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Asia-Pacific Leadership Network @apln.network · 30/09/2026

Kristy Hsu considers whether the emerging framework can move beyond temporary truces towards more durable mechanisms for managing competition, while assessing the implications of US–China engagement for #Taiwan and regional #deterrence.

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Asia-Pacific Leadership Network @apln.network · 30/09/2026

According to Andrew Yeo, #StrategicStability should not come at the expense of the security of Asia-Pacific allies and partners. Washington should engage Beijing through meaningful consultation with allies and clear guardrails against unilateral changes to the regional status quo.

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Asia-Pacific Leadership Network @apln.network · 30/09/2026

Jiang Tianjiao from Fudan University argues that both sides need to translate the consensus reached by the two heads of state into institutional mechanisms, including establishing multi-sectoral dialogue across different channels.

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Asia-Pacific Leadership Network @apln.network · 30/09/2026

Following the Trump–Xi summit, we invited three experts to assess whether the two leaders can transform high-level dialogue into a “constructive relationship of strategic stability” and what concrete steps are required to get there. www.apln.network/analysis/the...

apln.network

Trump-Xi Summit Diplomacy | Asia-Pacific Leadership Network

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Asia-Pacific Leadership Network @apln.network · 30/09/2026

[Update] Applications are now closed. Thank you to everyone who applied!

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Asia-Pacific Leadership Network @apln.network · 30/09/2026

[Update] Applications are now closed. Thank you to everyone who applied!

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Asia-Pacific Leadership Network @apln.network · 28/09/2026

APLN Vice Chair Chung-in Moon wrote for The Hankyoreh, aruging that despite improved 🇰🇷-🇯🇵 ties, persistent differences in strategic outlook, economic priorities, historical issues, and North Korea policy remain major obstacles to deeper bilateral cooperation. english.hani.co.kr/arti/english...

english.hani.co.kr

[Column] Korea-Japan cooperation still has a long way to go

Despite optimism about the bilateral relationship, main points of tension and division remain

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Asia-Pacific Leadership Network @apln.network · 23/09/2026

How do 🇰🇷 and 🇯🇵 compare in anti-submarine warfare #ASW? A new APLN paper by Sanghoe Lee, former ROK #Navy submarine officer, compares the non-SSN ASW capabilities of the 🇰🇷 Navy and 🇯🇵 #JMSDF and finds that the gap goes beyond ships, aircraft and submarines. www.apln.network/projects/mar...

apln.network

Non-SSN Anti-Submarine Warfare Capabilities of the ROK and Japan | Asia-Pacific Leadership Network

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Asia-Pacific Leadership Network @apln.network · 25/09/2026

Dr. Jiang Tianjiao details how Beijing sees BRICS as a structural stabiliser, anchoring economic balance, driving multilateralism, and deepening financial & non-traditional security cooperation across the Global South. 📖 Read the full analysis here: apln.network/projects/asi...

apln.network

The Role of SCO and BRICS in Asian Stability from the Chinese Perspective | Asia-Pacific Leadership Network

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Asia-Pacific Leadership Network @apln.network · 25/09/2026

The 18th #BRICS Summit in New Delhi concluded with calls to amplify the Global South and reform global governance. In our special report, Dr. Jiang Tianjiao explores how Beijing view the group's strategic role in the long-term 🌐 #BRICS2026 #GlobalSouth #China #GlobalGovernance #Geopolitics

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Tanvi Kulkarni @kulkarnitanvi.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

It was such a privilege to listen to @drrobfloyd.bsky.social, as he reflected on 30 years of the #CTBT and shared his vision for what the Treaty can achieve in the decade ahead. @apln.network @hreepsamudra.bsky.social @ctbto.bsky.social #CTBT30

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Asia-Pacific Leadership Network @apln.network · 24/09/2026

This interview was conducted by APLN’s Strategic Risk Reduction Fellow @hreepsamudra.bsky.social and transcribed and edited by APLN’s Senior Policy Fellow @kulkarnitanvi.bsky.social.

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Asia-Pacific Leadership Network @apln.network · 24/09/2026

"It is wonderful to see that every country in the Pacific is a ratifying state." Beyond universal ratification, the top priority is building a strong verification system, says Dr Floyd. He highlights how Asia-Pacific states are leveraging the monitoring data to enhance real-time tsunami warnings.

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Asia-Pacific Leadership Network @apln.network · 24/09/2026

"The CTBT is very much at the heart of the NPT." Despite no consensus at the NPT RevCon, Dr. Floyd interprets the continued inclusion of CTBT language as proof that the test-ban regime remains central to global nuclear non-proliferation and disarmament efforts, delivering real security benefits.

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Asia-Pacific Leadership Network @apln.network · 24/09/2026

As the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT) turns 30, @drrobfloyd.bsky.social, Executive Secretary of @ctbto.bsky.social, sits down with @apln.network to discuss the Treaty's practical role, global impact, and the future of nuclear non-proliferation. 🧵 👉 apln.network/analysis/com... #CTBT30

apln.network

The CTBT at 30: An Interview with CTBTO Executive Secretary Dr. Robert Floyd | Asia-Pacific Leadership Network

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Asia-Pacific Leadership Network @apln.network · 23/09/2026

John Carlson and John Tilemann call for #IAEA member states to ensure full and timely funding, particularly from its largest contributors - the United States and China. Read here: www.apln.network/analysis/the...

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Asia-Pacific Leadership Network @apln.network · 23/09/2026

Sanjay Mahindru, former Deputy Chief of India's Naval Staff and INS Arihant's first commanding officer, examines the necessity and possible shape of a #Nuclear Risk Reduction Review mechanism in the context of #India’s nuclear weapons ecosystem. Read here: www.apln.network/analysis/pol...

