Asia Rising

It is two weeks until an Australian federal election in which the presiding Prime Minister, Anthony Albanese, will meet the challenger Peter Dutton in a campaign that has been dominated by domestic issues, but overshadowed by Trump.

Guests:

Recorded on 16th April, 2025.

Late last year the Chinese government announced it had approved the world’s largest and most expensive, hydropower project on the Yarlung Tsangpo River in the Eastern Himalaya, near its disputed border with India. The project would generate around 60 gigawatts annually, nearly three times the capacity of the Three Gorges Dam, and help them meet their energy transition goals.

What they actually intend to build and the impact it could have on the surrounding landscape and the people who call it home is the subject of much debate.

Guests:

Recorded on April 1st, 2025.

As President Donald Trump leads his second term, relationships between the US and Asian countries continue to evolve under his administration’s policies.

While there has been much focus on Europe's reactions to a more transactional leadership style in the US, less has been discussed about how it will affect trade negotiations, military alliances, and geopolitical tensions in Asia.

The United States, once a reliable ally to many, now represents a wild card, and how Trump views Asian nations including China, North Korea, Japan, and India, will have a measurable impact on trade, security, and diplomacy.

Panel:

Former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte was arrested on March 11, 2025, by the Philippine National Police and Interpol, acting on a warrant issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC). The warrant charges Duterte with crimes against humanity related to his administration's controversial "war on drugs," which resulted in thousands of deaths.

Guest: Associate Professor Kerstin Steiner (La Trobe Law School, La Trobe University)

Recorded on 18 March, 2025.

Australian headlines in late February were dominated by the activities of the Chinese navy’s Task Group 107 as it progressed south along the Australian coast and conducted a series of live-fire exercises.

To the media and a segment of politicians this is a big deal, and at the very least it signals a message that China is trying to send to Australia.

Guest: Professor Bec Strating (Director, La Trobe Asia)

Recorded on 3rd March, 2025.

The global south is struggling with extreme weather patterns and how to respond, with the Philippines being no exception. Since the devastation of the 2013 Haiyan typhoon, more than 15 thousand households have been relocated from the coast to Tacloban North, and this climate gentrfication has caused inequalities amongst the residents.

Guests:

Associate Professor Brooke Wilmsen (Social Enquiry, La Trobe University)

Recorded on 21st February, 2025.

For years China has claimed historical rights in the South China Sea, enforcing this by establishing the expansive ‘nine-dash line’ encompassing around 90% of the sea and challenging the maritime claims of neighbouring states in Southeast Asia.

The Philippines in particular has contested China’s claims, concerned about the implications for national security, sovereignty, sovereign rights, and maritime jurisdiction.

What can the Philippines and other nations in do to support the maritime rules-based order? How can bodies like ASEAN and the United Nations assist in these areas? What kind of deterrence and diplomacy might help manage or resolve these disputes?

Panel:

In his first month as the newly sworn in President of the United States Donald Trump signed a raft of executive orders, one of which was the near total freeze of all foreign aid, and the drastic reduction of the United States Agency for International Development. This move will have lasting repurcussions for the welfare of many of the world's poorest populations, not to mention the international reputation of the United States.

Guest:

Associate Professor Lisa Denney (Director, Centre for Human Security and Social Change, La Trobe University)

Recorded on the 18th February, 2025.

Great power rivalry is now an entrenched feature of Asia's security environment. While the United States' role in Asia looks increasingly uncertain under the new Trump administration, China has long sought its security by building dominant relationships with smaller powers in its neighbourhood.

While Australia focuses keenly on the activities of the US and China in East Asia and the Pacific, far less is understood about the contests for power playing out in Central Asia and its implications for global stability and order. In this arena, Russia and the United States are keen to challenge China’s presence and maintain access and influence for both themselves and their partners.

As global geopolitics evolve, China has come to dominate a region that is crucial to the world’s economic and strategic future.

In celebration of the new book ‘Great Game On: The contest for Central Asia and Global Supremacy’ by Geoff Raby.

Speakers:

Dr Geoff Raby AO (Former Australia Ambassador to China, 2007-2011)

Professor Theo Farrell (Vice-Chancellor, La Trobe University)

Professor Rebecca Strating (Director, La Trobe Asia)

Recorded on 12th February, 2025.

Unrest in South Korea is developing quickly. In December President Yoon Suk-yeol declared a short lived martial law. He has since been impeached, removed from office and arrested after weeks of evading arrest, potentially to face charges of insurrection. The political turmoil has shaken South Korea, where Yoon Suk-yeol has popular support.

What were the events that led to this political juncture? What could it mean for South Korea and a potential election? Could the unrest have implications for the wider Asian region?

Panel:

Associate Professor Danielle Chubb (International Relations, Deakin University)

Associate Professor David Hundt (International Relations, Deakin University)

Assisstant Professor Jiye Kim (Assistant Professor (International Security, University of Queensland)

Professor Bec Strating (Director, La Trobe Asia, La Trobe University)(chair)

Recorded on 29th January 2025.