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Centre for Strategic and International Studies (US)

The Centre for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) is a prominent Washington, D.C.-based non-profit think tank, established in 1962. Dedicated to providing strategic insights and policy solutions on global issues, CSIS focuses on international relations, security, economics, trade, technology, and global health. It conducts extensive research and analysis, developing policy initiatives for decision-makers in government and other sectors. Recognised as a leading bipartisan institution, CSIS is highly influential in shaping foreign policy and national security discussions, contributing significantly to public understanding and policy development.

Cambodia

What US lifting of arms embargo on Cambodia means for defence ties

Analysts say Cambodia is likely to make only modest US arms purchases given its limited budget, and rely on Chinese weaponry for now.

10 Feb 2026 - 7:07PMvideocam

US-China relations

Trump balks at nuclear limit extension, calls for new US-China-Russia deal

6 Feb 2026 - 10:18AMvideocam

China's military weapons

The US is working on cheaper munitions. Should China follow its lead?

28 Jan 2026 - 5:42PMvideocam

Saudi Arabia

‘Anything can happen’: Saudi-UAE rift risks tearing Middle East apart

The Gulf neighbours have turned from friends to foes, fighting proxy wars across the region and forcing global powers to pick a side.

25 Jan 2026 - 4:00PM

Yemeni separatists wave South Yemen and UAE flags during a protest against Saudi Arabia in Aden on December 30. Photo: EPA

Indonesia

‘Resilience’ is Indonesia’s new foreign policy buzzword, but is it just rhetoric?

Analysts warn the vague concept lacks a long-term strategy and risks Jakarta drifting from its non-aligned values into transactional deals.

25 Jan 2026 - 8:00AMvideocam

China-Africa relations

How China is ramping up Africa charm offensive to boost cultural ties, influence

Beijing dedicates 2026 to ‘cultural and social diplomacy’ across the continent, with 600 activities aimed at fostering strong friendships.

18 Jan 2026 - 8:00PMvideocam

Indonesia

‘False pride’: Indonesia’s UN rights role clashes with its domestic record

While officials tout a diplomatic win, rights groups ask how a nation that ‘criminalises expression’ can lead the UN Human Rights Council.

18 Jan 2026 - 12:00PM

A session of the United Nations Human Rights Council held in Geneva in 2024. Photo: AFP

Asean

Visa suspension tests US priorities in Southeast Asia

The move reflects an ‘America first’ policy approach and treats certain allies in the region as ‘strategically insignificant’, analysts say.

17 Jan 2026 - 2:00PMvideocam

Myanmar

Philippine minister’s ‘premature’ Myanmar visit casts doubts over Asean’s role

Critics say the visit may be viewed as the bloc’s new chair endorsing a controversial junta-led election in Myanmar.

25 Jan 2026 - 3:00PMvideocam

China-Africa relations

China’s Wang Yi cites ‘severe risks’ after Somalia dropped from Africa itinerary

In a call with the Somali foreign minister, China’s top envoy reiterates Beijing’s support for Somalia’s territorial integrity.

12 Jan 2026 - 5:53PMvideocam

China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi was supposed to visit Mogadishu as part of his African tour but he instead went to Tanzania on Friday. Photo: AFP

Greenland

Greenland. Greenland. Greenland. Why is Trump so fixed on the US having it?

Denmark says it’s not for sale and people on the island seem opposed to being owned by the United States.

9 Jan 2026 - 5:12PMvideocam

Greenland is a sparsely populated Arctic island and has long been considered strategically important to US defence, mainly because of its location. Photo: Reuters

Saudi Arabia

US allies Saudi Arabia, UAE risk a split in Middle East over competing visions

A ‘new order’ is emerging as Abu Dhabi-backed separatist allies clash with pro-Riyadh governments in the region.

8 Jan 2026 - 5:21PM

US-China trade war

BYD’s win, Tesla’s defeat, Ford’s pivot: the widening gap in US-China EV markets

From wavering policy to cost gaps, analysts say decades of state backing have given China a decisive edge over US rivals.

17 Jan 2026 - 1:07AMvideocam

US-Venezuela conflict

US ousting of Maduro prompts region to reassess China – and Trump’s next move

Trump hints at wider action as Latin American governments weigh sovereignty, China ties and US dominance.

6 Jan 2026 - 5:49PMvideocam

Protesters gather outside a courthouse in New York on Monday where ousted Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro made his first appearance after he was seized by US forces in his country. Photo: Xinhua

US-China relations

US envoy hosts Quad meeting in Beijing as PLA’s drills around Taiwan continue

Some analysts, however, say Quad is losing significance under Trump despite this latest show of unity and deterrence by the regional bloc.

