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Welcome
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We index full-text journals with
open access platforms in our Asia-Studies
Full-Text Plus section. Here is
the
list of journals available. |
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June 2026 Current Topics |
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South Korea’s Trust-Building with North Korea: Failure and
Outlook, May 2026. This article explores South Korea’s
efforts to build trust with North Korea and examines why
attempts to improve inter-Korean relations have failed. The GRIT
(Graduated and Reciprocated Initiatives in Tension Reduction)
conflict strategy is used to explain South Korea’s approach. The
assumption by previous progressive administrations that North
Korea’s reciprocation depends on Seoul’s actions overlooks
internal and external factors salient to Pyongyang that are the
key drivers of North Korea’s decisions... |
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EWC |
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Chinese Illegal Fishing: Problems and Solutions. April 2026.
China is not only the country that catches the most fish, but
also the country whose fishing fleets are the most implicated in
illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing. Moreover, the
state-subsidized Chinese commercial fishing industry has built a
unique infrastructure that allows Chinese fishing vessels
venturing to the distant waters off Africa, Southeast Asia,
Latin America and the Pacific islands to minimize the
transparency of their activities. The results include depletion
of foreign fishing grounds, which often causes economic hardship
for the local fishing communities... |
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EWC |
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After Annexation: How China Plans to Run Taiwan, May 2026.
Beijing’s thinking on Taiwan has shifted decisively from
peaceful accommodation to absorptive control. As Taiwanese
identity and democracy have become entrenched, Xi Jinping’s
unification terms have hardened, demanding full political
integration rather than offering genuine autonomy. Drawing on
PRC academic and policy literature, this paper finds that
Chinese scholars see a form of phased subjugation for the
island: an immediate security crackdown neutralising political
opponents; institutional restructuring beyond what has taken
place in Hong Kong; and a decades-long psychological
re-engineering project so Taiwanese come to identify with the
CCP’s China... |
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Lowy |
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Low Earth Orbit Satellites: Closing the Indo-Pacific Digital
Divide, May 2026.
The Indo-Pacific’s digital divide is substantial but uneven.
Highly connected economies, such as Australia, New Zealand, and
Singapore, stand in stark contrast to the estimated 600 million
people across Southeast Asia, South Asia, and the Pacific
Islands region who remain offline or under-connected. Rural and
remote communities have even less access than urban populations.
Additional barriers, including dispersed geographies,
mountainous terrain, and the cost of laying fibre-optic cables
and building mobile towers, limit access in isolated
communities.In each case, the challenge varies: rural usage gaps
in mainland Southeast Asia and South Asia; thousands of
unconnected islands in maritime Southeast Asia... |
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Lowy |
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Between Backyards and Nakamals: Shifting Australia–Vanuatu
Relations, May 2026 .
Australia’s current relations with Pacific Island countries are
infused with strategic anxiety; Canberra holds genuine concerns
about China’s exponential growth in bilateral security
engagements and its more assertive posture in a region once
carelessly described as “Australia’s backyard”. In its attempts
to become the Pacific’s partner of choice, Australia has at
times suffered an identity crisis and been characterised as
“heavy-handed” in its engagement with the region... |
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Lowy |
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Mainstreamed but Sidelined: Global Funding for Gender Equality,
May 2026.
Gender equality is central to sustainable development and is a
crucial enabler of global security, stability, and prosperity.
Yet progress is stagnating or regressing across much of the
developing world, especially in core areas related to basic
needs, access to essential services, personal safety, and
women’s rights. Meanwhile, international support is collapsing
amid political opposition to gender equality initiatives and
steep cuts to foreign aid by a number of donors, most notably
the United States. Despite this pullback, several donor
countries, including Australia and key European nations, retain
strong policy commitments to supporting international gender
equality... |
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Lowy |
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The Cost of Defence: ASPI Defence Budget Brief 2026-2027, May 2026. Australia’s
2026–27 Defence Budget commits the Commonwealth to spending
approximately $181.9 million on defence every day. The headline number
is sobering. The composition is more so. Australia’s strategic
environment has not eased since last year’s The cost of Defence. China
continues to lift its military investment at a pace few of our regional
partners can match. Russia’s war in Ukraine has not ended. Conflict in
the Middle East has flared and subsided and flared again. The United
States continues to recalibrate the terms of its alliances. Rearmament
is underway in Europe, the Middle East and the Indo-Pacific... |
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ASPI |
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Lethal Humidity and the Systemic Risks of Climate Change, May 2026. One
of the great challenges in understanding the extraordinary consequences
of global warming is our tendency to think in silos. Climate change is
still often regarded as solely an environmental issue—and is generally
coordinated in governments by environment ministries—rather than as a
systemic crisis that affects every aspect of society. That same tendency
helps to explain why the rising threat of lethal humidity, which is a
combination of extreme heat and high humidity that can exceed the limits
of human survival, has been overlooked until relatively recently... |
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ASPI |
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Hedging Our Bets: A Potential Japanese Option for Managing Risk in the
AUKUS Optimal Pathway, May 2026. Australia’s ‘Optimal
Pathway’ to acquiring and maintaining a nuclear-propelled,
conventionally armed submarine capability from the 2030s and beyond has
been agreed by all three AUKUS nations and is a matter of public
record.1 This paper is supportive of pursuing that path. To be clear:
AUKUS represents the best opportunity for Australia to acquire an
essential strategic capability underpinning its future defence. However,
the Optimal Pathway has significant cumulative risk involved... |
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ASPI |
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Northern Capability, National Defence: Building the North and
Strengthening the Nation: Views From the Strategist, NT Defence Week
2026 Special Edition. Drawing on contributions from
government, industry and academia, the compendium examines the central
role of northern Australia in Australia’s defence posture – spanning
force projection, logistics, fuel security, infrastructure and
industrial capability – while highlighting the gap between a strategy
that has shifted north and the systems needed to sustain operations at
scale. It argues for treating the north as an integrated operating
system capable of generating, sustaining and scaling combat power, and
identifies key constraints... |
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ASPI |
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Sweden–Democratic People’s Republic of Korea Diplomatic
Relations – A History, May 2026.
