In October, the Japanese anti-nuclear group, Nihon Hidankyo, was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, in recognition of their efforts to campaign for a nuclear-free world. Even as it underscores the urgency of international efforts for peace and disarmament, conflict and war continue to surge worldwide. In Northeast Asia, North Korea has sent troops to support Russia’s war against Ukraine and threatened to use nuclear weapons in a potential conflict with South Korea and the United States. Meanwhile, tensions remain high in the Taiwan Strait with the latest round of live-fire drills conducted by China.

In light of these developments, our recent reports and events provide timely analyses. As part of our Asia Dialogue on China-US Relations project, we released a report by Kristy Tsun-Tzu Hsu, analysing how the 2024 Taiwanese presidential election and shifting public views on relations with China are likely to impact regional stability.

Another report, Regional End States and Beyond, explores diverse Asia-Pacific perspectives on the US-China relationship and the roles each is expected to play in the region. In a related column for The Korea Times, Manpreet Sethi emphasised that the regional stability of the Asia-Pacific is closely tied to the state of US-China relations. We also held a webinar to discuss regional actors’ structural preferences, whether for US or Chinese primacy, or a multipolar order.

In coordination with the US State Department, this month we hosted an event featuring an APLN report by Ambassador Piper Campbell on the role of the US and ASEAN countries in promoting regional stability. We also convened an in-person workshop on regional perspectives on South Korea’s potential nuclear armament, supported by the East Asia Office of the Heinrich Böll Stiftung in Seoul.

Finally, we hosted three virtual roundtables as part of our Voices from Pacific Island Countries project, where experts gathered to discuss common security challenges and opportunities for enhanced collaboration between Asian and Pacific nations.

As always, I am grateful for any feedback or comments you may have. Thank you for your continued support for APLN.

• Maima Koro (New Zealand), Pacific Research Fellow and academic co-lead of the Regional Perspectives Research Project, Adelaide University
• Attorney Kazuko Ito (Japan), Tokyo-based human rights lawyer and Co-Representative of Japan NGO Network for Nuclear Weapon Abolition
• Ambassador Mohan Pieris (Sri Lanka), Permanent Representative of Sri Lanka to the United Nations

APLN salutes the extraordinary leadership of the Hibakusha in fighting for a world free of nuclear weapons, and will continue to strive to achieve a world in which nuclear weapons and other weapons of mass destruction are contained, diminished, and eventually eliminated.

She argues that maintaining the status quo in cross-strait relations and resuming dialogue as crucial for regional stability, especially given Taiwan’s public support for this approach and the low interest in independence. At the same time, she emphasises strengthening international efforts to deter Chinese aggression and ensuring Taiwan’s meaningful participation in international organizations to prevent further escalation of tensions.