ISDP Voices

After World War II, Japan, much like Germany, quickly caught up with the richest of countries in terms of economic development and standards of living. Yet, unlike Germany, and indeed any other highly developed democracy, Japan still lags significantly in one such indicator of human development, namely female political representation. While this discrepancy could be […]

Vladimir Putin has his own rhythm of war that lingers in his ears but the rhythm of the combat he expected in Ukraine has reduced its speed from ‘Presto’ to ‘Adagio.’ Putin has ordered his military to play the war drums faster but is still stuck in the ‘Andante’ at its best.  A big concert […]

Stalin should be praised for his efforts to modernize the Soviet Union, while Khrushchev was too influenced by the West and Gorbachev’s glasnost and perestroika paved the way for the collapse of the Soviet Union. Above all, Putin should be praised for making the Russians proud and patriotic again and for cleansing the country from […]

Asanga Abeyagoonasekera writes on the current Sri Lankan crisis and foresee how the strategic-trap diplomacy is strongly linked to the debt-trap diplomacy pursued by China through the BRI projects.

Most Japanese people have taken the routine poliovirus vaccination for granted, but the Japanese people suffered from an outbreak of polio in the past, and the response and crisis management of the polio endemic has profound implications for the current coronavirus pandemic and Japan’s vaccine diplomacy.

The name, ‘Donald Trump’ is the magic word that divides politics into two sides like Moses’ miracle of the crossing of the Red Sea. The liberal side remembers it as their worst nightmare while the Conservative side worships his name next to only Jesus. Whichever side you belong to, the name has entered Korean politics […]

On March 25, 2022, EU leaders endorsed the long-awaited release of the EU Strategic Compass – a guiding document meant to inform the coming decade of EU security and defense policy. The Compass has been significantly revised in the last few months compared to the November 2021 draft. One major development in the interim has […]

The Chinese government has launched an intensified crackdown on the entertainment industry as part of a larger effort to tighten control over young minds and ensure ideological security. The industry is portrayed as creating chaos and promoting degenerate morals, ultimately posing a serious health risk to its audience. In response, weekly time limits have been […]

The formation of the trilateral security partnership AUKUS and the subsequent cancellation of a billion-dollar submarine deal – also described as the “contract of the century” – has changed the dynamics of France’s relations with Australia, the United Kingdom (UK) and the United States (US). The situation, described as a betrayal and a “stab in […]

Since the release of the Integrated Review in March 2021 outlining the United Kingdom’s strategy with regards to the shifting centre of geo-political tensions – the ‘tilt’ to the Indo-Pacific – London has ramped up defence cooperation with like-minded partners. Strengthening the UK’s outreach through security and defence planning, particularly by deepening engagement with regional […]