Asia Rising

Japan’s national security is rapidly changing. Asia is shifting from an era of prosperity and peace to one of contestation and rivalry between powerful leaders. North Korea has grown emboldened and appears no closer to denuclearisation than when Kim Jong Un embraced dialogue with US President, Donald Trump, in 2017. Xi Jinping’s China is more confident, assertive and nationalistic than ever, and there is fresh uncertainty about Japan’s security partner, the United States. In this challenging security environment, Japan has signalled a desire to change its foreign and defence policy to secure greater regional and global influence. What role is it seeking to play in Prime Minister Abe’s vision of a Free and Open Indo-Pacific? How will it establish and maintain space for itself in the region? What are the prospects for closer security cooperation between Australia and Japan? In conversation: - Associate Professor Tsuruoka Michito (Graduate School of Media and Governance at Keio University, formerly Senior Res

When Tibet was invaded by China in the 1950s the Dalai Lama and many Tibetans left, finding a new home in India. Over the years this population has grown, now overseen by a Central Tibetan authority which has never been formally integrated into India. While this has allowed Tibetans to retain their culture and religion, it’s added challenges when it comes to citizenship. Guest: Associate Professor Sonika Gupta (China Studies Centre, Indian Institute of Technology Madras) Recorded 26 June, 2019.

Australian universities rely heavily on China for both students and research investment, but engagement brings considerable risk. Technology theft is common, and awareness of how research is being applied is necessary for institutional security. Guest: Alex Joske (Analyst, Australian Strategic Policy Institute) Recorded on 24 October, 2019.

The snow-capped peaks of the Himalayas are instantly recognisable, but the critical role these mountains play in Asia’s climate, hydrology, ecology and geopolitics is mostly underplayed. Despite this importance, or perhaps because of them, there are a number of threats to the environment, many of which intersect, and the Himalayas will need careful management and thoughtful intervention if they are to survive both as a natural environment and a resource. In this event, a panel of experts discuss the problems with managing the Himalayas and potential solutions. Speakers: - Dr Alexander Davis (NGN Research Fellow, La Trobe University) - Dr Ruth Gamble (Centre for the Study of the Inland, La Trobe University) - Dr Anwesha Dutta (Chr. Michelsen Institute, Bergen, Norway) - Dr Euan Graham (Executive Director, La Trobe Asia) Recorded at the launch of the third issue of the La Trobe Asia Brief on 23 October 2019 at the City Campus of La Trobe University.

The ice-capped peaks of the Himalaya are instantly recognisable and play a critical role in Asia's climate, hydrology, ecology and geopolitics. Despite this importance the mountains are also the site of international border disputes, ethnic unrest, competitive development and ongoing environmental and cultural destruction. Guest: Dr Ruth Gamble (David Myers Research Fellow, La Trobe University) Dr Alexander Davis (New Generation Network Research Fellow, La Trobe University) Recorded on 26 September, 2019.

A traditional Tibetan proverb tells that every valley has its river and every village has its own language. These languages are an important part of the Tibetan identity, and and there is much debate among the wider Tibetan diaspora as to how to teach and preserve them. Guest: Dr Tsering Shakya (Associate Professor, Research Chair in Religion and Contemporary Society in Asia, Institute for Asian Research, University of British Columbia) Recorded on 2 July, 2019.

In October 2019 the People's Republic of China celebrated its 70th anniversary with pomp, parades and pageantry. This lecture Asia examines the highs and lows, the failures and its successes of the PRC through the 27 Mao Zedong years and the 43 years since then, of Deng Xiaoping's reform-and-opening followed by Xi Jinping's New Era for "socialism with Chinese characteristics." A China Studies Research Centre / La Trobe Asia event Speakers: - Professor Baogang He (Alfred Deakin Professor and Chair in International Relations at Deakin University) - Dr Gerry Groot (Senior Lecturer in Chinese Studies in the Department of Asian Studies, University of Adelaide) - Dr Delia Lin (Senior lecturer in Chinese Studies in the Asia Institute, University of Melbourne) - Rowan Callick (Author and former China correspondent for The Australian Financial Review and The Australian)(Chair) Recorded on 1 October 2019 at the La Trobe University City Campus.

