The Risk of Incidents at Sea in the Asia-Pacific

12 Jul 2023 | APLN

12 July 2023

This week, we welcome Frank O’Donnell as a new Senior Research Adviser, and Bec Strating publishes the first report in our new project on preventing maritime incidents and escalation in the Asia-Pacific.

We also share the latest activities from our network, including views on cluster munitions, South Korea’s relations with the United States and China, the war in Ukraine, Japan’s nuclear waste water plan, and the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation.

APLN is delighted to welcome Dr. Frank O’Donnell as our new Senior Research Adviser. Dr. O’Donnell is currently a Nonresident Fellow in the Stimson Center’s South Asia Program. With a particular specialty on Southern Asia, his areas of expertise include nuclear and conventional military posturing, arms control, nonproliferation, and national security policymaking processes. He was previously Deputy Director and Fellow in the Stimson Center South Asia Program, and has held postdoctoral research roles at the Fletcher School and US Naval War College.

The Maritime Incidents and Escalation in Asia-Pacific project is a joint project undertaken by APLN and VERTIC (the Verification Research, Training and Information Centre). The project is supported by the US Department of State.

The project seeks to identify the risks of dangerous maritime incidents in the Asia-Pacific; evaluate the suitability of existing bilateral and multilateral arrangements to current strategic realities in the Asia-Pacific; bring forward new proposals to fill important gaps; and help promote effective mechanism for managing and mitigating incidents and escalation at sea.

This week, APLN published the first report associated with or project, Assessing Military and Non-Military Incidents at Sea in the Asia-Pacific. More on this below.

Read about the project

Assessing Military and Non-Military Incidents at Sea
in the Asia-Pacific

In this report, Rebecca (Bec) Strating reviews and analyses incidents involving military and non-military vessels in the Pacific and Indian Oceans, as well as the South and East China Seas. Using news reports from 2010 until 2022, the report identifies 20 military-to-military incidents and 59 incidents involving non-military vessels.

Read the special report

Discuss the report on Twitter

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What Are Cluster Bombs and Why Are They So Controversial?

Marianne Hanson, Associate Professor at the School of Political Science and International Studies, University of Queensland, explained to 7News why cluster bombs are so controversial and how they can remain a threat long after their initial use.

Interview with the Global Times on South Korea’s Relationships with China and the United States

Chung-in Moon, APLN Vice Chair, was interviewed by Global Times. He talked about China-South Korea relations, South Korea’s alliance with the United States and strategic autonomy, and its role in preserving regional stability.

Ex-Foreign Secretary Shyam Saran In Beijing

Shyam Saran, former Indian Foreign Secretary, participated in two sessions on “Major Power Roles in International Security” and “Resolving the Ukraine War” at the 11th World Peace Forum, Tsinghua University’s annual security conference, held in Beijing, China.

Fukushima: Anxiety and Anger Over Japan’s Nuclear Waste Water Plan

Tatsujiro Suzuki, Vice Director and Professor of the Research Center for Nuclear Weapons Abolition at Nagasaki University, was quoted in the BBC stating that Japan’s nuclear water release plan would “not necessarily lead to serious pollution or readily harm the public – if everything goes well.” However, considering Tepco’s failure to prevent the 2011 disaster, he remains concerned about the possibility of an accidental release of contaminated water.

Stronger Multipolarity Elusive in SCO

C Uday Bhaskar, Director of the Society for Policy Studies (SPS), New Delhi, writes for The Tribune on the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit, noting that while leaders prioritized issues aligned with their core interests, consensus was discernible only in relation to Afghanistan. He also expressed disappointment over the absence of any mention of women’s rights in the SCO document.

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