Joshua Bernard B. Espeña is a Manila-based defense analyst and international affairs academic who works and writes about issues and topics on the Great Power Politics of the Indo-Pacific, Philippine Strategic Culture, and ASEAN Studies. He currently pursues his master’s degree in International Studies at the University of the Philippines, Diliman.
A “Taiwan Dilemma” for the Philippines
Introduction The Philippines' geographic position in the Indo-Pacific is pregnant with risks because of its neighbor – the island-nation of the Republic of China (ROC) or Taiwan – to its…
Might is Right: Will the Philippines Accept It?
Introduction “The standard of justice depends on the equality of power to compel and that in fact the strong do what they have the power to do and the weak…
INDOMALPHI: A Future for Southeast Asian Security?
Disclaimer: This article was co-authored by Joshua Bernard Espena and Joaquin Alfonso V. Toledo. All views and opinions are entirely their own and do not reflect the official policy of their respective…
Assessing Australia’s Carrots and Sticks in its Immediate Neighborhood
On 01 July 2020, Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Defense Minister Linda Reynolds announced the 2020 Defence Strategic Update from its 2016 Defence White Paper. The Update has three unique features: 1)…