Thae Yong-ho is a former North Korean diplomat to the United Kingdom who defected to South Korea in 2016. As the highest ranking North Korean official to defect, he has a unique perspective on North Korean politics, reunification with South Korea, and the Kim regime. Guest: That Yong-Ho (North Korean Defector, former North Korean deputy ambassador to the UK). Recorded on 4 September, 2019.

The decision to defect from North Korea is not undertaken lightly, but for those in prominent positions it can be particularly fraught. The fates of Kim’s half-brother, Kim Jong Nam, and uncle, Jang Song Thaek underline the risks of disloyalty to the regime. In this special in-conversation event Thae Yong Ho, a prominent North Korean defector and former North Korean deputy ambassador to the United Kingdom, shares rare insights based on his experience and knowledge of the Kim regime. Speakers: Thae Yong Ho (North Korean Defector, former Deputy Ambassador to the United Kingdom) Dr Euan Graham (Executive Director, La Trobe Asia, La Trobe University) Dr Jay Song (Senior lecturer in Korean Studies, University of Melbourne) A La Trobe Asia event in association with the Asia Institute, University of Melbourne. Recorded on 4 September, 2019.

On 30 June Donald Trump became the first serving US President to step into North Korea. Heavy on symbolism, the meeting with Kim Jong Un suggested a renewed impetus towards easing nuclear tensions. Guest: Professor Gordon Flake (CEO,Perth USAsia Centre, University of Western Australia). Recorded on 22 September, 2019.

Australia is one of the few countries whose shores lap both the Indian and Pacific oceans, and the old adage of “where you stand depends upon where you sit” rings true. From Western Australia, the “Indo” component of the Indo-Pacific has clear geographical clarity. Western Australians look north and west to rising India and rising Indonesia. From the east coast of Australia, developments in the Pacific, including in the nearby Pacific Islands, necessarily capture strategic attention. Geography plays an important role in driving different international and strategic outlooks in Australia. With an expansive coastline, Australia’s vastly dispersed maritime approaches give rise to very different geostrategic and defence considerations. How Australia both recognises and reconciles these differences, and executes a cohesive national policy for Indo-Pacific engagement, will have a significant impact on the nation’s prosperity and security. A La Trobe Asia/Perth USAsia Centre joint event. Speakers: Professor G

For the past twenty years Pakistan has wrestled with terrorism. More than 60,000 Pakistanis have been killed as a result of terrorist attacks. Terrorism has caused tension with Pakistan’s neighbouring countries, with Iran, India and Afghanistan accusing Pakistan of complicity in attacks on their soil. It has also complicated Pakistan's relations with the United States, especially after the discovery that Osama bin Laden had been hiding in the country for years after 9/11. Successive governments, including the present one led by Imran Khan, have struggled to curb terrorist activity by a series of groups, despite international pressure. This La Trobe Asia event will explore the growth and persistence of terrorism in Pakistan, the impact it has had on the country, and the international response to the problem. Speakers: Associate Professor C. Christine Fair (Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service, Georgetown University) Professor Ian Hall (International Relations and Deputy Director (Research) of Griffith

India’s government, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has made a controversial move to usurp power from Jammu and Kashmir, the nation’s only Muslim-majority state, Modi says the move marked "a new era" that would free the region of "terrorism and separatism". The actions sparked outcry and unrest over the divided Himalayan territory, which both India and Pakistan claim in its entirety. Guest: Associate Professor C. Christine Fair (Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service, Georgetown University) Recorded on 15 July, 2019.

For a long time Australia has taken it for granted that America can uphold the old US-led regional order by containing China’s bid to become the region’s leading power – which would keep us safe from any major threats from China. That is no longer something that is assured. Find out more about the La Trobe Asia Brief on Australia-China relations. www.latrobe.edu.au/news/announceme…china-relations Guest: Professor Hugh White (Emeritus, Strategic and Defence Studies Centre, Australian National University) Recorded on 18 July, 2019.

