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3 weeks ago | 
thinkchina.sg | Don McLain GillLecturer |De La Salle |Don Gill |Goh Choon Kang
With China in mind, the Kamandag 2025 is another opportunity for the Philippines to enhance its maritime security capabilities through its defence linkages with like-minded partners, says Manila-based analyst Don McLain Gill. The Philippine Marine Corps and the US Marine Corps have begun this year’s Kamandag, an acronym for “Kaagapay Ng Mga Mandirigma Ng Dagat Exercise”, which translates to “Cooperation of the Warriors of the Sea”. The annual exercise is scheduled from 26 May to 6 June.
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1 month ago | 
thinkchina.sg | Amit Ranjan |Genevieve Donnellon- MayResearcher |Genevieve Donnellon-May |Seoow Juin Yee
As hydropower remains the dominant source of electricity in most Latin American countries, China is well-positioned to use that as a pivot for greater economic engagement with the region. Singapore-based Indian researcher Amit Ranjan and Australian researcher Genevieve Donnellon-May explore the issue. As the geopolitical chessboard shifts, China is moving its Latin American strategy into high gear.
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1 month ago | 
thinkchina.sg
China’s personal lending market is under mounting pressure while banks across the country are scrambling. What began as a slow-burning concern in early 2024 has become an acute worry in 2025, as personal loans slip into delinquency at rates not seen since the 2008 financial crisis.
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1 month ago | 
thinkchina.sg | Genevieve Donnellon- MayResearcher |Genevieve Donnellon-May |Chow Yian Ping |Qinglian He
Faced with opportunities and challenges with its longstanding partner, the US, as well as increasing difficulties to “cooperate where we can, disagree where we must” with China, Australia needs more than ever to strengthen defence, trade and diplomatic ties across the Indo-Pacific region. Researcher Genevieve Donnellon-May explains. As Australians head to vote in the federal election on 3 May, questions of sovereignty, economic security and regional alignment are once again in the spotlight.
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2 months ago | 
thinkchina.sg | Don McLain GillLecturer |De La Salle |Don Gill |Chow Yian Ping
On 24 April, China’s state-run Global Times reported that the China Coast Guard (CCG) exercised “sovereign jurisdiction” in mid-April by seizing Sandy Cay in the West Philippine Sea or what Manila calls the part of the South China Sea encompassing its lawful 200 nautical mile exclusive economic zone (EEZ). China’s state broadcaster CCTV also released photos of four CCG members posing with the Chinese flag on the sandbar, which the news channel described as a “vow of sovereignty”. ...
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2 months ago | 
thinkchina.sg | Amit Ranjan |Genevieve Donnellon- MayResearcher |Genevieve Donnellon-May |Yu Zeyuan
Bangladesh’s water diplomacy with China and India reflects Dhaka’s efforts to address its growing water needs while trying to balance the complex geopolitical situation in the region, say Singapore-based Indian researcher Amit Ranjan and Australian researcher Genevieve Donnellon-May. In a landmark moment for Dhaka-Beijing relations, Bangladesh’s chief adviser to the interim Bangladeshi government, Muhammad Yunus, embarked on a significant four-day visit to China from 26-29 March.
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2 months ago | 
thinkchina.sg | Don McLain GillLecturer |De La Salle |Don Gill |Yu Zeyuan
The US is very much aware that its best bet is to invest in its security partnerships with allies that have the political will to punch above their weight in order to deter China’s aggression, says Manila-based analyst Don McLain Gill. While President Donald Trump’s foreign policy continues to generate scepticism among the US’s Western allies, a different picture is being painted in the Indo-Pacific, particularly concerning the security partnership between Manila and Washington.
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Mar 24, 2025 | 
thinkchina.sg | Goh Choon Kang
Trump’s tariff obsession is counterproductive, argues former journalist Goh Choon Kang, failing to address America’s economic woes while highlighting the “might makes right” power dynamics in international trade that undermine trade agreements.
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Mar 24, 2025 | 
thinkchina.sg | Goh Choon Kang
Trump’s tariff obsession is counterproductive, argues former journalist Goh Choon Kang, failing to address America’s economic woes while highlighting the “might makes right” power dynamics in international trade that undermine trade agreements.
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Mar 3, 2025 | 
thinkchina.sg | Don McLain GillLecturer |De La Salle |Don Gill |Lianhe Zaobao
Security negotiations between India and its Southeast Asian neighbours have stepped up in recent months, observes Philippines-based analyst Don McLain Gill. Flexible in its engagement strategies, India has found a role as an alternative security partner for countries in the region. The past decade has seen a more mature shift in New Delhi’s foreign policy towards Southeast Asia, indicating a greater understanding of Southeast Asian countries’ acute security concerns.