Asian Peace Programme

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? » Asia Research Institute, NUS 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...

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 » Asia Research Institute, NUS 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...

Our latest essay, written by Dr Lili Yan Ing, Secretary General of the International Economic Association, outlines ways in which Southeast Asia can effectively pursue strong relations with both China and the United States. Her essay can be read here:

ASEAN Between China and the US: Navigating a ‘No Single Power’ Global Order » Asia Research Institute, NUS ASEAN Between China and the US: Navigating a 'No Single Power' Global Order By Lili Yan Ing Lili Yan Ing is the secretary general of the International Economic Association (IEA). Republished in The Diplomat, https://thediplomat.com/2025/12/asean-between-china-and-the-us-navigating-a-no-single-power-...

For the 12th episode of Asian Peace Talks, Kishore Mahbubani interviews Professor David Kang, on the three fraught relationships of East Asia: China-Japan, Japan-South Korea, and South Korea-China; as well as the role of the United States. Do listen: https://open.spotify.com/episode/6XAzIkksV4NEQ6nFgsaC1S

Episode 12: Can East Asia reconcile with itself? Asian Peace Talks · Episode

Our latest APP essay, by Professor Tansen Sen, analyses some key actions that China and India can take to "break the loop" of short-term peace, followed by military skirmishes, in the bilateral relationship. Do read: https://ari.nus.edu.sg/app-essay-tansen-sen/

The essay is also published in Foreign Policy: https://foreignpolicy.com/2025/11/18/china-india-modi-xi-border-dispute-diplomacy-geopolitics/

Breaking the Loop: Why India and China Need Political Imagination to Rebuild Trust and Relationship » Asia Research Institute, NUS 1 / 3 Breaking the Loop: Why India and China Need Political Imagination to Rebuild Trust and Relationship By Tansen Sen Tansen Sen is a history professor and the director of the Center for Global Asia at New York University Shanghai. This essay is co-published with Foreign Policy: https://foreignpol...

Our latest APP essay highlights four key steps by which countries in Asia can strengthen their climate resilience. It is written by Dr Arunabha Ghosh, CEO of the Council on Energy, Environment and Water (CEEW), based in Delhi. Do read:

Building Resilience for a New World » Asia Research Institute, NUS Building Resilience for a New World By Arunabha Ghosh Dr Arunabha Ghosh is CEO of the Council on Energy, Environment and Water (CEEW) and Special Envoy for COP30 representing South Asia. Views are personal. A version of this essay was first published on CNA: https://www.channelnewsasia.com/commentar...

We've just published a longer-form Policy Brief on how China and the United States can cooperate in the economic sphere over the longer-term. This essay, by Dr Yuhan Zhang, Principal Economist, China Center, at The Conference Board, is an essential read:

Charting Pathways for U.S.-China Economic Cooperation Amid Strategic Rivalry » Asia Research Institute, NUS Charting Pathways for U.S.-China Economic Cooperation Amid Strategic Rivalry Yuhan Zhang Yuhan Zhang is principal economist at The Conference Board's China Center. November 14, 2025 Following China's accession to the World Trade Organization (WTO) in 2001, Sino-Western economic ties appeared to stre...

Our October essay for APP, by Professor Akbar Ahmed, addresses how the leaders and public thinkers in India and Pakistan should build on the strong cultural links, which span millennia, between the two countries. Do read:

India, Pakistan, and Breaking out of the ‘Continent of Circe’ » Asia Research Institute, NUS India, Pakistan, and Breaking out of the 'Continent of Circe' By Akbar Ahmed Ambassador Akbar Ahmed, Distinguished Professor and Ibn Khaldun Chair of Islamic Studies at American University, is a leading scholar, diplomat, film maker, and author dedicated to promoting understanding between cultures a...

Our September essay, by Professors Yuen Foong Khong and Joseph Liow, analyses Southeast Asia’s “Anatomy of Choice” between the US and China. An important read to understand the challenges this region will face in the coming future.

Southeast Asia’s “Anatomy of Choice” Between the Great Powers » Asia Research Institute, NUS Southeast Asia's "Anatomy of Choice" Between the Great Powers By Joseph Chinyong Liow & Yuen Foong Khong Joseph Chinyong Liow is Dean of the College of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies (RSIS), Nanyang Technological University, Singapore. Yuen....

Our latest essay for the APP, written by Mr Cameron Johnson, an expert on supply chains, analyses how greater supply chain integration can be a generator of peace, particularly in Southeast Asia:

Integrated Supply Chains – A Possible Citadel for Peace in Southeast Asia » Asia Research Institute, NUS Integrated Supply Chains - A Possible Citadel for Peace in Southeast Asia By Cameron Johnson Cameron Johnson is a senior partner at Shanghai-based Tidal Wave Solutions, who specialises in supply chains and has lectured at NYU Shanghai. Republished in South China Morning Post, https://www.scmp.com/we...

Episode 11 of the Asian Peace Talks podcast is now out. Kishore Mahbubani speaks to Ambassador Shivshankar Menon on India's relations with the world. Do listen.

Podcast: https://asianpeacetalks.buzzsprout.com/1744847/episodes/17659082-episode-11-india-and-its-relations-with-the-world

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jRnZNZO6Qg4

Asian Peace Talks with Kishore Mahbubani Episode 11: India and its relations with the world In Episode 11, Kishore Mahbubani interviews Ambassador Shivshankar Menon, one of the most distinguished practitioners and scholars of Indian foreign policy. ...