https://www.scmp.com/rss/515070/feed Simon Hutagalung is a senior diplomat in Indonesia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Presently, he is the coordinator for terrorism at the Centre for Asia, Africa and Middle East Region. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com The recent border detonations conducted by North Korea, which destroyed parts of two inter-Korean roads, signify a calculated and aggressive shift in Pyongyang’s strategy aimed at severing ties with South Korea. The action underscores North Korea’s commitment to establishing a hostile two-state system on the peninsula. Accusations regarding South Korean drone incursions have exacerbated tensions, bringing both nations closer to the precipice of a military confrontation. The efforts of the United... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3282497/can-asean-diplomacy-calm-korean-tensions-where-big-powers-have-failed?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3282497/can-asean-diplomacy-calm-korean-tensions-where-big-powers-have-failed?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 18 Oct 2024 21:30:07 +0000 The South China Sea, one of the world’s busiest sea lanes and an area of great strategic interest, remains contested amid overlapping territorial claims. China’s nine-dash line clashes with the exclusive economic zones (EEZ) of many Southeast Asian states that were awarded to them under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). Increasing Chinese assertiveness in the South China Sea through its naval and military modernisation, artificial islands, resource exploration and... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3212276/china-must-not-derail-revived-south-china-sea-code-conduct-talks?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3212276/china-must-not-derail-revived-south-china-sea-code-conduct-talks?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 07 Mar 2023 00:15:10 +0000