East Asia Explorer

TThe East Asia Explorer tracks evolving geopolitical trends, emerging security challenges, and progress towards regional integration in East Asia. It focuses on the ASEAN grouping, domestic and foreign policy developments in countries of East Asia and Oceania, great power contestation in the region, and India’s relations with ASEAN and its member countries.

In this issue, Dr Pradeep Taneja provides an insightful analysis of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's two-day visit to Japan, highlighting growing strategic and economic ties between the two nations. He emphasises that the visit primarily aimed to reinforce the India‑Japan Special Strategic and Global Partnership while advancing cooperation in defence and critical technologies and securing Japanese investment commitment for the coming decade. 

Jayantika Rao explores the Philippines’s President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. first official state visit to India, which marked a historic upgrade of bilateral ties, with both countries signing a Strategic Partnership and launching a five-year Plan of Action focused on defence, maritime security, trade, and connectivity. She highlights how this partnership, unveiled during the 75th anniversary of diplomatic ties, signifies a pivotal shift with the Philippines naming India as its fifth strategic partner.

Divya Rai reviews the ninth anniversary of the Philippines’ landmark legal victory in the South China Sea Arbitration (The Republic of the Philippines vs. The People’s Republic of China) on July 12, 2025. She notes that despite the tribunal’s comprehensive ruling, China continues to reject its legitimacy and pursue assertive actions, revealing the limitations of international law. She further emphasises how the Marcos Jr. administration has strategically leveraged the award to galvanise international support and broaden security collaborations. 

To read East Asia Explorer, Vol. III, Issue 8, please see the PDF attached.