1 Jan 2026 - 5:46AMvideocam

US Ambassador to China David Perdue hosted a meeting of Quad partners in Beijing on Tuesday as China continued large-scale military drills around Taiwan. Photo: Getty images via AFP

US-China relations

Will Trump’s battleship plan deter China or is it just a pipe dream?

Donald Trump unveils new class of ship meant to ‘inspire fear in America’s enemies’, but analysts say the initiative faces huge hurdles.

26 Dec 2025 - 5:50PMvideocam

US-China relations

Pentagon’s Taiwan war games reflect US anxiety over PLA power: defence experts

Leaked report projects heavy US losses in potential cross-strait conflict and highlights Beijing’s ability to destroy warships and planes.

21 Dec 2025 - 6:00AM

Taiwan

Opinion | Taiwan intervention may just spell the end of the West

Mutual economic destruction or worse for China and the West should be enough to deter everyone from internationalising the Taiwan question.

20 Dec 2025 - 9:30AMvideocam

A member of the People’s Liberation Army scans the sea during military exercises, with Taiwan’s frigate Lan Yang in the distance, on August 5, 2022. Photo: Xinhua via AP

China-South Korea relations

China’s build-up of Yellow Sea facilities tipped to fuel South Korean suspicions

Report notes increasing number of buoys with possible military uses in waters both sides claim as part of their exclusive economic zones.

16 Dec 2025 - 6:21PMvideocam

China-South Korea relations

Is the US pushing South Korea to the fore in deterring a war over Taiwan?

Washington’s latest strategy urges allies to spend ‘much more for collective defence’ as it backs Seoul building nuclear-powered submarines.

14 Dec 2025 - 12:00PMvideocam

China-India relations

Trump, Modi have ‘warm’ phone call – but 2025 unlikely to end with a trade deal

Even after calls for India to contribute more in the Indo-Pacific to counter China and deepen defence ties, Trump refuses to budge on trade concessions.

12 Dec 2025 - 7:07AMvideocam

US President Donald Trump and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi enjoyed a friendly phone call on Thursday, but a trade deal between the two countries is still some way off. Photo: AP

US-China trade war

USMCA urged to form joint mechanism to address China’s national security threats

US, Mexico and Canada encouraged at US trade hearing to oversee ‘pragmatic and specific plan’ to strengthen economic rules against China.

4 Dec 2025 - 7:42AMvideocam

Shipping containers with flags of Mexico and China. The USMCA has been encouraged to adopt stronger economic security rules with China. Illustration: Shutterstock

South China Sea

China ramps up surveillance equipment at Spratly Islands bases: US think tank

Satellites detect new radars and electronic warfare gear at South China Sea outposts, CSIS says.

3 Dec 2025 - 8:00PMvideocam

South China Sea

‘Strategic’: why are drones taking off among South China Sea claimant states?

Experts weigh the merits and limits of growing pivot in the region to uncrewed aircraft and the potential for 24/7 patrols.

3 Dec 2025 - 11:19AMvideocam

Myanmar

Political show? Why Myanmar is again cracking down on cyber scammers

Myanmar’s junta has been under pressure to raid fraud hubs by China as its citizens have been badly affected by these scammers, analysts say.

27 Nov 2025 - 7:00PMvideocam

White smoke billows after an explosion at KK Park online scam centre in Myawaddy, Myanmar, on October 25, Photo: AP

Indonesia

Indonesia scripts soft-power diplomacy push with film shot in China’s Ningxia

Analysts say ‘Assalamualaikum Beijing 2: Lost in Ningxia’ is a striking example of cinema being used to bridge cultural divides.

27 Nov 2025 - 4:03PMvideocam

A scene from “Assalamualaikum Beijing 2: Lost in Ningxia” featuring actors Yasmin Napper (right) and Gabriella Ekaputri. Photo: Imperial Picture

US-China trade war

US-China: a fragile truce, divergent accounts and a Thanksgiving test

Washington pushes a rare earth timeline Beijing never acknowledged, underscoring how far apart the two sides still appear to be.

22 Nov 2025 - 4:38AMvideocam

US-China relations

US must speed up arms deliveries to Taiwan, create stockpile, Senate hears

Witnesses warn delays and incomplete mandates under landmark 2022 law weaken deterrence as Washington prioritises better ties with Beijing.

22 Nov 2025 - 12:11AMvideocam

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Centre for Strategic and International Studies (US)

What US lifting of arms embargo on Cambodia means for defence ties

Analysts say Cambodia is likely to make only modest US arms purchases given its limited budget, and rely on Chinese weaponry for now.

Trump balks at nuclear limit extension, calls for new US-China-Russia deal

The US is working on cheaper munitions. Should China follow its lead?

‘Anything can happen’: Saudi-UAE rift risks tearing Middle East apart

The Gulf neighbours have turned from friends to foes, fighting proxy wars across the region and forcing global powers to pick a side.