Sweden is frequently referred to as the “bridge to the West”
of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK, commonly
referred to as North Korea) due to its long-standing and
reliable diplomatic presence in Pyongyang. Sweden was the
first Western country to open an embassy in the DPRK in
1975, and it is still one of the few European nations with a
presence there. Using its historical neutrality and stable
engagement with Pyongyang, Sweden has taken on the crucial
duty of promoting the interests of several countries
involved in the security dynamics on the Korean Peninsula... |
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ISDP |
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Greenland and Arctic Security: What’s at Stake? May 2026.
Greenland has emerged as a key focal point in Arctic
security, driven by its strategic location between the
Arctic and the North Atlantic and its role in missile
warning, space surveillance, and monitoring activity across
the Greenland-Iceland-UK (GIUK) gap. As climate change
increases access to Arctic shipping routes and critical
resources, the island’s geostrategic importance is rising,
placing it at the center of evolving security and economic
dynamics in the High North. Recent developments highlight
intensifying geopolitical competition around Greenland... |
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ISDP |
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The DPRK’s War Dividend in Ukraine: Capabilities Gained,
Trajectory Shifted, and the Long-Term Strategic Impact, May
2026.
The DPRK’s support to Russia in its invasion of Ukraine has
shifted from a denied but documented relationship into a
tacitly acknowledged partnership. While this cooperation has
helped sustain Russian firepower and battlefield operations,
it has also generated significant strategic gains for
Pyongyang. This includes battlefield learning at scale,
accelerated weapons development cycles, political
legitimation through a formal treaty with Moscow... |
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ISDP |
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Blue Economy, Strategic Seas: China’s Maritime Statecraft in
Southeast Asia and Bay of Bengal, May 2026.
This policy brief analyzes China’s evolution into a
proactive maritime power, a transition central to its “Great
Rejuvenation” and national security. Beyond mitigating the
“Malacca Dilemma,” Beijing seeks to establish a stable
maritime order aligned with its strategic interests. The
research examines a dual-theater strategy that links China’s
domestic “Blue Economy” with regional infrastructure
development to promote maritime industrial and supply chain
integration across Southeast Asia and the Bay of Bengal... |
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ISDP |
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China’s Global Initiatives: Limited Reach, Strategic
Openings in the Indian Ocean, May 2026.
Fragmentation of the global, multilateral order is visible
even in the range of purportedly cooperative initiatives on
offer by great powers, which represent competing and
alternative systems, (counter-)narratives, and poles of
influence. This includes several “global” initiatives that
China has put forward over the past several years—the Global
Development Initiative (GDI) and the Global Security
Initiative (GSI) among them. Intensified stakeholder
competition limits the scope and impact of these initiatives... |
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ISDP |
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Afghanistan in China’s Extended CPEC 2.0 Strategy, May 2026.
The May 2025 trilateral agreement between China, Pakistan,
and Afghanistan, formalizing the extension of the
China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) into Afghan
territory, marked what Beijing celebrated as a turning point
in Central and South Asian geopolitics. Within five months
however, Pakistan and Afghanistan were exchanging artillery
fire and airstrikes across their contested border. This
policy brief argues that Beijing’s reliance on economic
statecraft as its primary instrument of regional engagement
has proven insufficient for the political complexity it
confronts... |
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ISDP |
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Caution at the Crossroads: How China Positions Itself in
Taliban-Ruled Afghanistan without Going All In, May 2026.
This issue brief examines China’s engagement with
Taliban-ruled Afghanistan since August 2021 through four
linked dimensions: connectivity and Belt and Road Initiative
planning, diplomatic normalization, economic engagement in
energy and minerals, and the security calculus linking
Xinjiang, Pakistan, and Central Asia. It argues that
Beijing’s strategy is best understood as incremental
positioning rather than rapid transformation—locking in
option-value positions in resources and infrastructure while
avoiding high sunk costs or formal recognition... |
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ISDP |
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Corridors of Influence? The China–Indochina Peninsula
Economic Corridor and Beijing’s Expanding Power
Architecture, May 2026.
This webinar, the fourth in the Silk Cage Series, moves
beyond South Asia to examine how China’s continental
corridors interface with maritime strategy, influence
operations, and broader geopolitical contestation. It
situates the China–Indochina Peninsula Economic Corridor (CICPEC)
within a wider strategic arc linking the South China Sea to
the Bay of Bengal and further into the Indian Ocean Region (IOR)... |
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ISDP |
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Naval Operations in the Strait of Hormuz and the Greek
Perspective, April 2026.
This issue brief examines the strategic significance of the
Strait of Hormuz in the context of the 2026 regional crisis
involving the United States, Israel, and Iran, with
particular emphasis on the implications for Greece. It
argues that Hormuz is not merely a regional maritime choke
point, but a global centre of gravity where energy security,
freedom of navigation, international law, naval deterrence,
and supply-chain resilience converge. The analysis
highlights the vulnerability of global oil and LNG flows,
the operational risks created by asymmetric Iranian
capabilities, and the limitations of purely military
solutions in such a complex maritime environment... |
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ISDP |
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Trends in
Southeast Asia 2026 #18: From Khomeini to Khamenei to
Khamenei: The Impact of the Rahbar on the Shi’a Community in
Malaysia.
The doctrine of Wilayat al-Faqih, while not universally
accepted within Twelver Shiʿism, has played a pivotal role
in shaping both religious authority and political
leadership, culminating in the institutionalization of the
rahbar as Supreme Leader. Among Shiʿa communities in
Malaysia, the rahbar is widely recognized as the principal
marjaʿ, resulting in a close interconnection between
religious allegiance and the political identity of Iran. The
ideological legacy of Ruhollah Khomeini, particularly his
anti-Western stance and position on Palestine... |
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ISEAS |
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Trends in
Southeast Asia 2026 #17: Madani Economics: A Deep-Dive Into
the 13th Malaysia Plan (2026–2030).
