Rising tensions in the South China Sea, after the Philippine coast guard said it had successfully removed “hazardous” floating barriers allegedly placed by China. Dr Collin Koh, senior fellow at the Institute of Defence and Strategic Studies at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies, shared more about the China-Philippines territorial dispute.

The ever-changing face of terror makes it almost impossible to solve. This, while, the sower of hate becomes more cunning and difficult to identify online. On the 20th year of The Religious Rehabilitation Group (RRG), Detik delves into the efforts by every strata of the community in protecting our young from the threats of online extremism.

Benjamin Ang, Head of Cyber and Homeland Defence, Centre of Excellence for National Security, RSIS, discussed on the latest cybersecurity incidence and threats from around the Asia Pacific region, including tips on how businesses can better protect themselves.

Taking place at the Hague, the Netherlands, on 15 and 16 February 2023, the Responsible AI in the Military Domain Summit (REAIM) gathered participants from various industries across the world; ranging from the government to the military, private sector, academia, and international organisations; to discuss responsible uses and applications of AI in the military.

Prof Kumar Ramakrishna, Dean of RSIS, Professor of National Security Studies, and Provost’s Chair in National Security Studies, RSIS, shared in this SGSecure video on what we can do when we suspect our friends or family members are at risk of radicalisation.

Although Republicans eked out convincing wins in many states and gained control of the House of Representatives in the US midterm elections, it was by no means the bulldozing of the Democrats that some foretold. Meanwhile the race for control of the Senate remains on a cliff-hanger, with seats in Georgia and Arizona currently too close to call. How will these elections impact President Biden’s policymaking for the remainder of his term? We discuss the implications with Dr Adrian Ang of RSIS.

India has traditionally considered itself the natural dominant power in the Indian Ocean region, but it has never faced the scale and types of competition that China will present. Does India have the wherewithal to maintain its leadership in the region? How will India work with the United States, bilaterally and through groupings such as the Quad, as they seek to maintain the status quo in the face of Chinese challenges?

The US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is on a trip to Asia Pacific which includes Singapore, Malaysia, South Korea and Japan but with no mention of Taiwan officially. What is the implication to China- US relations if she does indeed visit Taiwan? Dr Adrian Ang, Research Fellow Coordinator of United States Programme, S S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies tells us.

Many in the West, especially Washington, argue that China extends its global influence by exporting and imposing its developmental model on other countries. But this analysis ignores the ways in which Chinese engagement sometimes accommodates local actors —adapting and assimilating local forms, norms, and practices. What often results is that local players successfully push the Chinese to meet local expectations or demands. What strategies and approaches explain these successes, and what can be learned from them?

In this B-Side episode, Collin Koh, a research fellow at RSIS, elaborated on the lessons the Philippines and the region should take away from the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war. “It is important for countries to seek diplomacy, but also to seek readiness to respond to contingency — in this case, a credible military for both big and small states alike,” Dr Koh tells BusinessWorld reporter Luz Wendy T. Noble.

As Indonesian democracy shows signs of decline, what is NU’s role? How does it continue to defend its position as a “moderate” Muslim organisation and advocate for pluralism? How will its new leader, Yahya Cholil Staquf, direct the organisation’s focus ahead of the 2024 elections? In Talking Indonesia this week, Dr Jemma Purdey discusses these questions and more with Dr Alexander R. Arifianto, a Research Fellow with the Indonesia Programme at RSIS.

Since Russia launched a full scale invasion into Ukraine, many countries have unleashed an unprecedented set of coordinated sanctions against Russia. However, these sanctions do not seem to deter President Putin, and in retaliation, Russia has imposed counter sanctions. So how effective are sanctions imposed on Russia and do the counter sanctions deployed by Russia pose any impact at all? Raffaello Pantucci, Senior Fellow at RSIS, tells us more.

US President Joe Biden’s trip to Europe is said to be one of the highest stakes presidential trips in recent memory as he had back-to-back summits with NATO, the Group of Seven and the European Union discussing on the various issues on Russia and Ukraine.

The US-China relationship has become the world’s most important bilateral relationship, encompassing the two largest economies on earth. Their relations during the post-Mao era have fluctuated between good and poor. The relationship reached a new trough during the Trump Administration, which took office as many observers concluded that contrary to US hopes, China had become more authoritarian and aggressive as it grew wealthier and more powerful.

The Malayan Emergency began in 1948. It was a guerrilla war fought in British Malaya between communist fighters of the Malayan National Liberation Army (MNLA) and the military forces of the British Empire. Dr Kumar Ramakrishna spoke about British propaganda during this period and Templer’s impact. The Communist Party of Malaya’s decisive defeat in 1960 led to its armed struggle in Malaysia and Singapore from 1968 to 1989, known as the Second Emergency – an event that tends to be overlooked. Dr Ong Wei Chong addressed the legacy of Templer and the transition of Malaya to Malaysia.

In this edition of Munich Cyber Security Conference, distinguished experts offered their perspective on this year´s topic “Drifting Clouds – Leadership Perspectives on Addressing Evolving Cyberthreats”. Watch the presentation here by Benjamin Ang, Head of Cyber and Homeland Defence, Centre of Excellence for National Security, RSIS, alongside other experts.

On February 11, the Sigur Center for Asian Studies hosted Benjamin Ho, Assistant Professor at the China Programme, RSIS. The talk examined various iterations of the concepts of RBO/LIO among American scholars/thinkers and how they reflect American views towards Southeast Asia and the extent to which countries in the region support America’s vision of the world.

This talk discussed how China seeks to procure its strategic interests in the region to erode American influence in the region and in doing so, to carve out a niche sphere of influence in the Indo-Pacific. It built upon the findings of Dr Benjamin Ho’s latest article for the National Defense University’s PRISM journal titled “China’s Strategic Objectives in a Post-COVID-19 World.”

Southeast Asia is often viewed as the region that most readily exemplifies the competitive forces of the United States and China at work. And yet, the analogy of Southeast Asia as a testing ground tends to strip these countries of their agency in managing their foreign relations. What do Southeast Asian nations make of Xi Jinping’s more ambitious, more global China? 

The Indo-Pacific has rapidly risen as the Biden administration’s central regional concept by advancing a set of America’s political, defence, economic and technological interests. This seminar aims to examine the “role” to be taken by India and Japan, individually or collectively, for the possible institutionalisation of Indo-Pacific multilateralism.

When it comes to Singapore’s anti-fake news law, a security analyst has said there are controls and appeals in place to prevent overreach. Dr Shashi Jayakumar, Head of the Centre of Excellence for National Security at RSIS, was asked at a forum if POFMA is the best way to deal with disinformation, given that a single minister controls the narrative.

As growing trade coercion threatens the integrity of the global trade system, how can governments effectively respond? Trade coercion – where governments arbitrarily impose trade barriers on others to apply political and economic pressure – has unfortunately become common. As geopolitical tensions have increased in recent years, many governments have used trade as a weapon to threaten or punish others.

The Indo-Pacific is also a major market comprising 38 countries, with 65 percent of the world’s population, 62 percent of the world’s GDP and 46 percent of the world’s merchandise trade. However, for this market to be optimally utilised, there is a need for greater connectivity and freedom of navigation including the mitigation of threats such as maritime piracy, undocumented migration and terrorism.

On 15 September, President Biden and Prime Ministers Morrison and Johnson announced the establishment of “AUKUS,” a new trilateral security partnership in the Indo-Pacific region. The three sides committed to wide ranging security cooperation, including on the provision of nuclear attack submarine technology to Australia. Amb Ong Keng Yong, Executive Deputy Chairman, RSIS, discussed the implications for the region.