Not much to report in the way of new publishing I'm afraid,as I have been away with the Academy on an amazingly informative and interesting study trip in Beijing and Seoul. (more info on that soon)I have also been busy with the organization of a conference here at the Transatlantic Academy, which will deal with the Indian Ocean and its evolving strategic environment, and which will take place on Nov.12th. Check back here for links to the podcast, pics and summarized interventions!
Here is the blurb I recently wrote for the website:
From Regional Sea to Global Lake: The Indian Ocean in the 21st Century:
Throughout much of known history, the Indian Ocean was a major thoroughfare for global commerce, and tradesmen from the times of Pliny the Elder have deftly navigated the monsoon trade winds in search of precious spices, silk, and cotton.
The transatlantic community, however, has traditionally viewed the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans as the primary loci of strategic import. This mindset is not only the direct consequence of specific geographical circumstances, it is also the legacy of decades of naval planning, from WWII to the end of the Cold War, which focused on a series of threats emanating almost exclusively from these two oceanic arenas.
Today, however, things have radically changed. The Indian Ocean, which already forms the world’s third largest body of water, has reemerged as a major hub of maritime trade, with more than half of the world’s container traffic, and 70% of the world’s total traffic in petroleum products, passing from its entry point, the Strait of Hormuz, to its congested exit, the Strait of Malacca. Already troubled by the growing problem of piracy and non-state actors off the Gulf of Aden and the Strait of Hormuz, ripples of great power rivalry threaten to disturb the waters, as Asia’s two rising powers bolster their naval strength and enhance their already significant blue-water capabilities.
In such a climate of upheaval and change, how can the Transatlantic community best preserve a modicum of stability in the region? How can actors such as the United States and France, who have substantial economic and strategic interests in the region, ensure that the Indian Ocean remains a bridge, rather than a gulf, in-between the western and eastern hemispheres?
On Friday the 12th of November, the Transatlantic Academy will convene a panel of informed watchers of naval and maritime issues to discuss the future of the Indian Ocean Region, as well as its importance for the transatlantic alliance. A panel of both academic and military experts from France, India, and the United States will meet to discuss various issues such as the stability of global maritime trade in the face of non-state actors, China’s forays into the Indian Ocean, France’s Indian Ocean Policy, India’s naval rise, and the future of U.S. naval presence in the region.
And a link to the actual website of the Transatlantic Academy, which is still undergoing changes:
http://www.transatlanticacademy.org/
Check out the blog posts on the site for some interesting comments on the emerging powers.
Here is the blurb I recently wrote for the website:
From Regional Sea to Global Lake: The Indian Ocean in the 21st Century:
Throughout much of known history, the Indian Ocean was a major thoroughfare for global commerce, and tradesmen from the times of Pliny the Elder have deftly navigated the monsoon trade winds in search of precious spices, silk, and cotton.
The transatlantic community, however, has traditionally viewed the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans as the primary loci of strategic import. This mindset is not only the direct consequence of specific geographical circumstances, it is also the legacy of decades of naval planning, from WWII to the end of the Cold War, which focused on a series of threats emanating almost exclusively from these two oceanic arenas.
Today, however, things have radically changed. The Indian Ocean, which already forms the world’s third largest body of water, has reemerged as a major hub of maritime trade, with more than half of the world’s container traffic, and 70% of the world’s total traffic in petroleum products, passing from its entry point, the Strait of Hormuz, to its congested exit, the Strait of Malacca. Already troubled by the growing problem of piracy and non-state actors off the Gulf of Aden and the Strait of Hormuz, ripples of great power rivalry threaten to disturb the waters, as Asia’s two rising powers bolster their naval strength and enhance their already significant blue-water capabilities.
In such a climate of upheaval and change, how can the Transatlantic community best preserve a modicum of stability in the region? How can actors such as the United States and France, who have substantial economic and strategic interests in the region, ensure that the Indian Ocean remains a bridge, rather than a gulf, in-between the western and eastern hemispheres?
On Friday the 12th of November, the Transatlantic Academy will convene a panel of informed watchers of naval and maritime issues to discuss the future of the Indian Ocean Region, as well as its importance for the transatlantic alliance. A panel of both academic and military experts from France, India, and the United States will meet to discuss various issues such as the stability of global maritime trade in the face of non-state actors, China’s forays into the Indian Ocean, France’s Indian Ocean Policy, India’s naval rise, and the future of U.S. naval presence in the region.
And a link to the actual website of the Transatlantic Academy, which is still undergoing changes:
http://www.transatlanticacademy.org/
Check out the blog posts on the site for some interesting comments on the emerging powers.
In the upcoming weeks I should post an Issue Brief on the impact of Chinese nationalism on its foreign policy, a summary of the paper I will present at the Indian Ocean Conference, and maybe something else on Vietnam's new strategic flexibility. Enough to keep me busy for a while.
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