Malaysia Plans are five-year national development plans that
have been guiding Malaysia’s economic and social policy
since 1956. The 13th Malaysia Plan (13MP, 2026–2030)
(“13MP”) is the latest in this series. It is structurally
different from the previous Malaysia Plans, totalling only
211 pages compared with the average of 458 pages from the
past three editions. The 13MP also saw high direct
involvement from civil servants with little direct external
help. The 13MP is the first official document to
operationalize the Madani economic vision under Prime
Minister Anwar Ibrahim... |
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ISEAS |
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Trends in
Southeast Asia 2026 #16: Malaysia’s Semiconductor Industry:
Performance, Pitfalls and Potential.
The semiconductor industry has been part of Malaysia’s
growth story for the past fifty years. At present, the
sector employs almost 260,000 workers and generates some
US$95.6 billion in exports per year. Recent high-profile
investments from industry majors are encouraging, and there
are emerging capabilities in higher value-added sectors such
as integrated circuit design. Looking at the evolution of
the semiconductor sector over the past twelve years, we find
promising indicators in terms of increasing numbers of
firms, workers, salary levels and outputs... |
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ISEAS |
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Latest APEC publications:
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APEC Workshop on Leveraging Innovation-Driven Public-Private
Partnerships to Enhance Food System Resilience: Summary
Report, May 2026
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Workshop Summary Report on Managing Child Health for the
Healthcare Workforce, May 2026
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APEC Report on Integrating Coastal Blue Carbon Ecosystems
into Climate Policies, May 2026
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APEC Regional Trends Analysis, May 2026
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Study on Sustainable Supply Chains in the APEC Region, May
2026
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Sustainable Supply Chains within the APEC Region:
Challenges, Progress, and Future Tasks, May 2026
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Improving Supply Chain Transparency with Digital Exchange of
Traceability and ESG (Environmental, Social and Governance)
Credentials to Facilitate APEC Trade Flows, May 2026
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Technology Innovation Workshop for Environmental Monitoring
Using Technologies Such as Artificial Intelligence and Big
Data in Productive Activities, May 2026
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Study on International Standards for Agriculture Financing,
May 2026
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Blue Citizen Community Indicators Research Report, May 2026
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Advancing Supply Chain Resilience in APEC Economies Through
5G Smart Manufacturing, May 2026
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Electric Fans Energy Efficiency Improvement in APEC Region:
Review of Experience and Best Practices - Final Report, May
2026
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APEC |
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Latest ADB Working Paper Series:
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ADB |
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Latest ADBI Working Paper Series:
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ADB |
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Latest ADB Publications:
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ADB |
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May 2026 |
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Asian Development Outlook, April 2026 (Full Report,
Highlights
and
Special Topic).
The report’s key assumptions, finalized on 10 March, envisage an
early stabilization scenario, with disruptions gradually easing
from April 2026. Under this scenario, growth in developing Asia
and the Pacific is projected to moderate in 2026–2027, with
inflation rising this year and easing slightly next year.
Economic activity would be supported by resilient domestic
demand, steady labor markets, and public infrastructure
investment. However, uncertainty remains high, with the risk
that tensions in the Middle East could persist longer than
anticipated. Other risks include renewed tariff increases and an
abrupt tightening in global financial conditions. |
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ADB |
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Monetary
Authority of Singapore: Macroeconomic Review, Volume XXV,
Issue 1, April 2026 (Full
Report). Developments in the Middle East have
disrupted the global supply of crude oil, gas and other
industrial commodities. This is expected to weigh on economic
activity in Singapore’s major trading partners as well as lift
global inflation. Singapore’s GDP growth is anticipated to slow
after the exceptional 5.0% outturn in 2025, with the output gap
averaging around zero percent this year. MAS Core and CPI-All
Items Inflation are now projected to be higher compared to the
previous Review and average 1.5–2.5%. MAS therefore slightly
increased the slope of the S$NEER policy band at the April
policy review, with no change to the width and the level at
which it is centred. |
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MAS |
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MAS Survey of Professional Forecasters, March 2026.
The Singapore economy expanded by 6.9% year-on-year in Q4 2025,
exceeding the respondents’ median forecast of 3.6% in the
previous survey (Chart 1). In the current survey, the
respondents expect the economy to grow by 5.8% year-on-year in
Q1 2026. The respondents expect GDP to expand by 3.6% this year,
higher than the previous survey estimate of 2.3%, with upgrades
to the manufacturing and wholesale & retail trade sectors.
