Asia-Pacific Leadership Network
@apln
A network of political, military, diplomatic and thought leaders in the Asia-Pacific working to address security challenges and eliminate nuclear weapons risks.
#ICYMI: How does China see the SCO and BRICS in an increasingly fragmented international order? In an APLN report, Tianjiao Jiang argues that the SCO acts as a regional stabiliser, while BRICS plays a broader structural role through economic cooperation and global governance reform.
How does China see the SCO and BRICS contributing to stability in Asia, and what could prevent them from doing so? A new APLN report by Dr Jiang Tianjiao takes a closer look. 🧵
How are Southeast Asian states navigating US-China competition without simply choosing one side? In a new APLN policy brief, @fpri.bsky.social Non-Resident Senior Fellow and ASEAN Wonk founder Prashanth Parameswaran examines how regional states are preserving their agency. 🧵
How Asian nations responding to a more unpredictable global landscape? Kelly A. Grieco explores how regional countries developed a complex mechanism of ‘minilateral’ arrangements to navigate between US and China, but those arrangements need nurturing. Full essay: globalasia.org/v21no2/cover...
Military might cannot guarantee victory. Nuclear weapons cannot guarantee security. So what can pull the world back from disorder? Gareth Evans, former Australian foreign minister and APLN Chair, offers seven lessons in his latest Korea Times column.
On June 26, APLN co-hosted the session “ASEAN between China and the US: What options are available?” at the Jeju Forum, together with East Asia Foundation. Find out more about APLN in Jeju forum and our other events here: www.apln.network/events/past/...
At the 2026 Jeju Forum, APLN co-hosted a session with the East Asia Foundation (EAF) on "Destined for Chaos and Disorder? Search for a New Regional and International Order." Find out more about APLN in Jeju forum and our other events here: www.apln.network/events/past/...
The traditional security architecture in the Asia-Pacific is undergoing a seismic shift. Southeast Asian nations must pull together better and burnish ASEAN’s reputation as an economic power amid China-US rivalry, Piper Campbell argues. Read the full essay here: globalasia.org/v21no2/cover...
For the first time since the 1980s, all nine nuclear-armed states are expanding their arsenals at once. Our new Quarterly Nuclear Memo by Manpreet Sethi and @hreepsamudra.bsky.social maps a quarter where worrying developments clearly outnumbered stabilising ones. a thread🧵
How do middle powers maintain their independence when global giants clash? Malaysia is stepping up its defence partnerships to hedge its bets. Chiew Ping Hoo and Chow Bing Ngeow note that those partnerships require delicacy, but they help ensure security for Malaysia without a need to choose sides
How is China winning over its neighbours? Beijing is accelerating its narrative-building, notably directed at its Asian neighbours who have been loath to choose sides, says Shiv Nadar University’s Jabin T. Jacob (郑嘉宾) Read the full report: globalasia.org/v21no2/cover...
South Korea is walking a complex strategic tightrope between its top security ally (🇺🇸) and its massive economic neighbour (🇨🇳). Reliant on both in different ways, South Korea needs a wise mix of approaches, says Sang Hyun Lee. Read Full Essay here: globalasia.org/v21no2/cover...
[JUST PUBLISHED] What if the most important story in Southeast Asia isn't which side countries choose, but how they avoid being boxed in? A new APLN policy brief by Dr. Prashanth Parameswaran looks beyond the usual "US vs China" frame. A thread 🧵
Uncertain of its US alliance, the Philippines is modernising its military and upgrading its defence doctrine. This must continue, argues Erick Nielson C. Javier. Read Full Essay: globalasia.org/v21no2/cover...
As China aids Global South aspirations, Islamabad is eying alternatives to a West-led order in disarray. Salma Malik provides a key Pakistani perspective on shifting balance between traditional multilateralism and the rise of "minilateral” frameworks. Full Essay: globalasia.org/v21no2/cover...
Is the Western-led global order facing its most structural challenge yet? Fudan University’s Jiang Tianjiao unpacks how China is leveraging multilateral institutions to build an alternative architecture for global governance. Read full essay here: globalasia.org/v21no2/cover...
Can Japan successfully step up as a regional "middle power" ? Chinese pressure on leader Sanae Takaichi backfired and enabled a more assertive defence posture, but Japan’s middle-power ambitions are constrained by larger questions, says Ria Shibata. Full essay: globalasia.org/v21no2/cover...
At #JejuForum2026, APLN and the East Asia Foundation co-hosted the Former Foreign Ministers Session, “Destined for Chaos and Disorder? Search for New Regional and International Order.” We’ll share key takeaways from the discussion in our next post. Stay tuned. #APLNatJejuForum2026
APLN is at Jeju Forum 2026 this week. Across 24–26 June, our public sessions cover East Asia’s security architecture, regional/international order, and ASEAN’s options amid US–China competition. Full schedule in the graphic. #JejuForum2026 #APLN
At the Jeju Forum for Peace and Prosperity 2026, APLN and the Jeju Peace Institute co-hosted “Between Collective Defense and Collective Security: Toward a New Security Architecture in East Asia.” Stay tuned for more news on our next sessions
We are pleased to announce that APLN and the Jeju Peace Institute have officially signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) yesterday, establishing a formal framework for our partnership. Learn more here: www.apln.network/news/press-r...
Out now: A new collaborative collection of essays from APLN and the Global Asia! This volume explores how regional states are evolving their defence policies and partnerships with each other, Washington, and Beijing. Read the full collection here: www.apln.network/projects/asi...
This week, APLN is at Jeju Forum, with members joining discussions on conflict prevention, regional security architecture, ASEAN amid China-US competition, and regional/international order. Follow updates from Jeju: www.apln.network/events/upcom...
APLN Policy Fellow Dr Dongkeun Lee recently participated in the Republic of Korea Navy’s biennial Shipboarding Conference in Busan. The conference provided a valuable platform to exchange ideas on the evolving maritime security landscape and the future direction of maritime strategy.
What if changes in US policy toward Southeast Asia are not temporary? In a new APLN report, Ambassador (retired) Piper Campbell from @ausis.bsky.social argues that Southeast Asian states should not view President Donald Trump’s administration as “temporary or an aberration.”
Looking for insights on the 2026 NPT Review Conference? Explore our publications here: www.apln.network/analysis/res...
#ICYMI In her APLN-Korea Times column, Marianne Hanson argues that the NPT’s survival depends on restoring trust and reciprocity between nuclear-weapon and non-nuclear-weapon states. Read the full article 👇 www.apln.network/analysis/the... #NPT #NuclearDisarmament #NonProliferation
South Korea is a major nuclear energy player. But are policy assurances enough? Dr Jun Bong-geun argues Seoul needs a Basic Law on the Peaceful Use of Nuclear Energy to make its non-proliferation commitments more credible. Read more 👇https://lnkd.in/gA6BP6xy #NuclearEnergy #NonProliferation
We're delighted to welcome two new members to the APLN network! 👏🏻
The 11th #NPTRevCon ended without consensus. But for Manpreet Sethi and @hreepsamudra.bsky.social , the real story is what shifted, and what disappeared, across the draft texts. Read their full argument on the #NPT’s ownership crisis 👇 www.apln.network/analysis/com...