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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.

The LY-1, seen here during the Victory Day military parade in Beijing in September 2025, is tasked with close-range interception of incoming missiles and drones. Photo: Xinhua

South China Sea

Powerful anti-drone laser spotted on PLA amphibious ship in South China Sea

Analysts say deploying the LY-1-equipped vessel during Scarborough Shoal drill was meant to send a message to Manila and Washington.

10 Aug 2026 - 9:03PM

The Philippines

As US marks 75 years of defence pact with Philippines, can it stay the course?

10 Aug 2026 - 10:02PM

China's military weapons

How Beijing’s hypersonic ‘carrier killers’ could distract US in a Taiwan conflict

8 Aug 2026 - 10:06PMvideocam

Indonesia

Indonesia’s Prabowo eyes North Korea trip. But no one’s invited him

While a visit could boost Indonesia’s diplomatic clout, it also threatens to raise another outcry about Prabowo’s frequent flights.

5 Aug 2026 - 4:35PM

Indonesia’s President Prabowo Subianto speaks at a press conference in Jakarta on Monday. Photo: Reuters

India

Ready player 3: India offers Asean a US-China alternative

India pitches trade, missiles and room to hedge as the US and China vie for regional influence.

1 Aug 2026 - 8:00AM

US-Asean relations

Inside America’s US$1.5 billion play for Southeast Asian energy

Gas exports and mini reactors serve US interests as much as Asia’s – provided promised projects actually lead anywhere.

29 Jul 2026 - 7:00PM

Artificial intelligence

AI competition heats up as US targets Southeast Asia’s public sector

Washington’s launch of AI Spark is seen as a move to counter Chinese AI models that have made inroads in Southeast Asia, analysts say.

29 Jul 2026 - 9:30AM

An illustration of the US and Chinese AI ecosystems. Photo: Shutterstock

Asean

What North Korea’s ‘rare rebuke’ means for its Asean ties

Kim Yo-jong says Asean’s call for denuclearisation has ‘distorted the essence of the situation in the Korean peninsula’.

27 Jul 2026 - 9:17PMvideocam

Asean

Why new US tariffs threaten Trump government’s credibility in Asean

The additional duties come just a day after Marco Rubio tells Southeast Asian foreign ministers that the US is ‘with Asean 100 per cent’.

26 Jul 2026 - 11:30AMvideocam

Indonesia

Indonesia restarts South China Sea gas project Beijing opposed

A low profile restart of the US$3 billion Tuna field with a Russian partner looks set to test Jakarta’s sovereign resolve.

22 Jul 2026 - 4:36PMvideocam

A Chinese coastguard vessel sails through the North Natuna Sea in this photo released by Indonesia’s Maritime Security Agency in 2024. Photo: Bakamla/EPA-EFE

Japan

Japan seeks Southeast Asia sea lanes to avoid troubled waters in region

A proposal to map charts through five straits comes as Japan fears trade disruption from choke points in the South China Sea and off Malacca.

22 Jul 2026 - 8:00AM

Two liquefied natural gas tankers and a fishing boat seen in the Strait of Malacca in April. Photo: EPA

Singapore

Tharman’s state visit signals ‘mature’ era for Singapore-Malaysia ties

Singapore’s president, in Kuala Lumpur at the invitation of Malaysia’s king, says both nations need each other in a troubled world.

14 Jul 2026 - 7:24PM

South China Sea

Will Manila and Hanoi’s maritime deal challenge Beijing in the South China Sea?

A new cooperation agreement chips away at China’s bilateral negotiation tactic, but experts say its value is mostly symbolic.

15 Jul 2026 - 5:57PMvideocam

Defence

US and allies flex military muscle on China’s doorstep with multi-front drills

Analysts say the near-simultaneous exercises reflect a shift in US strategy that enables allies to play a greater role in regional security.

26 Jun 2026 - 5:44PM

About 10,000 personnel are taking part in Valiant Shield 2026 across Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands and surrounding waters. Photo: X/US Navy

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

Singaporean Prime Minister Lawrence Wong (left) and Russian President Vladimir Putin shake hands during their meeting on the sidelines of the Russia-Asean Summit in Kazan on Thursday. Photo:
Sputnik/AP

Myanmar

Did Myanmar-China talks spawn a more emboldened junta?

China and India have been jostling for influence in Myanmar as the Asean member remains embroiled in civil war.

22 Jun 2026 - 6:35PM

South China Sea

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

US Defence Department changes name of Indo-Pacific Command back to US Pacific Command, suggesting new focus.

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

A test launch of a Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace naval strike missile from a ship. Photo: Kongsberg

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

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