26\/national\/politics-diplomacy\/abe-putin-hold-summit-economic-cooperation-security\/#.Ww7EH0iFM2w\">held a meeting<\/a> to discuss bilateral issues and economic cooperation, and also made discussed the North Korean situation. Afterwards, President Putin called on all sides for <a href=\"https:\/\/www.reuters.com\/article\/us-russia-japan-putin-abe-northkorea\/putin-after-meeting-japans-abe-calls-for-restraint-on-north-korea-idUSKCN1IR0LJ\">maintaining \u2018restraint\u2019<\/a> on North Korea, perhaps echoing Japan\u2019s deep worries about the summit process. Significantly, Indian Minister of State for External Affairs, Gen V.K.Singh <a href=\"https:\/\/www.firstpost.com\/india\/general-vk-singh-in-pyongyang-minister-makes-indias-first-high-level-visit-to-north-korea-in-20-years-4473145.html\">paid a surprise visit<\/a> to Pyongyang, the first ministerial visit in almost 20 years, and discussed Delhi\u2019s concerns about nuclear proliferation with North Korean foreign minister, Ri Yong Ho.<\/p>\n<p>On another front, the US <a href=\"http:\/\/www.scmp.com\/news\/china\/diplomacy-defence\/article\/2147675\/military-trust-under-more-strain-after-us-tells-china\">withdrew its invitation<\/a> to China to join the Rim of the Pacific Exercises (RIMPAC) last week in protest of Beijing\u2019s latest wave of militarisation in the disputed islands of the South China Sea. Following the discovery of the anti-ship cruise and surface-to-air missiles in the Spratly Islands last fortnight, China\u2019s air force <a href=\"http:\/\/www.scmp.com\/news\/china\/diplomacy-defence\/article\/2146870\/chinas-air-force-says-its-h-6k-strategic-bomber-took\">landed<\/a> an advanced H-6K strategic bomber on Woody Island. The Pentagon issued a statement warning that China\u2019s actions in the region \u2018raise tensions and destabilise the region\u2019. China <a href=\"http:\/\/www.scmp.com\/news\/china\/policies-politics\/article\/2147482\/us-disinvites-china-pacific-rim-military-exercise\">protested this decision<\/a>, with its top diplomat slamming the Pentagon\u2019s statement. The Chinese defence ministry <a href=\"http:\/\/www.scmp.com\/news\/china\/diplomacy-defence\/article\/2147675\/military-trust-under-more-strain-after-us-tells-china\">reiterated Beijing\u2019s claims<\/a> on the islands, adding that \u2018invited or not, China will never change its determination\u2026to firmly defend its national sovereignty and national interests\u2019. The Philippines\u2019 president, Rodrigo Duterte, has <a href=\"https:\/\/edition.cnn.com\/2018\/05\/29\/asia\/duterte-cayetano-south-china-sea-intl\/index.html\">threatened to go to war<\/a> if China continued to unilaterally mine the natural resources of the South China Sea.<\/p>\n<p>In another corner of the Indo-Pacific, India and Indonesia have elevated their bilateral relationship to a <a href=\"https:\/\/timesofindia.indiatimes.com\/india\/india-indonesia-to-upgrade-ties-to-comprehensive-strategic-partnership\/articleshow\/64381207.cms\">\u2018comprehensive strategic partnership\u2019<\/a> during Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi\u2019s visit to the Southeast Asian nation\u2019s capital this week. The two countries have <a href=\"https:\/\/abcnews.go.com\/International\/wireStory\/indonesia-india-upgrade-ties-15-agreements-55525535\">signed 15 bilateral agreements<\/a>, including on defence, maritime affairs, trade and investment, space and technology, railways and health. Most significantly, both countries have agreed to <a href=\"https:\/\/timesofindia.indiatimes.com\/india\/indonesia-india-plan-to-develop-strategic-indian-ocean-port\/articleshow\/64382906.cms\">develop the strategic Indonesian port of Sabang<\/a>, which would be a game-changer in terms of extending India\u2019s reach in the eastern Indian Ocean. They have also set up a task force to <a href=\"https:\/\/economictimes.indiatimes.com\/news\/politics-and-nation\/india-indonesia-to-set-up-task-force-to-enhance-connectivity-between-andaman-and-sabang\/articleshow\/64385454.cms\">enhance connectivity<\/a> between Sabang and the Indian island of Andaman.<\/p>\n<p>Indonesia is the first leg in Prime Minister Modi\u2019s three-nation tour of South east Asia: he plans to <a href=\"https:\/\/timesofindia.indiatimes.com\/india\/pm-modi-visit-to-indonesia-malaysia-singapore\/liveblog\/64366423.cms?curpg=2\">touch down briefly<\/a> in Malaysia to congratulate his newly elected counterpart, Mahathir Mohammad, before departing for Singapore to <a href=\"https:\/\/economictimes.indiatimes.com\/news\/politics-and-nation\/pm-modi-to-pitch-for-stabilisers-role-for-india-at-shangri-la-dialogue\/articleshow\/64345974.cms\">deliver his keynote address<\/a> at the Shangri-La Dialogue. This tour comes on the heels of Modi\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hindustantimes.com\/india-news\/narendra-modi-in-russia-live-pm-arrives-in-sochi-to-meet-putin-today\/story-gdFz8RMGKnQzzvk74ycw2H.html\">\u2018informal summit\u2019<\/a> with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Sochi last week to strengthen bilateral relations and discuss global concerns.