Is Asia sleepwalking to war?

Where will Asia’s next war erupt? According to a new book looking at Asia’s dangerous slide into crisis, the next major conflagration will likely occur in one of four flashpoints: the East China Sea, the South China Sea, the Korean Peninsula, or the Taiwan Strait.

On this week’s podcast, hosts Maya Bhandari and Bob Cotton talk with author Brendan Taylor about why Asia in the 21st century might resemble Europe at the start of the 20th, how missteps and miscalculation could pave the way for a war that no leader wants, and what countries in the region might do to pull back from the brink.

Dr Brendan Taylor is Associate Professor of Strategic Studies at the Australian National University. He was the Head of the Strategic and Defence Studies Centre from 2011-2016, and has a particular interest in East Asian flashpoints, the US-Australia alliance, and Asia-Pacific security architecture.

Show notes | The following were referred to in this episode:

‘The four flashpoints: How Asia goes to war’ by Brendan Taylor

Launch of "The Four Flashpoints: How Asia Goes to War" by the ANU College of Asia & the Pacific

Clearing the air: A response on medical cannabis by Rhys Cohen

Yes we cannabis? by Jennifer Martin

China’s non-interference dilemma by Earl Conteh-Morgan

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