Latest news with #CenterForStrategicAndInternationalStudies
CNA
3 days ago
- Business
- CNA
CNA938 Rewind - US-India relations: Strained and at a crossroads?
India has pushed back against US President Donald Trump's threats to impose higher tariffs on the country's goods. It says it's being targeted by the US and the EU for buying oil from Russia, while both sides still relied on Russian goods and trade. Hairianto Diman and Susan Ng examine this fraying relationship between the two countries which used to be on good terms with Richard Rossow, Chair on India and Emerging Asia Economics at the Center for Strategic and International Studies.
ABC News
28-07-2025
- Politics
- ABC News
Russian and Chinese plans for Antarctic expansion spark alarm
Experts warn Russia and China's plans to expand their presence in Antarctica may be linked to mining or military ambitions that are at odds with the nature reserve's peaceful governing principles. Australia was among 58 signatories to the Antarctic Treaty, which covers activity in the region, which met behind closed doors in Milan in June and July. Earlier this year, China announced plans to build a sixth permanent research station in Antarctica, while Russia is reopening and upgrading stations, as well as building a new runway for long-haul aircraft. The two countries have also been accused of undermining conservation efforts by blocking new protections for marine areas. Some experts have raised concerns the infrastructure and logistical expansions could be underpinned by non-scientific motivations. Bill Muntean represented the United States at the 2023 meeting and is now a non-resident senior associate at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, a policy research not-for-profit organisation based in Washington DC. "There are significant questions and concerns over activities in the oceans off Antarctica," he said. "What are Russia and China doing with their scientific explorations?" The Antarctic Treaty, which came into effect in 1961, prohibits military activity on the continent, and promotes scientific research. China and Russia are both signatories. Compounding the two nuclear-armed superpowers' expansion blueprint is the fact the White House has announced deep cuts to its Antarctic funding, totalling about $US60 million ($91.9 million). Jeffrey McGee, an expert in the treaty from the University of Tasmania, said Russia, China and the US were "big players" in Antarctica. "This pullback of funding from the United States means Australia has to be ready to step up, in terms of maintaining and increasing our scientific and logistics presence," Professor McGee said. "We need to make sure that we maintain and grow our influence in the region to protect that national interest." Professor McGee said some scientific equipment that had been installed on Antarctica could have dual uses. "What we are talking about here are infrared telescopes, GPS and ground-station receivers that can communicate with satellites," he said. "More and more of that equipment has been put into Antarctic research stations. "That gives rise to the possibility of that equipment having a dual purpose, in the sense that it can be used for scientific uses, but it can also interface with military and surveillance satellites, upload and download information or be involved in military command control communication systems." Increasing a strategic footprint in Antarctica could allow nations to secure future access to natural resources, strengthen geopolitical influence, and have a greater say in shaping the continent's future rules. Antarctica offers untapped potential and global leverage when it comes to science and security, as data from research stations that collect scientific data can also be used for military or intelligence purposes. Building outposts also gives countries a physical and technological presence that could be repurposed in the future. A report by the UK parliament's Environmental Audit Committee released last month highlighted how Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine deepened the geopolitical rift among signatories to the Antarctic Treaty. It questioned the purpose of Russia's seismic surveys in Antarctica, suggesting they could be about identifying natural resources. "Geopolitical tension and the prospect of potential mineral reserves are straining peace and environmental protection in Antarctica," the report found. "Antarctica's potential reserves of oil, coal and iron ore present a risk of future conflicts." The committee's chair, Tobi Perkins, told the ABC that Russia and China's expansion in Antarctica needed to be watched closely. "At this stage we don't know exactly what we should be worried about, but in the absence of dialogue and clarity and transparency, the Antarctic Treaty partners must maintain robust oversight," the MP said. While Russia and China's expansion plans are within the rights of the Antarctic Treaty, Mr Muntean says he wants the number of inspections of bases on the continent to increase. Under the treaty, countries are encouraged to hold each other to account over compliance issues. For example, Australia has conducted inspections in Antarctica for more than 60 years, including at bases operated by China, Russia and Moscow's puppet state, Belarus. "One can speculate on any number of things that can be happening in Antarctica," Mr Muntean said. "There hasn't been evidence of commercial mining that I've seen, just a lot of concern that the scientific activity could eventually lead to commercial mining. "But if there are any questions about what is down there for military equipment, personnel or reconnaissance, we need to check it out. "Shine the flashlight underneath the bed — is that a teddy bear or is it some scary monster? We've got the flashlight. Use it."
Bloomberg
14-07-2025
- Business
- Bloomberg
Trump Threatens New Financial Penalties For Russia Amid Stalled Peace Talks
Max Bergmann, director of the Europe, Russia and Eurasia program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, reacts to President Trump's announcement of new secondary tariffs on Russian goods if Russia does not agree to a peace deal with Ukraine. (Source: Bloomberg)
New York Times
24-06-2025
- Politics
- New York Times
China Calls Them Fish Farms. South Korea Fears They Have Another Use.
