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S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies

S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies: A prominent Singapore-based autonomous graduate school and global think tank, RSIS is part of Nanyang Technological University. It is dedicated to being a leading research and graduate teaching institution in strategic and international affairs in the Asia-Pacific. Its main areas of focus include offering Master’s and Doctoral programmes in international relations, strategic studies, and Asian studies, alongside conducting policy-relevant research on defence, national security, and non-traditional security issues. Recognised as a top graduate school in Asia, RSIS significantly contributes to policy-making and regional security dialogues.

Singapore

Why Wong-Putin meeting doesn’t mean Singapore’s going soft on Russia

Singapore needs to balance its tough stance on the Ukraine war with its responsibilities towards other Asean nations, experts say.

22 Jun 2026 - 6:58PMvideocam

Myanmar

Did Myanmar-China talks spawn a more emboldened junta?

22 Jun 2026 - 6:35PM

South China Sea

As Iran war comes to a close, is US pulling warships back to the west Pacific?

17 Jun 2026 - 11:24PMvideocam

Asean

Asean at 60: peace, prosperity and polite paralysis

Non-interference bought decades of stability, but now breeds inaction. Is Asean due an overhaul?

13 Jun 2026 - 8:00AMvideocam

Singapore

Singapore’s ban on anti-Indian posts exposes threat of race ‘weaponisation’

The posts from a China-based platform have sought to tap into unease on unemployment and ‘play on existing prejudices’, an analyst says.

10 Jun 2026 - 5:36PM

Donald Trump

Trump’s forced-labour tariffs put Southeast Asia in the firing line

Washington’s proposed tariffs of 10 per cent to 12.5 per cent could push regional countries to accelerate economic integration.

9 Jun 2026 - 4:58PM

Quadrilateral Security Dialogue

Past failures haunt the Quad’s US$20 billion critical minerals push

The initiative aims to break China’s near-monopoly, but private-sector caution and a history of unfulfilled pledges stand in the way.

6 Jun 2026 - 1:00PMvideocam

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio holds a press conference during the Critical Minerals Ministerial meeting at the State Department in February. Photo: Reuters

Singapore

Shangri-La Dialogue: can Asia do ‘less Shangri-La, more ships, more subs’?

In response to Hegseth’s call, participants at the Singapore forum say defence spending levels have to factor in different countries’ needs.

31 May 2026 - 11:46PMvideocam

Singapore

17 nations launch pact to protect vital undersea cables amid US, China absence

Singapore’s defence chief tells the Shangri-La Dialogue the pact aims to explore potential areas of collaboration and share best practices.

1 Jun 2026 - 9:40AM

US-Asean relations

Tariffs, war and broken trust: Southeast Asia’s Trump problem

Disillusioned by US unpredictability, the region is learning to diversify – while Trump treats allies as bargaining chips.

30 May 2026 - 7:30AM

China-South Korea relations

How will South Korea’s nuclear submarines alter balance near first island chain?

Analyst cites further Indo-Pacific nations eyeing SSNs, with potential to ‘tie together with the broader US alliance system in the region’.

29 May 2026 - 5:28PMvideocam

South Korea says it will build its own nuclear-powered submarines, with the first vessels to be launched by the mid-2030s. Photo: Getty Images

Malaysia

‘Tiger without fangs’: Malaysia navy faces turbulence over Norway’s missile ban

While Malaysia considers alternatives from ‘three to four countries’, analysts say an advanced missile system is crucial for its navy.

28 May 2026 - 5:48PM

Singapore

Failed M1-Simba merger prolongs Singapore’s cutthroat telco price war

With a major merger scuppered by an official investigation, four telcos remain locked in a costly war to win over local customers.

27 May 2026 - 6:24PMvideocam

Singapore

Singapore drone trials spotlight regional rush for uncrewed systems

As Southeast Asian militaries adopt cheap, lethal systems, experts warn a lack of established rules could prove dangerous.

29 May 2026 - 1:57PM

A US Navy drone parks beside a Philippine C130 plane at the airport of Zamboanga, southern Philippines last year. Photo: AP

The Philippines

More than a missile? Why the Philippines wants Japan’s old Type 88

Manila’s military already operates superior weapons, but analysts say Tokyo’s Cold War-era hardware still has something to offer.

