| This week, we are pleased to announce the appointment of three next-generation researchers to support our work on risk reduction, crisis prevention and management in the Asia-Pacific. Rubina Waseem urges states to integrate climate risk assessments into nuclear safety planning and enhance cooperation. We also revisit the analysis from our Voices from Pacific Island Countries project calling attention to Pacific voices on climate threats, nuclear weapons policy, and the intensifying geopolitical competition.
As always, we highlight recent activities from our network, including analyses on South Korea’s new administration, the crisis in Myanmar, the tariff deal between Vietnam and the United States, the Israel-Iran war, and Australian Prime Minister Albanese’s visit to China. |
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We are pleased to welcome three next-generation researchers — Connor Clery, Flynn Acworth, and Yuuki Tokuda — who will support our work on risk reduction, crisis prevention and crisis management in the Asia-Pacific. They will conduct research as part of a cross-national, cross-regional project that assesses security linkages between the Asia-Pacific and the Euro-Atlantic regions. The project is conducted in cooperation with the European Leadership Network, the University of Melbourne, Hitotsubashi University, and Victoria University of Wellington.
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A Warming World and Geopolitical Threats: Heat, Hostility and Nuclear Security
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As record-breaking heatwaves sweep across many regions and the impacts of climate change feel more urgent than ever, our latest APLN Korea Times column by Rubina Waseem argues that climate change is not merely an environmental issue but a growing global security threat, particularly as nuclear facilities are increasingly exposed to extreme weather conditions. Recent events such as typhoons in Southeast Asia and heatwaves in Europe demonstrate how climate stress and geopolitical tensions can converge to undermine nuclear safety. She calls on states to integrate climate risk assessments into their nuclear safety planning, to strengthen regional cooperation, and to reinforce international legal frameworks.
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Navigating Nuclear Legacies, Climate Change, and Geopolitics in the Pacific Islands
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In this report from our Voices from the Pacific Islands project, Elaine Natalie and Tanvi Kulkarni highlight the need for deeper engagement and collaboration within the Pacific Islands and for an expanded dialogue across the Asia-Pacific region, including people-to-people exchanges and Track 2 diplomacy. Based on publications, events, and research commissioned during the project period, they present six key findings from the project related to:
- The looming threat of the climate-nuclear-security nexus on Pacific Island communities.
- The impact of US-China rivalry on Pacific solidarity and foreign policy.
- The need for greater representation of Pacific perspectives.
- The importance of nuclear justice and how it should be pursued.
- Steps to build trust and engagement across the region.
- The crucial role of women in fighting for a nuclear-free Pacific.
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APLN has over 170 members from 23 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 Japan Forward, where he shared insights on South Korean President Lee Jae-myung’s foreign policy vision, his approach to global tensions, and how he may handle Trump 2.0, including likely points of divergence from his conservative predecessor. |
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| Lina Alexandra, Head of Department of International Relations and Senior Researcher at the Centre for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), spoke on the crisis in Myanmar, analysing whether the country is heading towards a ‘Balkanised’ future more than four years after the military coup, and what that could mean for the broader region. |
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| Huong Le Thu, Deputy Director of the Asia program at the International Crisis Group, was quoted by The Washington Post, where she discussed the recent tariff deal between Vietnam and the United States, highlighting the enforcement challenges posed by Vietnam’s role in global supply chains and warning that stricter measures risk provoking China. |
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| Rakesh Sood, former Indian Ambassador to Nepal, Afghanistan and France, wrote for The Hindu on the 2025 Israel-Iran war, arguing that while Israel’s military action was tactically successful, it may backfire strategically by reinforcing Iran’s resolve to pursue a nuclear deterrent, especially as regime survival becomes its priority. |
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| Rajeswari Pillai Rajagopalan, Resident Senior Fellow at the Australian Strategic Policy Institute (ASPI), wrote on Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s visit to China, arguing that the government needs to remain clear-eyed about the implications of China’s behaviour for Australia’s national security and the rules-based order in the Indo-Pacific and beyond. |
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