Brunei Straddles Geopolitical Tightrope Between Beijing and Democratic Allies

Brunei Straddles Geopolitical Tightrope Between Beijing and Democratic Allies
Brunei's Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah (2nd from R) meets with the Chinese president on April 26, 2019, as part of the second Belt and Road Forum (BRF) in Beijing. Andrea Verdelli/AFP via Getty Images
George Fu
Updated:
Australian Defence Minister Linda Reynolds made her first visit to Brunei last month as part of her Indo-Pacific trip to ramp up defense cooperation with members of ASEAN, including claimants of the South China Sea.  
Reynolds met the Sultan of Brunei and Second Minister of Defence, Pehin Halbi, and appointed Colonel Daniel Hauser as Australia’s resident defence adviser in Brunei to deepen the defence partnership between the two countries.