‘Resilience’ is Indonesia’s new foreign policy buzzword, but is it just rhetoric?

Analysts warn the vague concept lacks a long-term strategy and risks Jakarta drifting from its non-aligned values into transactional deals.

How China is ramping up Africa charm offensive to boost cultural ties, influence

Beijing dedicates 2026 to ‘cultural and social diplomacy’ across the continent, with 600 activities aimed at fostering strong friendships.

‘False pride’: Indonesia’s UN rights role clashes with its domestic record

While officials tout a diplomatic win, rights groups ask how a nation that ‘criminalises expression’ can lead the UN Human Rights Council.

Visa suspension tests US priorities in Southeast Asia

The move reflects an ‘America first’ policy approach and treats certain allies in the region as ‘strategically insignificant’, analysts say.

Philippine minister’s ‘premature’ Myanmar visit casts doubts over Asean’s role

Critics say the visit may be viewed as the bloc’s new chair endorsing a controversial junta-led election in Myanmar.

China’s Wang Yi cites ‘severe risks’ after Somalia dropped from Africa itinerary

In a call with the Somali foreign minister, China’s top envoy reiterates Beijing’s support for Somalia’s territorial integrity.

Greenland. Greenland. Greenland. Why is Trump so fixed on the US having it?

Denmark says it’s not for sale and people on the island seem opposed to being owned by the United States.

US allies Saudi Arabia, UAE risk a split in Middle East over competing visions

A ‘new order’ is emerging as Abu Dhabi-backed separatist allies clash with pro-Riyadh governments in the region.

BYD’s win, Tesla’s defeat, Ford’s pivot: the widening gap in US-China EV markets

From wavering policy to cost gaps, analysts say decades of state backing have given China a decisive edge over US rivals.

US ousting of Maduro prompts region to reassess China – and Trump’s next move

Trump hints at wider action as Latin American governments weigh sovereignty, China ties and US dominance.

US envoy hosts Quad meeting in Beijing as PLA’s drills around Taiwan continue

Some analysts, however, say Quad is losing significance under Trump despite this latest show of unity and deterrence by the regional bloc.

Will Trump’s battleship plan deter China or is it just a pipe dream?

Donald Trump unveils new class of ship meant to ‘inspire fear in America’s enemies’, but analysts say the initiative faces huge hurdles.

Pentagon’s Taiwan war games reflect US anxiety over PLA power: defence experts

Leaked report projects heavy US losses in potential cross-strait conflict and highlights Beijing’s ability to destroy warships and planes.

.css-1m2rp1p{color:#34b8b5;}Opinion | Taiwan intervention may just spell the end of the West

Mutual economic destruction or worse for China and the West should be enough to deter everyone from internationalising the Taiwan question.

China’s build-up of Yellow Sea facilities tipped to fuel South Korean suspicions

Report notes increasing number of buoys with possible military uses in waters both sides claim as part of their exclusive economic zones.

Is the US pushing South Korea to the fore in deterring a war over Taiwan?

Washington’s latest strategy urges allies to spend ‘much more for collective defence’ as it backs Seoul building nuclear-powered submarines.

Trump, Modi have ‘warm’ phone call – but 2025 unlikely to end with a trade deal

Even after calls for India to contribute more in the Indo-Pacific to counter China and deepen defence ties, Trump refuses to budge on trade concessions.

USMCA urged to form joint mechanism to address China’s national security threats

US, Mexico and Canada encouraged at US trade hearing to oversee ‘pragmatic and specific plan’ to strengthen economic rules against China.

China ramps up surveillance equipment at Spratly Islands bases: US think tank

Satellites detect new radars and electronic warfare gear at South China Sea outposts, CSIS says.

‘Strategic’: why are drones taking off among South China Sea claimant states?

Experts weigh the merits and limits of growing pivot in the region to uncrewed aircraft and the potential for 24/7 patrols.

Political show? Why Myanmar is again cracking down on cyber scammers

Myanmar’s junta has been under pressure to raid fraud hubs by China as its citizens have been badly affected by these scammers, analysts say.

Indonesia scripts soft-power diplomacy push with film shot in China’s Ningxia

Analysts say ‘Assalamualaikum Beijing 2: Lost in Ningxia’ is a striking example of cinema being used to bridge cultural divides.

US-China: a fragile truce, divergent accounts and a Thanksgiving test

Washington pushes a rare earth timeline Beijing never acknowledged, underscoring how far apart the two sides still appear to be.

US must speed up arms deliveries to Taiwan, create stockpile, Senate hears

Witnesses warn delays and incomplete mandates under landmark 2022 law weaken deterrence as Washington prioritises better ties with Beijing.

Opinion | Taiwan intervention may just spell the end of the West