According to the respondents, the most likely outcome is for the
Singapore economy to grow by 3.5% to 3.9%... |
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MAS |
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Taiwan Matters: How the Status Quo Underpins Indo-Pacific Peace and
Prosperity, April 2026. Taiwan sits at the centre of one
of the most consequential strategic questions of our time. As this
compendium makes clear, the issue is not simply a narrow dispute over
sovereignty in the Taiwan Strait, but a defining test of the future of
the Indo-Pacific and the international system itself. The stability of
global trade, the resilience of advanced technology supply chains, and
the credibility of democratic governance are all, in different ways,
bound up in Taiwan’s future. As the report emphasises, Taiwan is “an
unparalleled and critical hub for trade, innovation and democratic
power,” whose fate would reverberate far beyond its shores... |
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ASPI |
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Light Speed Weapons? Directed Energy and the Future of the ADF, April
2026. The development of Directed Energy Weapons (DEW) –
such as high energy laser and high-power microwave weapons – offers the
Australian Defence Force a future solution to countering the growing
threat of drones, but also missile threats. This ASPI Explainer explores
the nature of DEW and considers what steps Australia is taking in this
field, particularly in relation to counter-drone systems, and concludes
with a call for a ‘DEW Strategy’ for the ADF that includes opportunities
for collaborative development under AUKUS Pillar II. |
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ASPI |
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From Exposure to Endurance: Views From the Strategist, Darwin Dialogue
Special Edition, April 2026. From exposure to endurance:
Views from The Strategist – Darwin Dialogue special edition brings
together a curated selection of analysis aligned to the 2026 Darwin
Dialogue, examining how Australia and its partners can move from
systemic exposure to enduring resilience in an increasingly contested
Indo-Pacific. Drawing on contributions from government, industry and
academia, the compendium explores the growing strategic importance of
critical minerals, supply chains and industrial capability. It
highlights that the challenge is no longer one of awareness but of
execution, as concentrated and fragile global systems continue to expose
Australia and its partners to disruption, coercion and volatility... |
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ASPI |
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Northern Capability, National Defence: Building the North And
Strengthening the Nation, April 2026. Northern capability,
national defence: Building the North and strengthening the nation: Views
from The Strategist, NT Defence Week 2026 special edition brings
together a curated collection of analysis examining how Australia can
translate its strategic focus on the north into operational capability
and sustained defence outcomes. Drawing on contributions from
government, industry and academia, the compendium examines the central
role of northern Australia in Australia’s defence posture – spanning
force projection, logistics, fuel security, infrastructure and
industrial capability – while highlighting the gap between a strategy
that has shifted north and the systems needed to sustain operations at
scale... |
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ASPI |
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Democratic Struggle and Resilience in South Korea
(1948-2026), April 2026.
Democratic uprisings build on the people’s will to change
and the citizens’ fighting spirit against state oppression,
violence, and corruption. The Republic of Korea (commonly
known as South Korea)’s fighting spirit reflects a bigger
human ideal for democracy; it is an example of constant
bottom-up accountability.[i] It is an image of specific
cultural traits (which one could argue for or against), but
there is no doubt that it prompted a solid movement against
authoritarianism and corruption that still maintains a
robust stance against political mischief... |
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ISDP |
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China’s Connectivity Projects in the Gulf and Their
Implications for Japan and India, April 2026.
The current crisis in the Strait of Hormuz is restructuring
global energy supply and trade routes. It affects Asian
countries the most, due to their dependence on the energy
supplies from the Gulf countries. Particularly, the crisis
exposes the economic vulnerability of China, Japan, and
India, as these countries are experiencing immediate
disruptions in the energy supply and trade flows. In the
long-term, the crisis in the Strait of Hormuz urges China to
enhance its influence operations in the Indian Ocean region
and diversify its trade routes, considering the importance
of stable supply chains for the Chinese economy... |
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ISDP |
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China, Iran, and the Limits of Strategic Partnership Amid
War, April 2026.
The Iran war has exposed the fragility of the Middle East
security environment and its direct implications for Asian
powers, particularly China. While Beijing has long benefited
from a U.S.-led security order, the current escalation
highlights the challenges China faces, especially as it
continues to refrain from offering any security commitments
to Iran. China’s ties with Iran remain significant but
limited, while its deeper and more diversified partnerships
with Gulf states reflect clearer long-term priorities. The
war has raised questions about the nature of relations
between China and Iran while amplifying concerns over the
vulnerability of Chinese investments and energy security... |
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ISDP |
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China’s Gwadar Gamble: Reshaping Sea–Land Connectivity,
April 2026.
China’s maritime resurgence, though relatively recent,
reflects a decisive shift from continental preoccupations to
expansive sea power ambitions. This issue brief examines the
evolution of China’s maritime strategy through three
interlinked frameworks: the transition from “offshore
defense” to “far-seas defense,” the intellectual influence
of Mahan and Mackinder, and the operationalization of the
Two Oceans Strategy. Central to this transformation is the
Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), which integrates economic
development with security imperatives. China is expanding
naval capabilities, securing critical sea lanes, and
developing strategic infrastructure across the
Indo-Pacific... |
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ISDP |
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The Zhang Youxia Purge and Taiwan’s Security: Navigating
Increased Unpredictability in the Taiwan Strait? March 2026.
The January 2026 investigations of senior Central Military
Commission figures, including Generals Zhang Youxia and Liu
Zhenli, have left China’s top military leadership unusually
centralized under Xi Jinping. While this disruption in the
People’s Liberation Army might suggest reduced operational
capacity, it paradoxically increases risks for Taiwan.
Leadership purges erode institutional knowledge, fostering
miscalculation and unpredictable decision-making. Newly
elevated officers may prioritize loyalty and assertiveness,
encouraging risk-prone strategies. Simultaneously, Beijing
could exploit global instability to intensify diplomatic,
economic, and gray-zone pressure... |
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ISDP |
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Expert Perspectives on Arctic Communications: Resilience,
Infrastructure Vulnerability, and Selective
Interoperability, April 2026.
This policy brief examines communications systems as a
foundational enabler of Arctic security and maritime
operations, drawing on an original survey of experts across
industry, policy, academia, and defense. While existing
literature emphasizes infrastructure gaps and technical
constraints, it rarely captures how experts assess
communications in the High North in operational terms. The
survey reveals three policy implications. First,
satellite-enabled systems are viewed as essential for
overcoming persistent connectivity limitations, particularly
through hybrid, multi-orbit architectures... |
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ISDP |
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Opening the Arctic Route: Implications for Asia-Europe
Cooperation and South Korea’s Strategic Role, April 2026.
