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China’s Himalayan Hustle: Revisionism Resistance Must be the Order of the Region
This Stockholm Paper from the ISDP brings together diverse yet specialized analysis to highlight the challenges and opportunities in mapping China’s Himalayan hustle. It aims to advance key debates about the importance of this region to maintain a rules-based order in the Indo-Pacific and to defend the liberal international order. It is also a valuable contribution to the literature on China’s attempts to dominate the Himalayan region and its resources, and will generate new insights on how to integrate this strategically vital region into the Indo-Pacific construct. This special Stockholm Paper argues that pooling resources among the “like minded” Indo-Pacific partners and increasing ways to improve media attention on the impact of Chinese policies/actions in the Himalayas is the only effective way to resist its radical revisionism. Read and download this Stockholm Paper here.
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India-Sweden Strategic Compass
The year 2024 has been thus far remarkable for India’s global engagement, with significant strides in diplomacy, technology, and sports. Prime Minister Modi’s visit to the United States highlighted deepening strategic, cultural, and diplomatic ties. Be it at the Quad or the United Nations, India’s growing strategic influence on the world stage is running parallel to its growth as an economic superpower. Internationally, India’s diplomatic efforts have focused on strengthening ties with key Indo-Pacific partners, including the U.S., the EU, and its member states. Ties with China are also witnessing a thaw, which bodes well for regional stability. The recent EU-U.S. diplomatic meetings have highlighted the potential of strengthening a trilateral partnership between the U.S., the EU, and India, focusing on fostering stability and economic growth in the Indo Pacific region. Also, India’s relations with the EU have been growing stronger, with a focus on trade, technology, climate, and geopolitical cooperation. India’s deepening ties with Sweden and the Nordic countries reflect shared priorities in innovation, sustainability, and maritime security, as they pursue green transition and high-tech collaboration. These partnerships highlight India’s increasing role as a global partner in driving economic and technological advancements. Vis-à-vis India-Sweden ties, the leadership of Sweden’s new Foreign Minister Maria Malmer Stenergard will undoubtedly play a vital part in shaping the bilateral and regional diplomatic/strategic landscape in the coming years. Read and Download the latest India-Sweden Strategic Compass, a bi-monthly newsletter of the Stockholm Center for South Asian and Indo-Pacific here, to know in more details the progress and continuity in India-Sweden, India-Nordic and India-EU Ties.
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The Stockholm Center for South Asian and Indo-Pacific Affairs received a delegation from the China Institute of International Studies (CIIS)
The Stockholm Center for South Asian and Indo-Pacific Affairs (SCSA-IPA) of the ISDP received a Chinese delegation from the China Institute of International Studies (CIIS) in Beijing. The CIIS delegation was headed by Dr. JIN Ling, Director and Senior Research Fellow, Department for European Studies. Other members of the Chinese delegation were Mr. ZHAO Qinghai, Director and Senior Research Fellow, Center of Maritime Security and Cooperation, CIIS; Mr. XU Xinglong, Official from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, People’s Republic of China; Dr. XU Longdi, Associate Research Fellow, Department for European Studies, CIIS; and Ms. JIN Chenyi, Assistant Research Fellow, Department for World Peace and Security Studies, CIIS. From the ISDP side, Dr. Jagannath Panda, Head of the SCSA-IPA led the discussion. He was joined by Maj Gen (ret.) Mats Engman, Head of Stockholm Korea Center, Yifei Zhu, Research Fellow, Maud Descamps, Project Manager, Stockholm China Center, and scholars of the ISDP. The visiting delegation engaged in discussion on a range of issues such as China-EU relations, the war on Ukraine, security dynamics in Northeast Asia including other geo-political issues in the Indo-Pacific and around the world.
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Russian and DPRK Military Cooperation in Ukraine – A Win-Win?
In early August 2024, Ukraine launched a significant offensive in the Kursk region in Western Russia which may have prompted the activation of the DPRK-Russia Strategic Partnership Agreement and triggered the DPRK’s deployment of troops to Russia. The involvement of foreign military personnel represents a significant escalation and shift in the conflict, further complicating the geopolitical balance internationally as more actors become directly involved. This issue brief by Mats Engman, Johanna Miskolczi Persson, & Irene Spennacchio discusses how the deepening military collaboration between Russia and North Korea poses several risks and benefits to both countries and new challenges to the Western alliance against Russia’s war in Ukraine.
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Russia is a systemic threat and Europe must wake up to face it
Anna Wieslander writes on why Europe must adopt a new strategy focused on deterrence, resilience, and defence to deal with Russia. She argues that while traveling in Europe lately, it has become clear there are a couple of widespread beliefs that do not accurately capture the essence of the Russian challenge after its war on Ukraine. These beliefs will not lead to peace, and they will not bring prosperity. On the contrary, they can be devastating for European security. She writes that there is a widespread but mistaken belief that Russia’s war on Ukraine is a local issue, but in reality, Russia poses a broader systemic threat to the international order, not just a regional one. Russia is a systemic threat, demonstrated by its global ambitions, military build-up, hybrid warfare, nuclear rattling, and alignment with China, aiming to challenge the international order beyond Ukraine. Read the full article by Anna Wieslander here.
