Archive - Bundle of Contradictions

Auditing the audit: why the UK remains adrift on China

Britain's Labour government has avoided hard choices and clear statements of intent about Beijing in favour of short-term policy flexibility

Jun 24 •

May 2025

Why the UK needs to diverge from Washington on China and Indo-Pacific policy

Donald Trump is symptom as much as accelerant of America's turn inwards and, in the coming years, the UK will need to formulate a more independent and…

May 13 •

April 2025

Indonesia needs government, not military, discipline

From free lunches to budget cuts, Prabowo offers more showmanship than strategy

Apr 28 •

We need to talk about China-India relations

Asia's most consequential bilateral relationship is rarely analysed with the complexity and depth that it requires

Apr 23 •

Making sense of China-Southeast Asia relations

Why Xi Jinping's visit to Vietnam, Cambodia and Malaysia shouldn't surprise anyone

Apr 15 •

Trump’s tariffs will push Southeast Asia uncomfortably close to China

ASEAN countries fear being caught in a US–China trade war – punished by US tariffs while being flooded with Chinese goods. They will need to band…

Apr 9 •

March 2025

Britain must not tilt back to Europe from Asia

The UK's long-term interests demand deeper Indo-Pacific engagement

Mar 20 •

In Southeast Asia, Trump reinforces worst fears about the US

While many in the region were unperturbed by his election, the US president’s disruptive approach threatens the open and predictable world in which…

Mar 17 •

March 2024

Europe needs an endgame for its China policy

Only by creating a better understanding of their differences, as well as shared objectives, can Europe and the US cooperate effectively on China.

Mar 19, 2024 •

February 2024

Why ‘continuity’ Prabowo means change for Indonesia

My quick take on the stunning early results from Indonesia's presidential election

Feb 16, 2024 •

What might a Prabowo Subianto presidency mean for Indonesia?

Indonesian democracy is under threat but it's stronger than a strongman

Feb 13, 2024 •

September 2023

Labour should encourage Britain’s Indo-Pacific ambitions

In an op-ed for Politico, I argue that when it comes to foreign policy, the UK opposition should be thinking beyond electoral tactics.

Sep 8, 2023 •

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