#255: Is Russia Turning East?

The Indo-Pacific is often described as a maritime region, but the oceans here are far more than geography. They are trade corridors, food sources, energy highways, and increasingly, sites of strategic competition. How states think about security at sea—what some now call blue security—is becoming central to regional order. Dr Troy Lee-Brown (Research Fellow, University of Western Australia Defence and Security Institute, and Project Manager of the Blue Security Program) Recorded on 19th January, 2026.

Russia has long imagined itself as a great power looking westward while sitting firmly in the east. That tension—between geography and identity, ambition and capability—shapes the way it approaches Asia. Guest: Dr Ian Storey (Senior Fellow at the ISEAS–Yusof Ishak Institute, Singapore)

China’s presence in Latin America has expanded rapidly over the past two decades, reshaping the region’s economies, politics, and strategic landscape. From major infrastructure projects and digital ecosystems to shifting patterns of trade, finance, and influence, Beijing’s role is becoming both more complex and more contested. Guest: Margaret Myers (Managing Director, Institute for America, China, and the Future of Global Affairs, Johns Hopkins SAIS; Senior Advisor, Inter-American Dialogue) Recorded 19th November, 2025

Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine has upended global geopolitics — and its ripple effects have reached deep into Southeast Asia. How has the Kremlin’s “pivot to Asia” evolved under Vladimir Putin and has Russia been able to advance its economic and geopolitical interests in Southeast Asia? How did regional states react to Russian aggression against Ukraine and what explains their differing responses to the invasion? In this book launch event, Dr Ian Storey discusses his new book Putin’s Russia and Southeast Asia: The Kremlin’s Pivot to Asia and the Impact of the Russia-Ukraine War, exploring Russia’s strategic aims, energy diplomacy, and defence ties in the region. How resilient are these relationships in the face of war, sanctions, and shifting alliances? And what does this mean for Southeast Asia’s future place in a fragmenting world order? Recorded on 25th November, 2025.

Across the Indo-Pacific rising geopolitical tensions, democratic backsliding, and climate-related instability are increasing the risk of violent conflict. Yet far less attention — and funding — is devoted to preventing crises before they occur. Early-warning, multi-track diplomacy, locally grounded peacebuilding, and whole-of-government coherence are all strategies that can be employed to develop a more effective approach. How can governments, aid agencies, and regional bodies work together to spot risks early and build resilience? What part should Australia play in linking diplomacy, aid, and security? And how can prevention be woven into regional cooperation across Southeast Asia and the Pacific? Panel: William Leben (Senior Analyst, Development Intelligence Lab) Assoc. Professor Jasmine Westendorf (Co-Director of Initiative for Peacebuilding, University of Melbourne) Dr Natalie Sambhi (Executive Director, Verve Research) Professor Bec Strating (Director, La Trobe Asia) Recorded on 20th November, 2025.

For more than a thousand years, India stood at the heart of the ancient world — a confident exporter of ideas, art, religion, science, and philosophy that travelled from the Red Sea to the Pacific. In his new book, "The Golden Road: How Ancient India Transformed the World", respected historian and author William Dalrymple traces this extraordinary flow of culture and knowledge, showing how Indian civilisation shaped everything from Roman trade to Chinese Buddhism and even the numbers we use today — reminding us of India’s remarkable role as the engine of global culture. Guest: William Dalrymple Recorded 11th November, 2025.

Over the past decade, China has moved from maintaining a relatively modest nuclear deterrent of around 300 warheads to constructing hundreds of new missile silos and expanding toward a projected 1,000 warheads by the 2030s. This is happening alongside breakthroughs in nuclear energy and technology, positioning China as both a nuclear power and nuclear supplier on a global scale. Guest: Dr Rajeswari Pillai Rajagopalan (Resident Senior Fellow, Australian Strategic Policy Institute, Canberra) Recorded on 30th October, 2025.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Rohingya refugees in Malaysia faced a surge of hostility. Online campaigns portrayed them as disease carriers, social burdens, and even threats to national security. This backlash didn’t just stop at refugees themselves—it expanded to target the organisations, institutions, and humanitarian norms that supported them. Guest: Ruji Auethavornpipat (Politics and International Relations, La Trobe University) Auethavornpipat R. Radical contestation: Emotional backlash and the dismantling of refugee protection. Review of International Studies. Published online 2025:1-22 Recorded 27th August, 2025.

South Korea has unique security challenges when compared to many of its neighbours. Like many it lives in the shadow of giants like China and Russia, but the ever-present threat of North Korea is less than 50km from its capital, Seoul. While its alliance with the United States remains important to Korea’s security and foreign policy outlook, there are many possibilities for stronger ties to allies and partners. This could present opportunities to enhance maritime security cooperation between Australia and Korea and better coordinate maritime capacity building with other states the region. How can Australia and South Korea develop an effective regional partnership? What are the opportunities and limits presented by moving the relationship forward? A La Trobe Asia / UWA Defence and Security Institute event Panel: Dr Troy Lee-Brown (Research Fellow, Defence and Security Institute, UWA) Professor Bec Strating (Director, La Trobe Asia) Afeeya Akhand (Fellow, Australian Strategic Policy Institute) Dongkeun Lee (Policy Fellow, Asia-Pacific Leadership Network) Recorded on 8th September, 2025

Taiwan sits at the heart of the Indo-Pacific, a vibrant democracy and global technology hub whose future has major implications for regional stability. Its position is complicated by the “one China” policy and growing strategic competition, making Taiwan’s international relationships more important than ever. Guest: Dr Chen Ming-chi (Deputy Minister in Taiwan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs) Recorded on 28th August, 2025.