| This week, Moeed Yusuf and Rizwan Zeb examine the trilateral dynamics in five South Asian nuclear crises in which the United States played a mediatory role that led to crisis termination. Kyoko Hatakeyama explores Japan’s assessment of the South China Sea dispute and the measures Tokyo is taking to avert further escalation. We are also inviting applications for the position of Research & Communications Intern to support our team.
As always, we highlight recent activities from our network, including analyses on middle-power coalition, China’s nuclear modernisation efforts, the expiration of the New START Treaty, and more. |
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A Quarter Century of Nuclear South Asia: Nuclear Noise, Signalling, and the Risk of Escalation in India-Pakistan Crises
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Moeed Yusuf and Rizwan Zeb examine the trilateral dynamics in five South Asian nuclear crises in which the United States played a mediatory role that led to crisis termination. “The only smart policy,” they argue, “is one that ensures crisis prevention. This points to the need for the international community to push for a serious Indian-Pakistani dialogue aimed at addressing the root causes of bilateral tensions—their outstanding disputes and contentious issues.”
This paper is published simultaneously by Carnegie Endowment for International Peace here and by the Nautilus Institute here, with the support of the Carnegie Corporation of New York.
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Maritime Cooperation between Non-Major Power Stakeholders in the South China Sea: Japan’s capability and limitations
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Kyoko Hatakeyama explores Japan’s assessment of the South China Sea dispute and the measures Tokyo is taking to avert further escalation. Due to constitutional constraints on direct military engagement, Japan has placed greater emphasis on bilateral and multilateral diplomatic efforts in the region, which Hatakeyama examines in detail.
This project was supported through a grant from the Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung.
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APLN Members Mely Caballero-Anthony, Tatsujiro Suzuki, Nobumasa Akiyama, Yong-soo Hwang, Kazuko Hikawa (not seen in photo), APLN Senior Research Adviser Manpreet Sethi and Senior Policy Fellow Tanvi Kulkarni participated in the Asian Nuclear Security Dialogue, organised by the Nuclear Threat Initiative and Institute of Peace and Conflict Studies, New Delhi, in Osaka this week.
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We are inviting applications for a Research & Communications Intern to support our research projects, communications, and events. This position offers hands-on experience in research, communications, and network engagement in an international not-for-profit.
The ideal candidate will be a current student or recent graduate in international relations, political science, security studies, or a related field, with strong English writing skills. Applicants must be based within ±3 hours of Korean Standard Time.
To apply, email your CV and cover letter (subject line: “Research Intern 2026”) to hr@apln.network.
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APLN has over 170 members from 24 countries in the Asia-Pacific.
Each week, we feature their latest contributions
to global and regional security debates.
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| Chung-in Moon, APLN Vice Chair, was interviewed by The Korea Times, arguing that South Korea should consider playing a more proactive role in uniting middle powers, as the global order is increasingly shaped by great-power rivalry and transactional diplomacy, with major powers relying on tariffs, financial pressure, and security leverage to pursue their national interests. |
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Tong Zhao, Senior Fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, joins Stimson Senior Fellow Daniel Markey for a conversation unpacking China’s nuclear modernisation efforts and launch-on-warning capabilities, regional nuclear forces in the China–India dyad, China–Pakistan military cooperation during the May crisis, and Beijing’s perceptions of South Asian security.
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| Maria Rost Rublee, Professor of International Relations at the University of Melbourne, was featured on the Australian Broadcasting Corporation’s (ABC) The World and discussed the looming expiration of the New START Treaty – the only remaining piece of arms control architecture – and what it means for strategic stability. |
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| Elina Noor, Senior Fellow in the Asia Programme at Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, wrote for The South China Morning Post, noting that instead of joining Trump’s neocolonial “Board of Peace”, Southeast Asian leaders should seize the chance to help rebuild a global order that is just and equitable. |
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| C. Raja Mohan, Visiting Professor at the National University of Singapore’s Institute of South Asian Studies, wrote for the Indian Express on India-US partnership, commenting that the convergence of strategic interests and the creation of a dense architecture of cooperation in recent years would not be easily wrecked by personality clashes, or even serious differences on any single issue. |
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