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Elevating Democracy via Transatlantic Collaboration
In collaboration with the U.S. Embassy in Stockholm, the Institute for Security and Development Policy (ISDP) organized a series of conference events from March 11 to 14, 2024, held in various locations including Stockholm, Gothenburg, and a final closed-door roundtable in Luleå with local stakeholders. The goal was to raise awareness and encourage dialogue on the challenges posed by authoritarian regimes exploiting international research collaborations and corporate ownership for illiberal purposes. This special paper comes out of these series of events. Through this paper, ISDP advocates for the creation of a transatlantic platform that brings together scholars, government representatives, and private sector leaders. Such a platform would enable the exchange of experiences and coordination of strategies, recognizing that these challenges demand broad international consensus rather than isolated state-level responses. Read and download this special paper edited by Maud Descamps here.
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China’s Security Engagement with Africa & The “Global South” Narrative
Fatoumata Diallo and Maud Descamps write about the Chinese strategy of strengthening a multipolar world via the narrative of the Global South. They argue, that in recent decades, China has actively sought to position itself as a pivotal partner and emerging leader within the Global South. Despite the lack of clear consensus on the definition of “Global South” or a definitive list of countries it includes, the term holds considerable symbolic value. It embodies a shared sentiment among developing nations, characterized by a “sense of economic or financial disadvantage, frustrations with Western paternalism and neo-colonial attitudes”, and a collective drive for a more equitable global governance architecture. In this, China’s engagement with Africa has emerged as a critical element of its Global South strategy. Fostering stronger ties with African nations aligns with Beijing’s aims to create a multipolar global order and new norms that advance its geostrategic, political, and economic interests, write Diallo and Descamps. China’s strategy has notably evolved to include a more assertive role in shaping Africa’s security architecture. While initially focused on establishing itself as a reliable security partner, Beijing has gradually expanded its normative influence, promoting military governance models based on its Party-military model. These dynamics present strategic implications for the EU, requiring a nuanced understanding of China’s growing role in African security to assess challenges and impacts on EU interests, write Diallo and Descamps. Read the complete piece here.
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China’s Himalayan Hustle: Revisionism Resistance Must be the Order of the Region
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India-Sweden Strategic Compass
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The Stockholm Center for South Asian and Indo-Pacific Affairs received a delegation from the China Institute of International Studies (CIIS)
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Russian and DPRK Military Cooperation in Ukraine – A Win-Win?
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Russia is a systemic threat and Europe must wake up to face it
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Elevating Democracy via Transatlantic Collaboration
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China’s Security Engagement with Africa & The “Global South” Narrative
Latest Publications
China’s Himalayan Hustle: Revisionism Resistance Must be the Order of the Region
This edited volume brings together papers to highlight the challenges and opportunities in mapping China’s Himalayan hustle. It aims to advance key debates about the importance of this region to […]
India-Sweden Strategic Compass, Vol.3, No.5, September-October 2024
The year 2024 has been thus far remarkable for India’s global engagement, with significant strides in diplomacy, technology, and sports. Prime Minister Modi’s visit to the United States highlighted deepening […]
Russian and DPRK Military Cooperation in Ukraine – A Win-Win?
In early August 2024, Ukraine launched a significant offensive in the Kursk region in Western Russia which may have prompted the activation of the DPRK-Russia Strategic Partnership Agreement and triggered […]
Books
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The US and EU, and the Emerging Supply Chain Network: Politics, Prospects, and Allies
The Global Supply Chains have evolved from simply logistical achievements to being the bedrock of the global economy. Driven by technological advances and geopolitical shifts, this transformation underscores the critical […]
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IN DEFENSE OF THE LIBERAL INTERNATIONAL ORDER
In recent years, the geopolitical fight for global economic, diplomatic, and institutional control has acutely intensified, accentuating the crisis in the existing post-World War II Liberal International Order (LIO), championed […]
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Quad Plus and Indo-Pacific: The Changing Profile of International Relations
This book explores how the Quad Plus mechanism is set to reshape the global multilateral economic and security co-operations between Quad partner countries and the rest of the world. With […]
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Obeständigt – Kontraster i japansk kultur
In Japanese culture, contrasts have always been a key factor. This culture has fascinated the outside world for hundreds, if not thousands of years. But Japan is a country largely […]
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Towards a Sustainable Arctic: International Security, Climate Change and Green Shipping
The Arctic’s environment, economics, and politics are changing rapidly, and the conflicting interests among stakeholders mean that it lacks sustainable political and military cooperation. States bordering the Arctic — Russia, […]