The gradual opening of Arctic maritime routes due to climate
change is reshaping the geopolitical and economic landscape
between Asia and Europe. The Arctic is no longer a distant
northern concern; it is emerging as a strategic space with
direct implications for supply chains, shipping costs,
energy security, naval operations, and industrial
competitiveness. South Korea has particular relevance in
this changing environment. As one of the world’s leading
shipbuilding nations, a major export economy dependent on
maritime trade, and a country with strong interests in both
Europe and the Indo-Pacific, Korea is uniquely positioned to
benefit from and contribute to the development of Arctic
connectivity... |
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ISDP |
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“Corridors, Coasts, and Contestation: China’s Influence
Operations in the Bay of Bengal and the BCIM Space”, March
2026.
This webinar report, the third in the Silk Cage Series,
examined how China utilized the Bay of Bengal and the
Bangladesh-China-India-Myanmar (BCIM) space to
operationalize influence across South Asia and the
northeastern Indian Ocean. As part of the Stockholm Center
for South Asian and Indo-Pacific Affairs (SCSA-IPA) project,
“The Silk Noose: China’s Power Architecture in South Asia
and the Indian Ocean Region,” the discussion moved beyond
infrastructure to explore how corridors and coasts
functioned as strategic tools for reshaping regional order
and autonomy... |
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ISDP |
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Trends in
Southeast Asia 2026 #14: Ambition Without Alignment:
Managing Malaysia’s Rare Earth Value Chain.
In the escalating US-China trade war and projected increased
demand for critical minerals, deposits of rare earth
elements (REE)—highly essential in a range of manufacturing,
defence and electronic items—have become highly sought
after. According to Malaysia’s Mineral and Geoscience
Department (JMG), the country has identified as much as 16.1
million metric tonnes of non-radioactive REEs across several
states, although this will need to be independently
verified... |
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ISEAS |
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Trends in
Southeast Asia 2026 #13: Public Diplomacy in the Digital
Arena: A Comparative Assessment of US and Chinese Influence
in Southeast Asia.
US public diplomacy operates through a decentralized model
that prioritizes local adaptation and high-volume messaging,
while China relies on a centralized system emphasizing
narrative discipline and message uniformity. Quantitative
engagement data show that Chinese embassies consistently
achieve higher engagement efficiency than their US
counterparts; four of the top-performing five missions by
conversion rate are Chinese, converting audience reach into
public interaction more effectively across the region... |
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ISEAS |
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Trends in
Southeast Asia 2026 #12: Myanmar’s Youth and their Voice: A
Reference Note on their Conscientization During the
Transition (2010–21) and Subsequent Mobilization for a
Federal Democratic Union.
Myanmar’s youth, particularly the Gen Z, were at the
forefront of publicly voicing disagreement with the military
coup d’état that took place on 1 February 2021. The
resistance movement rejecting the coup involved Bamar and
non-Bamar, moved from urban centres to rural areas, and
involved inputs and support from Ethnic Armed Organizations
(EAOs), but especially from the youth and the new
organizations they established in the wake of the 2021
coup... |
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ISEAS |
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Latest APEC publications:
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Driving Technical Cooperation to Enhance Capacity Building
for Promoting Economic Empowerment and Entrepreneurial
Leadership in Small-Scale Women Farmers Towards a
Sustainable Future for All APEC Economies, April 2026
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Project Final Report - APEC Climate Symposium 2025 -
Addressing APEC’s Climate Challenges: Complexity of Climate
Change Adaptation and the Way Forward, April 2026
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APEC Regional Framework for Healthy Aging, April 2026
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Summary Report - Symposium on Promoting Women’s Economic
Empowerment through Financial Inclusion Initiatives, April
2026
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APEC Workshop on Empowering Women in Just Energy
Transitions, April 2026
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APEC Capacity Building Program on ESG for MSMEs within the
APEC Economies, April 2026
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Policy Dialogue on AI in Trade Context for Enhanced
Cooperation within APEC, April 2026
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Best Practices on Women's Participation in Global Value
Chain of Agricultural Products Toward Sustainable
Development, April 2026
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Structural Reform and Residents' Income Growth in APEC
Economies: Empirical Assessment and Case Studies, April 2026
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2025 APEC Symposium on Energy Transition: Batteries, Fuel
Cells & Electric Vehicles - Project Report, April 2026
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Transport Decarbonisation Pathways in APEC: Electric
Vehicles, Fuel Cell Vehicles, and Informed Decision-Making,
April 2026
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Building Resilient Energy Policies in Asia-Pacific, April
2026
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Recommendations Report - Development and Application of Ex
Post Regulatory Impact Assessment (RIA) Indicators for the
Fisheries Management of Jack Mackerel and Jumbo Flying Squid
in APEC Economies, April 2026
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APEC Resource Guide: Building Supply Chain Resilience in the
Chemical Sector, April 2026
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2025 APEC International Seminar on the Application of Smart
Technology to Textile Industry, April 2026
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Strategies and Best Practices to Reduce Road Traffic Related
to Trade in APEC Economies Using Technology and Artificial
Intelligence, April 2026
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APEC Workshop: Towards Digital Trade Ecosystem in the
Asia-Pacific Region, April 2026
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Compilation of Publicly Accessible Websites and Databases of
the APEC Economies, April 2026
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Status of Obesity Prevalence, Prevention, and Management in
APEC, April 2026
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APEC |
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Latest ADB Working Paper Series:
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ADB |
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Latest ADBI Working Paper Series:
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ADB |
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Latest ADB Publications:
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The Impact of the Middle East Conflict on Asia and the
Pacific: An Updated Analysis, April 2026
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Climate Adaptation Investment Planning: Lessons Learned,
April 2026
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Basic Statistics 2026
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Regional Cooperation and Integration in the Pacific:
Measurement, Trends, and Policies, April 2026
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Adopting Global Standards: Thailand’s Journey to Implement
International Sustainability-Related Financial Disclosures,
April 2026
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Unlocking Sri Lanka's Trade with India, April 2026
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Seamless Borders, Shared Growth: Cross-Border Mobility in
the Almaty–Bishkek Economic Corridor, April 2026
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Bridging the Gender Gap in Cambodia’s STEM Education and
Careers, April 2026
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The Economics of the Net-Zero Transition: Policy Scenarios
and the Role of Trade and Cooperation, March 2026
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Air Quality in Southeast Asia: Status, Trends, and Priority
Interventions Across Eight ASEAN Cities, March 2026
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ADB |
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Asian Development Review, Vol.