<\/p>\n<p>In a <a href=\"https:\/\/timesofindia.indiatimes.com\/india\/india-pakistan-dgmos-hold-talk-on-ceasefire-violation-and-terrorism\/articleshow\/64372018.cms\">positive development<\/a>, India and Pakistan Director Generals of Military Operations held talks and agreed to restore peace along the Line of Control and International Border in the troubled state of Jammu and Kashmir, by promising to implement the ceasefire agreement signed in 2003. On another note, former chief of the Pakistani Inter Service Intelligence(ISI), Lt Gen Asad Durrani is <a href=\"https:\/\/www.telegraph.co.uk\/news\/2018\/05\/28\/former-pakistan-spy-chief-grounded-suggesting-pakistan-government\/\">facing an investigation<\/a> and travel ban over his co-authored book with his Indian counterpart, in which <a href=\"https:\/\/www.telegraph.co.uk\/news\/2018\/05\/28\/former-pakistan-spy-chief-grounded-suggesting-pakistan-government\/\">he suggests<\/a> that the ISI had known about Osama bin Laden\u2019s presence and had cooperated with the US raid that killed him.<\/p>\n<p>Closer home, former Australian foreign minister, Bob Carr found himself in the eye of a political storm, when <a href=\"https:\/\/www.smh.com.au\/link\/follow-20170101-p4zi0z\">it was revealed<\/a> that he had allegedly enlisted his fellow Labor ministers to investigate details about Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull\u2019s China advisor, John Garnaut. This is particularly disconcerting given Mr Carr\u2019s close financial ties to China. Mr Garnaut is a contributor to <a href=\"http:\/\/www.abc.net.au\/news\/2018-05-29\/chinas-been-interfering-in-australian-politics-for-past-decade\/9810236\">a top-secret report<\/a> outlining the Chinese government\u2019s attempts to interfere in Australian domestic politics over the last few years, that is the subject of abject concern in Canberra at the moment.<\/p>\n<h3>Significance for Australia<\/h3>\n<p>Australia, like other regional players, has significant stakes in the ongoing theatrics on the Korean peninsula, not least because our key allies are the protagonists and the supporting actors. Canberra would be hoping that Trump and Kim can find a peaceful way to build consensus and understanding, without resorting to apocalyptic threats and war-mongering, and that the interests of all parties, especially Japan and South Korea, are respected.<\/p>\n<p>China\u2019s continued militarisation in the South China Sea is a cause for concern. It reflects Beijing\u2019s growing audacity and conviction to incrementally expand its presence in the region while justifying this as \u2018legitimate\u2019 and a matter of Chinese \u2018national interest\u2019. On another note, reports of growing Chinese interference in Australian politics, including instances such as Mr Carr\u2019s involvement (especially in light of Senator Sam Dastyari\u2019s links) portends bleak prospects for the already strained bilateral relations between China and Australia.<\/p>\n<p>India and Indonesia\u2019s strengthening bilateral relations would be viewed most favourably in Canberra and both these countries represent the pillars of Australia\u2019s priority relationships in the Indo-Pacific, as outlined in the 2017 Foreign Policy White Paper. Increasing defence and maritime cooperation between Delhi and Jakarta is a welcome development from Canberra\u2019s perspective as it would help advance Australia\u2019s goal of a free and open rules-based order in the region.<\/p>\n<div class=\"label author\">AUTHOR<\/div>\n<div class=\"author-bio\"><strong>Aakriti Bachhawat<\/strong>\u00a0is a Research Assistant at the Griffith Asia Institute.<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&nbsp; The last fortnight witnessed stunning theatrics and turnarounds vis-a-vis the proposed summit meeting between US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. And it isn\u2019t over yet. The latest development, at the time of writing, is the confirmation from the White House that the summit, scheduled for the 12th of June in [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":42,"featured_media":4032,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[233,245,246,247],"tags":[716,720,577,777,625,472,689,776,421,775],"class_list":["post-4364","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-feature-series","category-china-and-north-east-asia","category-india-and-south-asia","category-indonesia-and-southeast-asia","tag-aakriti-bachhawat","tag-donald-trump","tag-kim-jong-un","tag-mahathir-mohammad","tag-narendra-modi","tag-prime-minister-shinzo-abe","tag-regional-wrap","tag-rim-of-the-pacific-exercises","tag-south-china-sea","tag-vlladimir-putin"],"acf":[],"modified_by":"Jill Moriarty","yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v28.0 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Regional wrap | Griffith Asia Insights<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"&nbsp; The last fortnight witnessed stunning theatrics and turnarounds vis-a-vis the proposed summit meeting between US President Donald Trump and North\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\/asiainsights\/regional-wrap-8\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Regional wrap | Griffith Asia