In recent years, China has towed a decommissioned offshore oil-drilling rig and two giant octagonal steel cages into the sea between China and South Korea, saying that the structures were used as deep-sea fish farms in shared waters. But South Koreans fear that they are more than that and could be used to expand China's military influence. South Korea's National Assembly formally took issue with the Chinese structures on Monday when its ocean and fisheries committee condemned them as 'a threat to maritime safety,' in a resolution adopted with bipartisan support. Those fears were bolstered on Tuesday by a report from the Washington-based Center for Strategic and International Studies. 'While available information suggests that the platforms are genuinely focused on aquaculture, concerns that the platforms may be dual-use are not unfounded, given China's track record in the South China Sea,' said the report, which used satellite imagery and other data to track the installations. Dual-use refers to a second potential use for military purposes. 'Even without further expansion, the platforms are likely already collecting data that could have value for undersea navigation and detection,' the report said. South Koreans see striking parallels between the Chinese installations and what Beijing has done in the South China Sea. China initially built artificial islands there for civilian purposes, but they were gradually transformed into military outposts, leading to territorial disputes with countries including the Philippines and Vietnam. The tensions creeping up around the Chinese platforms in the Yellow Sea — called the West Sea by Koreans — will likely become one of the first challenges faced by the government of President Lee Jae Myung, who took office this month. Mr. Lee has vowed to improve ties with Beijing while at the same time promising to strengthen his country's alliance with Washington. Mr. Lee hopes to meet China's top leader, Xi Jinping, during the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Gyeongju, South Korea, in November. Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
Reuters
17-06-2025
- Politics
- Reuters
Iran's arsenal of missiles and Israel's defence system
By Since Israel's surprise attack against Iranian nuclear facilities and ballistic missile sites, Iran has retaliated with hundreds of missiles and drones launched against major cities across Israel. Dozens of people in Israel have been killed so far in the Iranian missile attacks. 18 m 0 m 2,000km Sejil |2,000 km 1,700km 1,000km Emad |1,700 km Ghadr |2,000 km ISRAEL IRAN Shahab-3 | 1,300 km Khorramshar | 2,000 km Iran's arsenal is the largest stockpile of ballistic missiles in the Middle East and includes multiple long-range missiles that can reach Israel. Hoveyzeh | 1,350 km Iran's ballistic and cruise missiles. Source: Center for Strategic and International Studies As part of its campaign, Israel has also conducted extensive aerial bombardments against Iranian missile launchers, silos and support units. According to analysis from the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) and AEI Critical Threats Project, Israel has 'likely destroyed around a third of the Iranian missile launchers.' Iran's early waves of retaliatory strikes have also depleted its stock of missiles that can reach Israel. ISW estimates it has used up at least a third and as much as half of its long-range missiles. Iran missile facilities Israel strikes (June 12-16) Amand TURKEY Tabriz Tehran SIRIA IRAQ ISRAEL 950 km IRAN SAUDI ARABIA Iran's ability to retaliate with weapons fired by its regional proxies has also been sharply degraded over the past year, with the downfall of its ally Bashar al-Assad in Syria and the decimation of Hezbollah in Lebanon and Hamas in Gaza. Still, some Iranian missiles are penetrating Israel's extensive missile defence systems and striking Israeli cities. Iran's Revolutionary Guards said the latest attack employed a new method that caused Israel's multi-layered defence systems to target each other and allowed Tehran to successfully hit many targets, without providing further details. The Israeli Defence Force did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the strikes. Israel has been honing its air defences since coming under Iraqi Scud salvoes in the 1991 Gulf War, in addition to receiving support from the U.S., which has provided its ally with advanced anti-missile equipment. An Israeli military official said on Saturday that the defensive umbrella had an '80 or 90% success rate' but emphasised that no system is 100% perfect, meaning that some Iranian missiles were breaking through the shield. The short-range Iron Dome air defence system was built to intercept the kind of rockets fired by Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas in Gaza. Developed by Rafael Advanced Defense Systems with U.S. backing, it became operational in 2011. Each truck-towed unit fires radar-guided missiles to blow up short-range threats such as rockets, mortars and drones in mid-air. A naval version of the Iron Dome, to protect ships and sea-based assets, was deployed in 2017. The system determines whether a rocket is on course to hit a populated area. If not, the rocket is ignored and allowed to land harmlessly. Iron Dome was originally billed as providing city coverage against rockets with ranges of between 4 km and 70 km (2.5-43 miles), but experts say this has since been expanded. Iranian incoming rockets Iron Dome is a mobile system designed to intercept short-range rockets and artillery shells that endanger populated areas in Israel. Israeli interceptor missile Israeli city *The drawings are not to scale. Missile launcher Each battery – a combination of missile launcher, control station and radar – can defend about 150 square kilometres (58 square miles), about the size of a medium-sized city. Detection and tracking radar A graphic shows a city being protected from attack by Iron Dome. Iron Dome is a mobile system designed to intercept short-range rockets and artillery shells that endanger populated areas in Israel. Each battery – a combination of missile launcher, control station and radar – can defend about 150 square kilometres (58 square miles), about the size of a medium-sized city.
