The Fiscal Year 2021 budget recently released by the White House has captured the attention of Pacific watchers. The Trump administration’s goal to “frustrate Chinese efforts to shape the Indo-Pacific in its image” as part of their larger desire to re-calibrate from the global war on terror to “focusing on… read more
Comment dit-on le “climate change” en Français? (3/3)
(This blog post completes my three-part series on France’s role as a stakeholder in our considerations of grand strategy. You can find part 1 here and part 2 here.) What are the French stakes in disaster risk reduction in Oceania? And how does the French role influence the United State’s… read more
Comment dit-on le “climate change” en Français? (2/3)
(This blog post is part of my three-part series on France’s role as a stakeholder in our considerations of grand strategy in managing climate resilience and disaster risk in Oceania.) Here I’d like to consider French interests in the region in economic, security, and diplomatic/humanitarian terms. Firstly, I focus on… read more
Comment dit-on le “climate change” en Français? (1/3)
(This blog post kicks off my three-part series on France’s role as a stakeholder in our considerations of grand strategy in managing climate resilience and disaster risk in Oceania.) France is an important security and development actor in the Pacific region. Given its extensive colonial history and ongoing role in… read more
Rumor has it: China in Vanuatu
Is it a naval base? A wharf? A commercial port? A space tracking station? Beijing’s plans in the small South Pacific island nation Vanuatu have been under intense speculation in recent years. Given China’s worldwide interest in expanding its maritime security footprint, this incident fits into a larger narrative of… read more