Insights\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"&nbsp; The last fortnight witnessed stunning theatrics and turnarounds vis-a-vis the proposed summit meeting between US President Donald Trump and North\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\/asiainsights\/regional-wrap-8\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Griffith Asia Insights\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/griffithasiainstitute\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2018-05-31T06:00:58+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2018-05-31T06:19:09+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.griffith.edu.au\/asiainsights\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2018\/02\/REGIONAL-WRAP-900.jpg?fit=900%2C548&ssl=1\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"900\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"548\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Jill Moriarty\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@GAIGriffith\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@GAIGriffith\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Jill Moriarty\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"6 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\\\/asiainsights\\\/regional-wrap-8\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\\\/asiainsights\\\/regional-wrap-8\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Jill Moriarty\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\\\/asiainsights\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/82294f30aa8432b420ff192a85ca5394\"},\"headline\":\"Regional wrap\",\"datePublished\":\"2018-05-31T06:00:58+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2018-05-31T06:19:09+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\\\/asiainsights\\\/regional-wrap-8\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":1121,\"commentCount\":0,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\\\/asiainsights\\\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\\\/asiainsights\\\/regional-wrap-8\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\\\/asiainsights\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/2\\\/2018\\\/02\\\/REGIONAL-WRAP-900.jpg\",\"keywords\":[\"Aakriti Bachhawat\",\"Donald Trump\",\"Kim Jong-un\",\"Mahathir Mohammad\",\"Narendra Modi\",\"Prime Minister Shinzo Abe\",\"Regional wrap\",\"Rim of the Pacific Exercises\",\"South China Sea\",\"Vlladimir Putin\"],\"articleSection\":[\"Feature series\",\"Region | China and Northeast Asia\",\"Region | India and South Asia\",\"Region | Indonesia and Southeast Asia\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-AU\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\\\/asiainsights\\\/regional-wrap-8\\\/#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\\\/asiainsights\\\/regional-wrap-8\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\\\/asiainsights\\\/regional-wrap-8\\\/\",\"name\":\"Regional wrap | Griffith Asia Insights\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\\\/asiainsights\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\\\/asiainsights\\\/regional-wrap-8\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\\\/asiainsights\\\/regional-wrap-8\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\\\/asiainsights\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/2\\\/2018\\\/02\\\/REGIONAL-WRAP-900.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2018-05-31T06:00:58+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2018-05-31T06:19:09+00:00\",\"description\":\"&nbsp; The last fortnight witnessed stunning theatrics and turnarounds vis-a-vis the proposed summit meeting between US President Donald Trump and North\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\\\/asiainsights\\\/regional-wrap-8\\\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-AU\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\\\/asiainsights\\\/regional-wrap-8\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-AU\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\\\/asiainsights\\\/regional-wrap-8\\\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\\\/asiainsights\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/2\\\/2018\\\/02\\\/REGIONAL-WRAP-900.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\\\/asiainsights\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/2\\\/2018\\\/02\\\/REGIONAL-WRAP-900.jpg\",\"width\":900,\"height\":548,\"caption\":\"Griffith Asia Institute - Regional Wrap 54\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\\\/asiainsights\\\/regional-wrap-8\\\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\\\/asiainsights\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Regional wrap\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\\\/asiainsights\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\\\/asiainsights\\\/\",\"name\":\"Griffith Asia Insights\",\"description\":\"Asia Insights is published by the Griffith Asia Institute. It offers latest commentary on Asia-Pacific affairs and aims to inform and foster academic scholarship, public awareness and considered and responsive policy making.