The relationship with China is of critical importance to Australia. It is also increasingly complex, being influenced by economics, domestic factors and strategic forces. Yet it is a relationship with underlying tension. China and Australia sometimes find themselves on different sides of the table in some bilateral issues, and disagreements over foreign investment in Australia, influence, and the interests of allied countries might prevent further successful co-operation or interaction. This panel discusses the key challenges and opportunities confronting the bilateral relationship of China and Australia. Panellists: Professor Nick Bisley (Head of the School of Humanities and Social Sciences, La Trobe University) Dr Dan Hu (Deputy Director, Australian Studies Centre, Beijing Foreign Studies University) Rowan Callick (Journalist, author, advisory board member of La Trobe Asia) Professor John Fitzgerald (Centre for Social Impact, Swinburne University of Technology) Dr Euan Graham (Executive Director, La Tr

Australia has implemented a wide range of policies which, while not explicitly anti-China, are definitely interpreted that way. Other countries are taking notice and inspiration from such actions. Find out more about the La Trobe Asia Brief on Australia-China relations. www.latrobe.edu.au/news/announceme…china-relations Guest: Dr Dan Hu (Deputy Director, Australia Studies Centre, Beijing Foreign Studies University) Recorded on 18 July, 2019.

For decades in Australia we have assumed that America will prevent any serious emerging military threats to Australia, or defend us from them if they do, but now America's power in Asia is waning and those old assumptions are no longer valid. So what now? We have never really tried to defend ourselves independently, but now we may have no choice. Can it be done, and if so how? What do we really need to defend? What forces do we need? How much would they cost and how serious are the threats? Speakers: Professor Hugh White (Emeritus Professor of Strategic Studies, Strategic and Defence Studies Centre, Australian National University) Dr Euan Graham (Executive Director of La Trobe Asia) The Melbourne launch of How to Defend Australia by Hugh White, published by La Trobe University Press. Presented at the State Library of Victoria on 17 July, 2019.

In recent years, the Indian and Chinese states have become increasingly assertive in the Himalaya. Driven in part by their mutual enmity and border disputes, both states have undertaken massive infrastructure developments, enabling vast new extractive projects, and a rush of troops and tourists from the plains to the mountains. These political tensions have dangerous ecological consequences. All Himalayan states are building large dams to facilitate development. The Himalayan ice pack moderates monsoonal rains in Asia and feeds most of the region’s large rivers. This system provides 40 per cent of the world’s population with water. To make matters worse, the Himalaya is experiencing climate change at twice global averages. With these political and environmental transformations, the lives of the region’s diverse peoples, including its refugee populations, along with broader ideas of citizenship and belonging, are being changed and challenged. Speakers: Associate Professor Sonika Gupta (IIT Madras) Dr Ruth

When talking about Chinese international politics, the loudest voices are often western ones, and the Chinese perspective is limited to official party lines. In a rare interview, Professor Zhu Feng gives his thoughts on the US/China trade war, the South China Sea, China relations with Australia, and China's activity in the South Pacific. Guest: Professor Zhu Feng (Executive Director, China Center for Collaborative Studies of the South China Sea, Nanjing University) Interviewer: Dr Euan Graham (Executive Director, La Trobe Asia) Producer: Matt Smith Recorded 23 June, 2019.

For the most part, China has seen Australia as an especially agreeable and non-troubling partner, as a predictable American security ally but with a friendly twist. This is changing, and the pressure is intensifying for Australia to rebuild its standings with Beijing. Find out more about the La Trobe Asia Brief on Australia-China relations. https://www.latrobe.edu.au/news/announcements/2019/australia-china-relations Guest: Rowan Callick (Journalist, author, advisory board member of La Trobe Asia) Follow La Trobe Asia on Twitter: www.twitter.com/latrobeasia Recorded 30 May, 2019.