Asian Peace Programme

21/09/2026

Our latest essay, published on 16 September, argues for the merits of the Indian and Pakistani governments engaging with each other, even as the bilateral relationship has become frozen today. The author is Nirupama Rao, India's former foreign secretary.

13/09/2026

As President Xi Jinping visits India for the first time in 7 years, do read our September essay by Dr Sanjaya Baru on what China and India need to do to capitalise on their warming ties:

Asian Peace Programme: by Kishore Mahbubani India-China ties are warming, the time to capitalise is now Sanjaya Baru Sanjaya Baru is Distinguished Fellow, United Services Institution of India. He was advisor to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Director for Geo-economics & Strategy, International In...

08/08/2026

Our 1st APP essay for August is by Thomas Greminger, of the Geneva Centre for Security Policy, who writes on cooperation in AI: https://ari.nus.edu.sg/app-essay-thomas-greminger/

Our 2nd APP essay for August is by Peter Varghese, former Secretary of the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs, who writes on heightening global cooperation on nuclear nonproliferation: https://ari.nus.edu.sg/app-essay-peter-varghese/

Happy reading!

01/08/2026

In July, the APP published an essay by Meg Rithmire, the James E. Robison Professor at Harvard Business School. Amidst growing US-China economic rivalry, the essay argues that this is also an opportunity for Southeast Asia to set its own terms of trade.

What Can Southeast Asia Get Out of China’s- and Everyone’s-Shift to the Region? Meg Rithmire Meg Rithmire is the James E. Robison Professor at Harvard Business School. This article was first published by the Asian Peace Programme (APP), an initiative to promote peace in Asia, housed in the NUS A...

17/07/2026

The APP's June essay, by Professor Danny Quah, outlines why small states are more incentivised to shape geopolitics positively by enhancing cooperation, at a time when economic ties alone can no longer guarantee peace in great power relations.

Small states are the best bet for keeping world at peace Danny Quah Danny Quah is Li Ka Shing Professor in Economics, Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, NUS. A version of this essay was first published on CNA: https://www.channelnewsasia.com/commentary/war-peace-power-small-states-asean-6212086 2...

22/06/2026

The latest essay for the APP, by I Gusti Wesaka Puja, looks at how Indonesia and Timor Leste managed to reconcile after their painful history. Their reconciliation holds key lessons for the world today.

Indonesia-Timor Leste Reconciliation: 'Through Memory Towards Hope' I Gusti Agung Wesaka Puja I Gusti Agung Wesaka Puja is the executive director of the ASEAN Institute for Peace & Reconciliation (ASEAN-IPR). When the Indonesia-Timor-Leste Commission of Truth and Friendship (CTF) was established, he...

25/05/2026

Our May essay, by Ambassador Shivshankar Menon, discusses how India can play a constructive role in an increasingly disordered and geopolitically turbulent world. Do read:
https://x.com/asian_peace/status/2058742833352528026

14/05/2026

Our April essay is by Professor Akio Takahara, on how Japan-China ties can benefit from promoting people-to-people exchanges.

Why Japan-China ties can benefit from promoting people-to-people exchanges Akio Takahara Akio Takahara is Distinguished Visiting Professor at Tokyo Woman's Christian University. 30 April, 2026 Japan and China are Asian powerhouses that should collaborate responsibly for the peace and prosperity of t...

24/02/2026

This weekend, 88 countries signed the Delhi Declaration on equitable use of AI. However, as Alex Capri writes for APP, it is imperative for middle powers to put in guardrails on military use of AI, even as China and the US pursue a zero sum AI agenda.

Who will save the world from a US-China AI arms race? By Alex Capri Alex Capri is a former Senior Fellow and current Senior Lecturer in the Business School at the National University of Singapore. February 20, 2026 2026 has begun with a worsening trust deficit, as geopolitical rivalry between the Un...

19/01/2026

The APP began the new year with a focus closer to home. Two scholars, one Thai and one Cambodian, have write two separate essays on how long-term peace and stability can be achieved in the Thailand-Cambodia relationship. They make for essential reading.

The Thailand-Cambodia conflict: A Thai and Cambodian perspective on peace The recent escalation along the Cambodia-Thailand border stands out as one of the most serious threats to peace in Southeast Asia today. While securing a ceasefire is essential, it is only a first step. Lasting stability requi...