\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\\\/asiainsights\\\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\\\/asiainsights\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-AU\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\\\/asiainsights\\\/#organization\",\"name\":\"Griffith Asia Institute\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\\\/asiainsights\\\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-AU\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\\\/asiainsights\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/i0.wp.com\\\/blogs.griffith.edu.au\\\/asiainsights\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/2\\\/2023\\\/10\\\/GU_Griffith-Asia-Institute_rgb_red_horizontal.png?fit=2930%2C308&ssl=1\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/i0.wp.com\\\/blogs.griffith.edu.au\\\/asiainsights\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/2\\\/2023\\\/10\\\/GU_Griffith-Asia-Institute_rgb_red_horizontal.png?fit=2930%2C308&ssl=1\",\"width\":2930,\"height\":308,\"caption\":\"Griffith Asia Institute\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\\\/asiainsights\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.facebook.com\\\/griffithasiainstitute\\\/\",\"https:\\\/\\\/x.com\\\/GAIGriffith\"]},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\\\/asiainsights\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/82294f30aa8432b420ff192a85ca5394\",\"name\":\"Jill Moriarty\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-AU\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/3e0bae768d28081ec2b419f093919cd4ca77b5d862d4446eceb1a131b0627d40?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/3e0bae768d28081ec2b419f093919cd4ca77b5d862d4446eceb1a131b0627d40?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/3e0bae768d28081ec2b419f093919cd4ca77b5d862d4446eceb1a131b0627d40?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Jill Moriarty\"},\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\\\/asiainsights\\\/author\\\/s2126353\\\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Regional wrap | Griffith Asia Insights","description":"&nbsp; The last fortnight witnessed stunning theatrics and turnarounds vis-a-vis the proposed summit meeting between US President Donald Trump and North","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\/asiainsights\/regional-wrap-8\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Regional wrap | Griffith Asia Insights","og_description":"&nbsp; The last fortnight witnessed stunning theatrics and turnarounds vis-a-vis the proposed summit meeting between US President Donald Trump and North","og_url":"https:\/\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\/asiainsights\/regional-wrap-8\/","og_site_name":"Griffith Asia Insights","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/griffithasiainstitute\/","article_published_time":"2018-05-31T06:00:58+00:00","article_modified_time":"2018-05-31T06:19:09+00:00","og_image":[{"width":900,"height":548,"url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.griffith.edu.au\/asiainsights\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2018\/02\/REGIONAL-WRAP-900.jpg?fit=900%2C548&ssl=1","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Jill Moriarty","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_creator":"@GAIGriffith","twitter_site":"@GAIGriffith","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Jill Moriarty","Est. reading time":"6 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\/asiainsights\/regional-wrap-8\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\/asiainsights\/regional-wrap-8\/"},"author":{"name":"Jill Moriarty","@id":"https:\/\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\/asiainsights\/#\/schema\/person\/82294f30aa8432b420ff192a85ca5394"},"headline":"Regional wrap","datePublished":"2018-05-31T06:00:58+00:00","dateModified":"2018-05-31T06:19:09+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\/asiainsights\/regional-wrap-8\/"},"wordCount":1121,"commentCount":0,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\/asiainsights\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\/asiainsights\/regional-wrap-8\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\/asiainsights\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2018\/02\/REGIONAL-WRAP-900.jpg","keywords":["Aakriti Bachhawat","Donald Trump","Kim Jong-un","Mahathir Mohammad","Narendra Modi","Prime Minister Shinzo Abe","Regional wrap","Rim of the Pacific Exercises","South China Sea","Vlladimir Putin"],"articleSection":["Feature series","Region | China and Northeast Asia","Region | India and South Asia","Region | Indonesia and Southeast Asia"],"inLanguage":"en-AU","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\/asiainsights\/regional-wrap-8\/#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\/asiainsights\/regional-wrap-8\/","url":"https:\/\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\/asiainsights\/regional-wrap-8\/","name":"Regional wrap | Griffith Asia