43, No. 1, March 2026 (Full
Report). Articles in this issue also look at women’s
employment in Viet Nam, the role of financial services in
Malaysia’s economy, food security and access to piped water in
Pakistan, and housing demolition compensation and
entrepreneurship in the People’s Republic of China.
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ADB |
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April 2026 |
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High
Frequency Macroeconomic Forecasts Current Quarter Model:
2026Q2, April 2026. Driven by sustained growth in
local consumption sentiment and visitor arrivals, as
well as rising demand for AI–related products,
expenditure on machinery, equipment and intellectual
property products surged, driving a 3.8% expansion in
Hong Kong’s economy in the 25Q4. However, due to a
higher base of comparison and uncertainty arising from
the conflict in Iran, Hong Kong’s economic growth is
projected to moderate to 3.3% in the 26Q1... |
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HKU |
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The Sino-Russian Partnership: Why It Matters for Australian Security and
Defence, March 2026. The Sino-Russian ‘no limits’
partnership has become central to an emerging anti-Western axis that
aims to weaken the West and counter the liberal international order that
has buttressed Australia’s post-1945 peace, prosperity and security.
Even though it is not a formal alliance, the depth and breadth of
strategic cooperations between China and Russia—across military,
economic, defence, diplomatic and technological domains—makes the
partnership the most important bilateral one for both, and one that has
severe strategic consequences for Australia... |
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ASPI |
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Markets as the New Front Line: Fusing Australia’s Economic Statecraft,
March 2026. Episodes over the past decade—including
China’s trade measures against Australia and Japan, Russia’s
manipulation of European gas supplies, and the tightening of global
controls over critical minerals—demonstrate how economic levers are
being used to impose costs and reshape incentives without crossing
traditional thresholds of conflict. This has included for the purposes
of coercing nations into tolerating military aggression, cyber-attacks
and foreign interference, or particularly in the case of China also
creating monopolitistic dependencies... |
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ASPI |
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The Eu-Australia Security and Defence Agreement: Not a Pact but a
Partnership, March 2026. On 24 March 2026, President of
the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen and Australian Prime
Minister Albanese signed the EU-Australia Security and Defence
Partnership. The partnership represents a significant step in EU–Australia
relations, elevating cooperation beyond its traditional focus on trade
and investment. However, as with previous EU-Australia initiatives, its
value will ultimately depend on whether it delivers concrete outcomes
rather than remaining a largely declaratory framework... |
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ASPI |
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Strategic Surprise in the 21st Century: Complexity, Systems Failure and
the Rewiring of National Security, March 2026. This
report argues that strategic surprise in the 21st century is less the
result of intelligence failure and more a structural consequence of
operating in an increasingly complex and interconnected strategic
environment. In Strategic surprise in the 21st century: Complexity,
systems failure, and the rewiring of national security, authors examine
how modern shocks increasingly emerge from the interaction of pressures
across economic, technological, political and security systems rather
than from a single hidden threat. Disruption now tends to build
gradually through overlapping pressures across multiple domains, rather
than appearing as a single, identifiable crisis event... |
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ASPI |
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The Northern Engine: Building Australia’s Northern National Defence
Ecosystem, March 2026. Northern Australia sits at the
centre of Australia’s defence strategy. Its geography provides direct
access to the Indo-Pacific’s key sea and air approaches, making it
essential for deterrence, force projection and operational sustainment.
Over the past decade the United States has deepened its posture in the
region, creating strategic opportunities that Australia must match with
its own capability, infrastructure and industrial depth. Defence
activity in the north is therefore not only about security – it is
increasingly tied to regional economic stability, infrastructure
development and the growth of defence-supporting industries... |
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ASPI |
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Australia and the Upending of US Intelligence: Further Down the Rabbit
Hole, March 2026. Australia’s intelligence partnership
with the United States will continue to underpin our national security,
and there is no readily available ‘Plan B’ to replace exquisite
capabilities shared through the Five Eyes alliance. Indeed, should both
Australia and the US continue to assess China as the pacing threat
internationally, the intelligence partnership will likely remain
mutually beneficial and strong. But US policy relating to traditional
relationships has changed, eroding predictability and potentially
exposing allies—Australia included... |
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ASPI |
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Social Insecurity: Cohesion, Outrage Economics and National Resilience
in Australia, March 2026. A new report from the
Australian Strategic Policy Institute warns Australia’s social cohesion
is under sustained pressure, with the Bondi Beach terrorist attack, the
7 October 2023 attacks on Israel and Covid‐19 acting as accelerants,
intensifying pre-existing fractures in trust, legitimacy and public
debate. In ‘Social insecurity: Cohesion, outrage economics and national
resilience in Australia’, Dr John Coyne and Justin Bassi find that
online outrage, declining trust and foreign interference are no longer
abstract social concerns — they are core national resilience
challenges... |
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ASPI |
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The Ungoverned Sky: Drones and the Domestic Extremist Threat,
March 2026.
In the past two decades, drones have transformed from niche
military tools into widely available “commercial off-the-shelf”
technologies. What was once the exclusive domain of state actors
now rests within reach of nearly anyone with a credit card and a
data signal. With uncrewed aircraft systems — or drone platforms
— becoming cheaper, smaller, and easier to operate, the number
of drone plots by domestic extremist groups has increased
rapidly. In the last two years alone, US law enforcement
personnel thwarted two extremist plots involving drones, and the
Australian Federal Police arrested seven individuals in
connection with a plot to use an explosive-laden drone... |
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Lowy |
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After the Compromise: Australia's COP31 Blueprint for the
Pacific, March 2026.
