Aaron Connelly

Asia diplomatic editor and senior Asia correspondent, @TheEconomist. Former think-tanker.

[Aaron Connelly @ConnellyAL]

I know that a lot of US Army officers and veterans will be deeply embarrassed by this conduct, which has become a dismal pattern with this account.

[Shashank Joshi @shashj]

A serving US Army officer, working in Hegseth’s office, posting racial slurs & describing journalists as “civilisation destroyers”. Doing all of it anonymously. A good indication of the ethos of the Pentagon in this moment.

[Stephen Dziedzic @stephendziedzic]

Huge story. NZ Herald reporting China will sanction four NZ MPs- banning them from visiting China for a year- simply for *visiting* Taiwan. If confirmed I *think* it’s the first time China has taken a step like this. I’ve certainly never heard of it before
https://t.co/kY2yWRqtJd

[Aaron Connelly @ConnellyAL]

'The problem, she said, is that "many of the rare earths of interest to the United States are in non-regime areas."' https://t.co/5lKr1p5v6o

[Stephen Dziedzic @stephendziedzic]

For those asking who the "people removed from key positions" are- Wale does not specify, but he's believed to have moved on both Karen Galokale (Permanent Secretary for the Police Ministry) and Colin Beck (Permanent Secretary for the Foreign Affairs Ministry)

[Stephen Dziedzic @stephendziedzic]

Story: Solomon Islands' new PM says he'll "review" the security pact with the PRC (he only got his hands on a copy a fortnight after he took office!) and agrees to conclude negotiations with Australia on a new treaty "as expeditiously as possible" https://t.co/L1V3M1881B

[Collin Koh 🇸🇬🇺🇦 @CollinSLKoh]

Thanks to the meticulous sleuth work by @SeaLightFound we have the first visual confirmation of the referenced possible structure at Scarborough Shoal. https://t.co/tvjb48xYrq

[The Lowy Institute @LowyInstitute]

The @LowyInstitute's Connor Graham told the @smh that reviving the stalled 2024 policing agreement would be a sign "the Solomons is moving in Australia's direction." 👇https://t.co/tlAlwpw3MI

[Ryan Hass @ryanl_hass]

1/ Secretary Hegseth said many commendable things in his speech at Shangri-La Dialogue over the weekend. But his speech will be remembered mostly for its lack of self-awareness and for what he did not mention. Here is a brief reaction to it. (Short 🧵).

[Shashank Joshi @shashj]

I wrote our cover story this week, a valedictory essay on the changes in war & warfare over my eight years as defence editor. It’s a reflection on the growth & limits of battlefield transparency, the lessons from different wars & the utility of force today https://t.co/5mBbcRGC3A

[Patrick M. Cronin @PMCroninHudson]

Philippine Defense Secretary Teodoro’s response to questions on final plenary at #IISS_SLD26 calls the First Island Chain a “convergence Fulcrum” for like-minded cooperation, and says the only reason a Code of Conduct is needed for the South China Sea is the behavior of China, which would like to negotiate a COC that codifies the status quo and enables Chinese coercive rule setting.

[Stephen Dziedzic @stephendziedzic]

Defence Minister Richard Marles says shifting to buy three secondhand Virginia-class submarines (instead of a mix of old and new) from the US makes sense: "we need to place a premium on simplicity." He also says it will deliver "useful" savings to the program

[Sophia Gaston @sophgaston]

Five years on from the launch of AUKUS, we now have our first 'signature' Pillar II project. It will deliver interoperable payloads and enabling systems for Unmanned Underwater Vehicles (UUVs). A long time coming, but we're now "full steam ahead".

Why does this matter? 🧵

[SeaLight @SeaLightFound]

🚨 HAPPENING NOW — 1st-ever US Coast Guard-Philippine Coast Guard joint patrol challenging PRC's exclusion zone at Scarborough Shoal

🇺🇸🇵🇭 For what appears to be the 1st time, a @USCG cutter is operating directly alongside the @coastguardph in a joint presence operation challenging Beijing's exclusion zone around #ScarboroughShoal (Bajo de Masinloc).

🛰️ Automatic Identification System tracking data from @StarboardIntel shows the USCG cutter Midgett sortieing from Manila Bay on 28 May alongside PCG cutter BRP Melchora Aquino & taking station on the western approaches to the shoal starting yesterday, 29 May and holding roughly 35-40 nm out.

🇵🇭 Also visible in the operation are PCG patrol vessel BRP Cabra & Bureau of Fisheries & Aquatic Resources BRP Datu Pagbuaya (now returning to Manila Bay, followed closely by CCG 21563). History suggests others may also be involved but operating "AIS-dark".

🇨🇳 Arrayed against them is a layered Chinese paramilitary cordon: at least 9 CCG cutters are visible on AIS forming an outer picket line 20-40nm from the shoal, while at least 7 large militia vessels are visible forming an inner cordon 5-17nm out.

🇨🇳 Past experience strongly suggests PLA Navy vessels (not visible on AIS) are also in the area, but will likely keep their distance to ensure no repeats of the disastrous 11 August 2025 "friendly fire" collision near Scarborough.

🤝 This direct involvement by the USCG in a Philippine challenge to China's maritime aggression inside the West Philippine Sea is a significant step forward for the alliance.

🎩 Hat-tip: thanks to friend-of-SeaLight @supbrow for tipping this to @GordianKnotRay!

[Richard N. Haass @RichardHaass]

The Shangri La speech by @SecWar, in which he discusses every US ally & partner in the Indo-Pacific except Taiwan, echoes Dean Acheson's ill-fated 1950 address to the National Press Club in which he left South Korea outside the US defense perimeter. We know how that played out.

[Aaron Connelly @ConnellyAL]

@StevenCheung47 @TheEconomist Thanks for the question. First-time readers often puzzle over @TheEconomist’s lack of bylines.
We explain the philosophy behind the practice here: https://t.co/Tde1fdVHEV.

[Aaron Connelly @ConnellyAL]

@MarkSimonHK @TheEconomist Your disappointment, I think, lies in the distinction that we draw between America (whose founding ideals we are currently celebrating through our US250 series) and the policies of its president at any given time, which we consider on a case by case basis.

[Aaron Connelly @ConnellyAL]

We did not think that speech by Pete Hegseth was very good.
https://t.co/apS9mErUU2

[Bill Hayton @bill_hayton]

Video confirming that Dutch ship HNLMS De Ruyter launched its helicopter near the Paracel Islands. This looks like a clear ‘Freedom of Navigation’ operation to demonstrate that the Netherlands (like every other country) rejects China’s claim that these are its ‘internal waters’

[Minister for Defence Singapore @DefenceMinSG]

(1/2) Behind every Shangri-La Dialogue is months of quiet planning and coordination. Long before delegates arrive, teams across MINDEF/SAF and partner agencies set up ops rooms, coordinate security, and ensure every detail of the summit runs smoothly.

[Aaron Connelly @ConnellyAL]

With the PLA leadership deserting the Shangri-La Dialogue again this year by sending a low-ranking (and press-shy) academic delegation, Chinese state media has stepped into the breach.