Insights","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\/asiainsights\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\/asiainsights\/regional-wrap-8\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\/asiainsights\/regional-wrap-8\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\/asiainsights\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2018\/02\/REGIONAL-WRAP-900.jpg","datePublished":"2018-05-31T06:00:58+00:00","dateModified":"2018-05-31T06:19:09+00:00","description":"&nbsp; The last fortnight witnessed stunning theatrics and turnarounds vis-a-vis the proposed summit meeting between US President Donald Trump and North","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\/asiainsights\/regional-wrap-8\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-AU","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\/asiainsights\/regional-wrap-8\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-AU","@id":"https:\/\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\/asiainsights\/regional-wrap-8\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\/asiainsights\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2018\/02\/REGIONAL-WRAP-900.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\/asiainsights\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2018\/02\/REGIONAL-WRAP-900.jpg","width":900,"height":548,"caption":"Griffith Asia Institute - Regional Wrap 54"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\/asiainsights\/regional-wrap-8\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\/asiainsights\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Regional wrap"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\/asiainsights\/#website","url":"https:\/\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\/asiainsights\/","name":"Griffith Asia Insights","description":"Asia Insights is published by the Griffith Asia Institute. It offers latest commentary on Asia-Pacific affairs and aims to inform and foster academic scholarship, public awareness and considered and responsive policy making.","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\/asiainsights\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\/asiainsights\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-AU"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\/asiainsights\/#organization","name":"Griffith Asia Institute","url":"https:\/\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\/asiainsights\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-AU","@id":"https:\/\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\/asiainsights\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.griffith.edu.au\/asiainsights\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2023\/10\/GU_Griffith-Asia-Institute_rgb_red_horizontal.png?fit=2930%2C308&ssl=1","contentUrl":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.griffith.edu.au\/asiainsights\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2023\/10\/GU_Griffith-Asia-Institute_rgb_red_horizontal.png?fit=2930%2C308&ssl=1","width":2930,"height":308,"caption":"Griffith Asia Institute"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\/asiainsights\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/griffithasiainstitute\/","https:\/\/x.com\/GAIGriffith"]},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\/asiainsights\/#\/schema\/person\/82294f30aa8432b420ff192a85ca5394","name":"Jill Moriarty","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-AU","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/3e0bae768d28081ec2b419f093919cd4ca77b5d862d4446eceb1a131b0627d40?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/3e0bae768d28081ec2b419f093919cd4ca77b5d862d4446eceb1a131b0627d40?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/3e0bae768d28081ec2b419f093919cd4ca77b5d862d4446eceb1a131b0627d40?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"Jill Moriarty"},"url":"https:\/\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\/asiainsights\/author\/s2126353\/"}]}},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\/asiainsights\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2018\/02\/REGIONAL-WRAP-900.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":8642,"url":"https:\/\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\/asiainsights\/explainer-what-exactly-is-the-quad-and-whats-on-the-agenda-for-their-washington-summit\/","url_meta":{"origin":4364,"position":0},"title":"Explainer: What exactly is the Quad and what\u2019s on the agenda for their Washington summit?","author":"Griffith Asia Institute","date":"24 September 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"IAN HALL | On Friday, the leaders of Australia, India, Japan and the US met in Washington for the first in-person Quad summit. Hosted by US President Joe Biden, the attendees are slated to discuss a series of big issues, from\u00a0COVID-19 to cybersecurity, but China will dominate the conversation. So,\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Commentary&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Commentary","link":"https:\/\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\/asiainsights\/category\/publication\/commentary\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\/asiainsights\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/09\/QUAD21.