Australia's bid to co-host COP31 with Pacific Island countries
was built around a clear objective to elevate Pacific climate
concerns and use the spotlight to deliver for one of the world's
most climate exposed regions. That objective is now at risk.
After more than three years of negotiations, Australia conceded
hosting rights to rival bidder Türkiye. While the Australian
government retains a formal role in negotiations, and a pre-COP
meeting will be held in the Pacific before the main summit, much
of the agenda-setting power that shapes political momentum now
sits with Türkiye. Without deliberate intervention, Pacific
priorities risk being pushed to the margins... |
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Lowy |
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Greenland: A New Frontier of Competition for the U.S., China
and Russia? March 2026.
Greenland has become increasingly strategic in the evolving
geopolitics of the Arctic, reflecting its importance for
regional security, emerging maritime routes, and access to
critical resources. Recent U.S. discussions about acquiring
the territory have brought Greenland to the forefront of
transatlantic security debates, raising questions about
alliance cohesion and sovereignty. President Donald Trump
has framed control of Greenland as critical for U.S.
national security, particularly in the context of strategic
competition with China and Russia in the Arctic... |
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ISDP |
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Taiwan in the Hidden War: The Contest for Technological
Sovereignty Against Infiltration, March 2026.
In an era where technological supremacy increasingly
determines national power and economic prosperity, the
battleground for competitive advantage has shifted from
traditional military theaters to research laboratories,
corporate boardrooms, and academic institutions. This
transformation has created new vulnerabilities that
nation-states must address while maintaining the openness
necessary for innovation to flourish. Taiwan, positioned at
the epicenter of global technology production... |
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ISDP |
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Changing Geometries: The Rise of a Middle-Power Tech
Triangle, March 2026.
As great-power rivalry reshapes global supply chains,
technology governance, and the clean energy transition,
middle powers are seeking new ways to reduce vulnerability.
The Australia–Canada–India Technology and Innovation (ACITI)
Partnership, announced at the 2025 G20 summit, represents an
emerging model of strategic minilateralism focused on
critical minerals, green innovation, and artificial
intelligence. This issue brief argues that ACITI’s
importance lies in its function as a risk-diversification
platform, allowing participating states to expand
cooperation and resilience while maintaining ties with major
powers... |
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ISDP |
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Xi Jinping’s Multilateral Diplomacy and Pakistan: China’s
Strategic Shield in International Institutions, March 2026.
The Chinese use of multilateral diplomacy to shield Pakistan
represents one of the most consequential dimensions of
Sino-Pakistan relations and reveals fundamental tensions in
Beijing’s approach to the rules-based international order.
While China publicly champions counter-terrorism cooperation
and positions itself as a responsible stakeholder in
international institutions, its systematic protection of
Pakistan at the United Nations Security Council and other
multilateral forums directly contradicts these stated
principles... |
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ISDP |
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China’s Anti-Corruption Campaign in the PLA, March 2026.
China’s anti-corruption campaign under Xi Jinping has
increasingly reshaped the leadership of the People’s
Liberation Army (PLA). Initially focused on graft and
procurement abuses, the campaign has expanded into the
highest levels of China’s military command. Several senior
figures linked to the Central Military Commission (CMC), the
PLA’s top decision-making body, have been removed or placed
under investigation, reflecting the growing reach of
disciplinary enforcement within China’s armed forces... |
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ISDP |
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Gender Polarization among South Korean Youth: Determinants,
Conscription, and Comparative Insights from Sweden, March
2026.
Gender polarization among young South Koreans has become one
of the most significant social and political dynamics of the
past decade. Young men and women are increasingly viewed as
separate, and often opposing, groups. Although frequently
framed as a cultural or ideological divide, the tensions are
often rooted in structural pressures and institutional
arrangements. Employment insecurity, soaring housing costs,
and male-only mandatory military service generate grievances
that are often expressed in zero-sum terms... |
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ISDP |
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False Promises, Real Leverage: SEZs under CPEC in Pakistan,
March 2026.
China’s investment in Pakistan predates the announcement of
the Global Development Initiative (GDI), yet tangible
improvements across key economic and social sectors remain
limited. Despite over a decade of promised investments from
China, primarily through the $68 billion China-Pakistan
Economic Corridor (CPEC), Pakistan has seen minimal
improvement owing to project delays, high debt servicing,
and security issues. In fact, Pakistani officials have
acknowledged that political instability has discouraged
investors and undermined the expectation that CPEC would be
a “game changer.” ... |
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ISDP |
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TRILATERAL IMPERATIVES: Japan-India-EU Cooperation on
Economic Security, March 2026.
The contemporary global landscape is increasingly defined by
deepening divisions, driven factors such as the intensifying
US-China rivalry and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. In
response, European countries are redoubling their efforts to
establish secure and resilient supply chains, prioritizing
partnerships with nations that share core democratic values.
Japan too has embraced this approach. Its 2022 National
Security Strategy explicitly outlines a policy of advancing
economic security in collaboration with like-minded
nations... |
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ISDP |
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Beyond Soft Power: KPop Demon Hunters and the Rise of
Inclusive Koreanness, March 2026.
This brief examines how contemporary Korean popular culture
is reshaping global understandings of Koreanness through the
case of the animated film ‘KPop Demon Hunters’ (2025). While
debates about the Korean Wave (hallyu) have often been
framed through the concept of soft power— treating Korean
cultural products as instruments of national influence—this
article argues that such a framework obscures the hybrid and
transnational nature of contemporary cultural production... |
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ISDP |
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Report of the Silk Cage-I Webinar on “From Corridors to
Control: China’s Long Shadow in South Asia and the Indian
Ocean Region”, February 2026.
