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The seas of the Indo-Pacific – the Indian Ocean and its approaches, the western Pacific Ocean and the waters connecting the two – are at the centre of the global trading economy. The trade networks that cross the seas, through waters that are over-controlled and contested, or uncontested and under-controlled, move in and out of legality as they traverse international boundaries and encounter different states’ regulations and enforcement capabilities. At some point in their voyage, much of Indo-Pacific shipping is within range of armed groups setting off from nearby shores.
The Indo-Pacific’s geography, economics and politics means it can simultaneously be the strategic centre of the world and yet rife with complex security threats that defy boundaries and conventional understandings of conflict or sovereignty. Such complexity presents opportunities for rogues, ranging from states to pirates to private groups to everything in between. These rogues work by blurring their paths and complicating countermeasures. This book offers a peek into the Indo-Pacific’s ambiguous threats.
Justin V. Hastings is Professor in International Relations and Comparative Politics at the University of Sydney, where he is also affiliated with the Sydney Southeast Asia Centre, the China Studies Centre, the Sydney Cyber Security Network, and the Centre of International Security Studies.