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\/asiainsights\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/09\/QUAD21.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\/asiainsights\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/09\/QUAD21.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\/asiainsights\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/09\/QUAD21.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":7799,"url":"https:\/\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\/asiainsights\/regional-wrap-56\/","url_meta":{"origin":4364,"position":1},"title":"Regional wrap | 56","author":"Griffith Asia Institute","date":"13 August 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"The Griffith Asia Institute, fortnightly Regional wrap with Aakriti Bachhawat. One of the most important, and yet subtle developments this fortnight was a shift in Australia\u2019s position on the ongoing border tensions between India and China.","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Commentary&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Commentary","link":"https:\/\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\/asiainsights\/category\/publication\/commentary\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Griffith Asia Institute - Regional Wrap 54","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\/asiainsights\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2018\/02\/REGIONAL-WRAP-900.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\/asiainsights\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2018\/02\/REGIONAL-WRAP-900.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\/asiainsights\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2018\/02\/REGIONAL-WRAP-900.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\/asiainsights\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2018\/02\/REGIONAL-WRAP-900.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":5292,"url":"https:\/\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\/asiainsights\/australia-should-brace-for-a-volatile-year-in-foreign-policy-in-2019\/","url_meta":{"origin":4364,"position":2},"title":"Australia should brace for a volatile year in foreign policy in 2019","author":"Griffith Asia Institute","date":"4 January 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"SUSAN HARRIS RIMMER | By the end of 2019 we should be able to assess how Australia is travelling with the grand plan laid out in the\u00a02017 Foreign Policy White Paper. In this, an election year, I examine the status of our most important international relationships. My verdict: decidedly shaky.\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Feature series&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Feature series","link":"https:\/\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\/asiainsights\/category\/publication\/feature-series\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\/asiainsights\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2019\/01\/foreign-policy-volatility-900x500.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\/asiainsights\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2019\/01\/foreign-policy-volatility-900x500.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\/asiainsights\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2019\/01\/foreign-policy-volatility-900x500.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\/asiainsights\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2019\/01\/foreign-policy-volatility-900x500.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":9969,"url":"https:\/\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\/asiainsights\/as-russia-woos-nations-to-support-its-war-in-ukraine-will-fault-lines-deepen-around-the-globe\/","url_meta":{"origin":4364,"position":3},"title":"As Russia woos nations to support its war in Ukraine, will fault lines deepen around the\u00a0globe?","author":"Griffith Asia Institute","date":"13 September 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"MATTHEW SUSSEX | For Russian President Vladimir Putin, the\u00a0mistaken belief\u00a0that he could conquer much of Ukraine in a few days highlighted the depth of his hubris. Since then, his decision to continue the onslaught has revealed the ongoing practical costs to the Russian military. Now, Moscow\u2019s attempt to meet those\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Commentary&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Commentary","link":"https:\/\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\/asiainsights\/category\/publication\/commentary\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin and the Chairman of the State Council of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea Kim Jong-un, 25 April 2019.","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\/asiainsights\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2023\/09\/kim-jong-un-vladimir-putin.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\/asiainsights\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2023\/09\/kim-jong-un-vladimir-putin.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\/asiainsights\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2023\/09\/kim-jong-un-vladimir-putin.png?