This webinar, organized by the Stockholm Center for South
Asian and Indo-Pacific Affairs (SCSA-IPA) at the Institute
for Security and Development Policy (ISDP), was held on
February 17, 2026, as the first part of a series on the
‘Silk Cage’. This series seeks to address China’s expanding
role in South Asia and the Indian Ocean Region (IOR). It
revolves around the central question: where does
connectivity end and strategic control begin? The entire
webinar is available on YouTube... |
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ISDP |
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Silk Cage-II Webinar Report on “Corridor, Client, or
Catalyst? CPEC and Beijing’s Strategic Leverage from
Pakistan to the Indian Ocean”, Feburary 2026.
This report is the outcome of the second webinar in the Silk
Cage series, held on February 19, 2026. This webinar
addressed debates surrounding the China-Pakistan Economic
Corridor (CPEC) with a central question: is CPEC primarily
an economic development initiative, or does it function as a
strategic instrument through which Beijing reshapes security
alignments from South Asia to the Indian Ocean?... |
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ISDP |
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Trends in
Southeast Asia 2026 #11: Performative or Substantive?
Democratic Resilience After Autocratization in the
Philippines.
In the Philippines, civil society and social movements were
traditionally viewed as robust pro-democratic actors and
bulwarks of democracy. Under Duterte, however, democratic
norms and institutions were undermined, resulting in an
autocratizing episode that used threats, repression,
coercion and outright violence. The scholarly literature on
democratic resilience has conventionally relied on
pro-democratic actors such as elected politicians from the
opposition and civil society to restore democratic
credentials and recalibrate the regime after autocratization... |
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ISEAS |
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Trends in
Southeast Asia 2026 #10: The 2025 Sabah State Election:
Regional Consolidation or Another Cycle of Fragmentation?.
As the incumbent state government and a component of the
Unity Government at the federal level, Gabungan Rakyat Sabah
(GRS) entered the Sabah state election with institutional
and organizational advantages. These set the terms of
electoral competition and influenced how both GRS and its
challengers approached the campaign. Although GRS emerged as
the largest bloc in the state assembly, its win of 29 of the
55 seats it contested represented a decline from its 38-seat
victory in 2020 and did not translate into broad-based
support or a dominant mandate. It fell well short of the
level of political consolidation achieved by Gabungan Parti
Sarawak (GPS) in Sarawak... |
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ISEAS |
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Trends in
Southeast Asia 2026 #9: Methane Mitigation: Fast-Tracking
Agriculture Decarbonization in Southeast Asia.
Methane is a potent greenhouse gas that must be urgently
mitigated to keep global temperatures within the targets of
the Paris Agreement. The agrifood system contributed 55 per
cent of Southeast Asia’s methane emissions in 2022. Half of
this is from rice cultivation, followed by agrifood waste
and enteric fermentation. Solutions to tackle emissions from
rice cultivation, agrifood waste and enteric fermentation
already exist. But achieving widespread application of these
is a challenge because of financial constraints and slow
adoption by farmers. Emerging biotechnology solutions appear
promising, but they require further R&D investment... |
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ISEAS |
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Who Believes, Who Doubts, Who Participates? Civic Outlook
and Citizen Engagement in Singapore, March 2026.
This paper examines how Singaporeans perceive pluralism,
collective agency and the capacity for coordinated civic
action in a complex, multi-stakeholder society. The study
addresses these questions through a nationally
representative survey of 1,981 residents conducted in late
2024. Factor analysis of responses across 14 trend areas
identified two latent constructs: pluralistic coexistence —
measuring attitudes towards multi-stakeholder coordination
and cultural diversity; and collective agency — capturing
beliefs about citizens' capacity to influence national
outcomes. Together, these orthogonal constructs constitute
the civic outlook framework used in this study... |
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IPS |
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Latest APEC publications:
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Future-ready Growth in APEC: Unlocking New Drivers and
Fortifying Resilience, March 2026
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The Digital Transformation of Trade Facilitation in APEC,
March 2026
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Compendium of Best Practices of Women Leadership in
Sustainability, March 2026
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The Entrepreneurial Ecosystem and Capacity Building of
Sustainable Entrepreneurship in APEC Economies, March 2026
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APEC Forum on Women and Youth Empowerment: Enhancing Digital
Competitiveness and Inclusive Economic Growth through
Innovative Enterprise Education, March 2026
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Rules of Origin in Modern Trade Agreements: Trends and
Challenges, March 2026
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APEC Capacity Building Workshop on Energy Efficiency and
Conservation Policy: Members’ Journey with MEPS, March 2026
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APEC Symposium: Disaster Resilience for a Sustainable
Future: Exchanging Experiences in Geospatial Information
Management in the Context of Forest Fires - Summary Report,
March 2026
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Status of Obesity Prevalence, Prevention, and Management in
APEC: Event Summary Report, March 2026
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Survey and Workshop on Market Compliance Mechanism for
Self-Declaration of Standard Compliance on Textiles and
Textile Product - Project Summary Report, February 2026
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APEC Enablers of Health Data Sharing Checklist, February
2026
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APEC |
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Latest ADB Working Paper Series:
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ADB |
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Latest ADBI Working Paper Series:
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ADB |
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Latest ADB Publications:
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The 2026 Conflict in the Middle East and Macroeconomic Risks
for Asia and the Pacific, March 2026
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Identifying Glacier-Melt Project under the ADB Green Bond
Framework, March 2026
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It Is About Time: Measurement, Challenges, and Policies for
Asia, March 2026
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Emerging Macrofiscal and Governance Challenges and
Opportunities in Developing Asia, March 2026
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Environmental, Social, and Governance Assessment of
Mongolia’s Mining Sector, March 2026
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A Study of Subsidies and Transfers in India, March 2026
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Comprehensive Special Economic Zones and the Circular
Economy Model: Opportunities for Georgia, March 2026
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Guide on the Role of Supreme Audit Institutions Toward
Achieving Climate Objectives, March 2026
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Advancing the Green Economy Transition in ASEAN, March 2026
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Asia Bond Monitor, March 2026
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