20 May 2026 - 11:42AMvideocam

Japanese soldiers stand beside a Type 88 surface-to-ship missile system in Paoay, Ilocos Norte, the Philippines, on May 6. Photo: AFP

US-China relations

Will the Trump-class battleship really be able to deter China?

The US Navy’s claims that the ships will ‘inspire confidence in our friends and fear in our adversaries’ have been widely questioned.

17 May 2026 - 10:00PMvideocam

2026 Xi-Trump summits

How US missile shortages could strengthen China’s hand during Trump visit

Washington’s depleted stocks and supply chain weaknesses could hand Beijing an important bargaining chip in this week’s talks.

13 May 2026 - 10:09PMvideocam

South China Sea

Philippines pitches Asean maritime hub despite ‘big red elephant in the room’

Can a Philippine-led maritime hub succeed? Observers say the plan touches on a dispute other members are loath to broach.

13 May 2026 - 4:14PMvideocam

A Chinese coastguard vessel tests its water cannon in the South China Sea on May 5. Photo: Xinhua

Singapore

Why flood of AI deepfakes is accusing Singapore of being ‘ungrateful’ to China

Clips on Chinese social media showing speakers disparaging the city state are likely to be deepfakes, experts say.

12 May 2026 - 2:41PMvideocam

Japan

Mogami momentum: why Japan’s warship is winning over New Zealand

Japan’s Mogami and Britain’s Type 31 are the top two contenders, but Australia may have already tipped the scales.

9 May 2026 - 10:30AM

US, Israel war on Iran

Will Israel’s use of Iron Dome to aid Arab neighbour recalibrate Mideast defence?

Reported deployment ‘on UAE soil represents a qualitatively different level of trust and coordination’, analyst says.

29 Apr 2026 - 12:00PMvideocam

Rockets are intercepted by the Iron Dome over the Upper Galilee region in northern Israel, on April 11. A US news outlet says Israel sent an Iron Dome battery to the UAE early in the Iran war. Photo: AFP

Asean

Why Malacca Strait tolls are unlikely despite Indonesia’s maritime push

Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore are united in upholding the principle of free passage but this must be ‘actively maintained’, analysts say.

28 Apr 2026 - 6:35PMvideocam

A worker walks past a liquefied natural gas tanker in the Malacca Strait on April 15. Photo: EPA

Malaysia

At Malaysia’s arms bazaar, drone dealers chase Southeast Asian market share

‘Drone warfare is the future,’ say arms dealers in Kuala Lumpur – and the region’s militaries are buying in.

26 Apr 2026 - 1:46PMvideocam

China-India relations

Could Russian missiles help India counter its arch-rival’s Chinese weapons?

‘Force multiplier’ could allow New Delhi to target Pakistani support planes such as surveillance and refuelling aircraft.

26 Apr 2026 - 4:10PMvideocam

US, Israel war on Iran

Shifting Saudi ties: what role could China take after Iran war is over?

Caught between Washington and Tehran, Riyadh may shift towards self-reliance and diversifying partnerships, observers note.

22 Apr 2026 - 12:00PMvideocam

Smoke rises above RIyadh amid the US-Israeli conflict with Iran. Since the war began on February 28, Iranian missiles and drones have targeted key Saudi infrastructure. Photo: Reuters

Social media

Southeast Asia wants children off social media. Will it work?

Indonesia is leading a regional push to ban children from social media platforms. Enforcement is another matter, however.

19 Apr 2026 - 10:00AMvideocam

A child uses a mobile phone at a park in Denpasar, Bali, Indonesia, last month. Photo: EPA

US, Israel war on Iran

Can Iran’s small, fast-attack boats challenge US naval blockade of Hormuz?

Iran’s conventional navy might be decimated, but its large fleet of high-speed boats could well pose a threat, analysts in China say.

15 Apr 2026 - 8:13PMvideocam

The Philippines

Why Southeast Asian nations are skipping major US-Philippine Balikatan drills

Given the rivalry between Washington and Beijing, joining the annual military exercise may risk being seen as picking the US, analysts say.

17 Apr 2026 - 1:11PM

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