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\/asiainsights\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2023\/09\/kim-jong-un-vladimir-putin.png?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":5352,"url":"https:\/\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\/asiainsights\/regional-wrap-21\/","url_meta":{"origin":4364,"position":4},"title":"Regional wrap","author":"Jill Moriarty","date":"14 February 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"The last fortnight was an especially busy one for the Indo-Pacific region\u2019s policymakers. The US withdrawal from the Intermediate Range Nuclear Forces Treaty with Russia delivered a big blow to international non-nuclear proliferation efforts. President Donald Trump accuses Russia of violating the terms of the agreement which has been an\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Feature series&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Feature series","link":"https:\/\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\/asiainsights\/category\/publication\/feature-series\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Griffith Asia Institute - Regional Wrap 54","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\/asiainsights\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2018\/02\/REGIONAL-WRAP-900.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\/asiainsights\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2018\/02\/REGIONAL-WRAP-900.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\/asiainsights\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2018\/02\/REGIONAL-WRAP-900.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\/asiainsights\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2018\/02\/REGIONAL-WRAP-900.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":10031,"url":"https:\/\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\/asiainsights\/bigger-moves-bigger-expectations-bidens-us-pacific-island-forum-summit\/","url_meta":{"origin":4364,"position":5},"title":"Bigger moves, bigger expectations: Biden\u2019s US-Pacific Island Forum Summit","author":"Griffith Asia Institute","date":"10 October 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"SEAN JACOBS\u00a0 |\u00a0 An insightful analysis of the recent US-Pacific Island Forum Summit and highlights two important observations. The author effectively discusses the notable absence of the Solomon Islands Prime Minister due to his ties with Beijing and emphasises the need to balance Washington's security concerns with the development priorities\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Pillar 3: Geopolitics and diplomacy&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Pillar 3: Geopolitics and diplomacy","link":"https:\/\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\/asiainsights\/category\/publication\/feature-series\/pacific-outlook-feature-series\/geopolitics-diplomacy\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Participants of the US-Pacific Islands Forum Summit standing in front of the White House .","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\/asiainsights\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2023\/10\/biden-pacific-forum.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\/asiainsights\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2023\/10\/biden-pacific-forum.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\/asiainsights\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2023\/10\/biden-pacific-forum.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\/asiainsights\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2023\/10\/biden-pacific-forum.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"featured_image_thumbnail_url":"https:\/\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\/asiainsights\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2018\/02\/REGIONAL-WRAP-900.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\/asiainsights\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4364","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\/asiainsights\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\/asiainsights\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\/asiainsights\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/42"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\/asiainsights\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4364"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\/asiainsights\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4364\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\/asiainsights\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4032"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\/asiainsights\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4364"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\/asiainsights\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4364"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\/asiainsights\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4364"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}