WORLD ROUNDUPHow America’s War on Chinese Tech Backfired | Israel’s Trump Delusion | Is Militancy Surging in Indian-Administered Kashmir?, and more

How America’s War on Chinese Tech Backfired  (Scott Kennedy, Foreign Affairs)
And why Trump’s plans would make things even worse.

The Populist Backlash Against Global Institutions May Be Good for Them  (Jolyon Ford, The Strategist)
The rise of populism in democracies does not inevitably threaten the rules-based international order (that tired but vital staple of Australian policy-speak). On the contrary, this populist moment creates opportunities to make international institutions more legitimate and effective by pushing for long-overdue reforms.

ASEAN–China Free Trade Area 3.0: Why Southeast Asia Matters?  (IDSA)
Southeast Asia in recent decades has been developing rapidly with a huge market growth potential along with a prominent role in the global value chain. This has resulted in Beijing prioritising its outreach to the region especially at a time when there is growing erosion of the global international trade system that has offset its growth. The upgradation of the ACFTA is aimed at mitigating the fall-out of the economic environment which is becoming more complex on account of various external factors. Despite the trust deficit which prevails, the increasing ASEAN–China economic interdependence ensures both sides have a stake in maintaining stability.

Marine Le Pen Spooks the Bond Markets  (Economist)
She threatens to bring down the French government, but also faces a possible ban from politics.

Is Militancy Surging in Indian-Administered Kashmir?  (Sumit Ganguly, Foreign Policy)
An uptick in terrorist incidents as a new government settles in raises questions about discontent in the region.

Vietnam Receives First U.S. Military Aircraft  (RFA)
The delivery of 5 Beechcraft training aircraft points to potential future arms deals.

Assessing the J-35A: The Chinese Air Force’s New Stealth Fighter  (Rick Joe, The Diplomat)
After its official reveal at the Zhuhai Airshow, what do we know about China’s new fifth-generation fighter?

Trump 2.0 and the Future of the Taiwan Strait Conflict  (Juan Alberto Ruiz Casado, The Diplomat)
Trump’s return to the White House, along with his hawkish advisers, will have Beijing expecting a conflict – and acting accordingly.

Israel’s Trump Delusion  (Shalom Lipner, Foreign Affairs)
Why Netanyahu’s ambition to remake the Middle East is unlikely to succeed.

Xi Jinping Doesn’t Have an Answer for China’s Demographic Crisis  (Lizzi C. Lee, Foreign Policy)
A call for a “high-quality population” ignores the country’s real problems.