| This week, seven APLN members joined other leaders to support a statement on the need to reverse the slide to nuclear war. Tom Barber analyses how Trump’s policies erode multilateral cooperation and heighten global uncertainty. We share the recording of our recent webinar on what the second Trump administration means for the cross-strait status quo.
As the US administration continues to focus on tariffs, we revisit a special report by Zha Daojiong on the rising risk of a dangerous US-China confrontation and why reversing economic decoupling is the key to preventing it.
As always, we share recent activities from our network, including analysis on the case for abolishing nuclear weapons, Trump’s F-35 offer to India, threats and opportunities for Southeast Asia, and more. |
|
|
Three Essential Steps for Reversing the Slide to Nuclear War
|
|
|
APLN members Gareth Evans, Nobuyasu Abe, Dewi Fortuna Anwar, Shen Dingli, Chung-in Moon, Manpreet Sethi, and APLN Executive Director Shatabhisha Shetty have endorsed a statement from the Euro-Atlantic Security Leadership Group (EASLG), calling for leaders of nuclear-armed states to reaffirm a commitment to sustain the existing moratoria on explosive nuclear testing, advance nuclear fail-safe in every nation with nuclear arms, affirm and strengthen the fundamental principles governing the use of outer space.
The Euro-Atlantic Security Leadership Group (EASLG) operates as an independent and informal initiative, with participants who reflect the diversity of the Euro-Atlantic region from the United States, Canada, Russia, and fifteen European countries. The statement was released at the 2025 Munich Security Conference (MSC).
|
|
|
How to Manage Existential Risk in the Age of Trump
|
|
|
Tom Barber explains how Trump’s second term poses threats to existential risks and what this means for the Asia-Pacific. He suggests that regional middle powers like Australia, Japan, and South Korea should work together and step up to fill the void left by the US retreat, while policymakers and the public should focus on what Trump does rather than what he says, to separate the signal from the noise.
|
|
|
Trump and the Cross-Strait Status Quo – Views from Taiwan, ASEAN and the US
|
|
|
On February 20, we held a webinar examining the emerging Taiwan policy of the Trump administration and its implications for the Cross-Strait status quo. Kristy Hsu presented key findings and recommendations from her APLN report, with Anne Hsiao, Ja Ian Chong, and APLN Senior Research Adviser Frank O’Donnell. The discussion was moderated by APLN Policy Fellow Joel Petersson Ivre.
|
|
|
Decoupling: A Path of No Return Between China
and the United States?
|
|
|
In this special report, Zha Daojiong explores the complex phenomenon of decoupling between China and the United States through the lens of history, trade-dependence and technology. Zha points out that decoupling “does not have to proceed on a path toward a point of no return.” The forces that could reverse decoupling will need to come from domestic contexts rather than from diplomatic dialogues aimed at persuading the other party to change its overall strategy or take specific actions.
|
|
|
APLN has over 160 members from 22 countries in the Asia-Pacific.
Each week we feature their latest contributions
to global and regional security debates.
|
|
| Melissa Parke, Executive Director of the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN), wrote for Project Syndicate and stressed that the deterrence doctrine increases the risk of nuclear war. It was the taboo established and sustained by the survivors of the attacks on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, not the flawed theory of nuclear deterrence, that has prevented the further use of nuclear weapons. |
|
|
| Frank O’Donnell, APLN Senior Research Adviser, was quoted by India Today on the Trump administration’s offer of F-35 fighter jets to India. Frank commented that it signals a continued US commitment to supporting India’s military power. However, India will need to weigh the lengthy negotiations and delivery process against other potential platforms that could better suit its immediate fighter jet needs. |
|
|
| Hoang Thi Ha, Senior Fellow at ISEAS – Yusof Ishak Institute, discussed how Trump’s aggressive rhetoric is perceived in Southeast Asia and warned that it could potentially embolden the expansionist ambitions of bigger powers worldwide, threatening to unravel the principles of sovereignty and territorial integrity that have underpinned global stability for decades. |
|
|
| Kasit Piromya, former Ambassador and former Foreign Minister of Thailand, wrote for the Bangkok Post and suggested that the leaders of ASEAN countries, such as the Prime Minister of Malaysia and the President of Indonesia, must have the courage and initiative to work together toward the overall success and prosperity of the grouping. |
|
|
| Kishore Mahbubani, Singapore’s former Ambassador to the United Nations, wrote for Foreign Policy and proposed three options to restore Europe’s geopolitical standing, stressing that Europeans must adjust their strategic thinking based on worst-case scenarios. |
|
|
Was this newsletter forwarded to you?
Sign up here to receive weekly updates from APLN directly to your inbox.
|
|
|
Do you want direct updates on non-proliferation and disarmament issues
in the Asia-Pacific?
Before it’s in the newsletter, it’s on social media.
Follow APLN for direct updates in your favorite social media feed.
|
|
|
|
|