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Asia-Pacific Leadership Network @apln.network · 23/09/2026

According to Dr Lee, long-term ASW effectiveness depends on more than advanced platforms. Sustaining an effective ASW capability will require readiness, supporting infrastructure & the ability to integrate new tech into doctrine, training & operations — a challenge both navies will need to address.

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Asia-Pacific Leadership Network @apln.network · 23/09/2026

Today, both navies now face similar pressures: quieter adversary submarines, wider areas of responsibility & shrinking personnel pools. They are pursuing similar solutions, including AI-enabled signal processing & uncrewed systems, but Japan remains further ahead in integrating these capabilities.

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Asia-Pacific Leadership Network @apln.network · 23/09/2026

South Korea’s ASW transformation came later, accelerating after the 2010 sinking of ROKS Cheonan. The ROK Navy subsequently strengthened its sonar capabilities and introduced new platforms equipped with more advanced systems.

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Asia-Pacific Leadership Network @apln.network · 23/09/2026

Japan has spent around five decades building ASW into its fleet organisation, doctrine and training, supported by wide-area seabed surveillance, specialised intelligence collection and the systematic use of acoustic and oceanographic data.

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Asia-Pacific Leadership Network @apln.network · 23/09/2026

Dr Lee argues that the gap between Japan and South Korea is most evident in the supporting infrastructure behind them.

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Asia-Pacific Leadership Network @apln.network · 23/09/2026

apln.network

Non-SSN Anti-Submarine Warfare Capabilities of the ROK and Japan | Asia-Pacific Leadership Network

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Asia-Pacific Leadership Network @apln.network · 22/09/2026

In this new APLN commentary, Prof. Bong-Geun Jun proposes that South Korea and the US should should address North Korea’s growing nuclear threat by pursuing a pragmatic, phased approach that prioritises immediate nuclear suspension through a renewed Trump-Kim summit. www.apln.network/analysis/com...

apln.network

The Case for a New Trump-Kim Summit | Asia-Pacific Leadership Network

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Tanvi Kulkarni @kulkarnitanvi.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

Highly recommend reading the recent paper by VAdm Mahindru on how N-armed states can effectively navigate the classic “Always/Never Dilemma.” Coming from a former submariner, navigation specialist, Dy C-in-C of SFC, it offers invaluable lessons for ⚛️ risk reduction. www.apln.network/analysis/pol...

apln.network

A Proposed Indian Nuclear Risk Reduction Mechanism | Asia-Pacific Leadership Network

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Asia-Pacific Leadership Network @apln.network · 21/09/2026

In our latest APLN Korea Times column, John Carlson and John Tilemann examine how delayed contributions from major funders are forcing the #IAEA to rely increasingly on voluntary funding for essential work, and what this could mean for the agency’s independence. www.apln.network/analysis/the...

apln.network

Funding Crisis Leaves UN Nuclear Watchdog Begging for Resources | Asia-Pacific Leadership Network

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Asia-Pacific Leadership Network @apln.network · 07/09/2026

How will #AsiaPacific security cooperation evolve toward 2035? Our new report by @kulkarnitanvi.bsky.social and @hreepsamudra.bsky.social draws on six sessions with 25 senior experts and former practitioners at the 2026 Asia Dialogue on China-US Relations. 🧵

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Asia-Pacific Leadership Network @apln.network · 17/09/2026

Drawing on existing risk-reduction practices in other nuclear-armed states, the brief asks what a review mechanism suited to India could look like. Read the full policy brief ➡️ apln.network/analysis/pol... This publication was made possible by a grant from Longview Philanthropy. (7/7)

apln.network

A Proposed Indian Nuclear Risk Reduction Mechanism | Asia-Pacific Leadership Network

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Asia-Pacific Leadership Network @apln.network · 17/09/2026

A multilayered approach could bring these different risks into a more systematic review process ⤵️ Such a mechanism could help mitigate #nuclear risks while demonstrating India’s commitment to #regionalstability. (6/7)

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Asia-Pacific Leadership Network @apln.network · 17/09/2026

But doctrine alone cannot address every source of risk. Ageing components, emerging & disruptive technologies, evolving warhead and delivery systems, gaps in established procedures, and the availability of trained personnel all warrant periodic review. (5/7)

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Asia-Pacific Leadership Network @apln.network · 17/09/2026

For 🇮🇳, balancing the “Always/Never Dilemma” is an ongoing responsibility. India is unusual among NWS in having a publicly articulated nuclear doctrine and its desire for deterrence stability, which reflects an effort to reduce the risk of inadvertent nuclear use. (4/7)

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Asia-Pacific Leadership Network @apln.network · 17/09/2026

As nuclear systems age and new technologies reshape the strategic environment, this APLN policy brief by Vice Adm. (Retd.) Sanjay Mahindru asks what more systematic approaches to risk reduction could look like. (3/7)

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Asia-Pacific Leadership Network @apln.network · 17/09/2026

History shows how difficult that balance can be. Human error, technical failures & miscalculation have repeatedly brought nuclear catastrophe dangerously close. Since 1945, avoiding nuclear use has depended on prudent leadership & military professionalism — but also good luck. (2/7)

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Asia-Pacific Leadership Network @apln.network · 17/09/2026

🚨 Nuclear weapons must always work when properly authorised. But they must never be used accidentally, inadvertently, or without authorisation. This is the “Always/Never Dilemma”, and managing it may be one of the most difficult challenges facing any nuclear-armed state. (1/7)

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Asia-Pacific Leadership Network @apln.network · 16/09/2026

📢 We’re hiring a Policy Fellow! Looking to contribute to efforts to reduce global nuclear risks? Join our team and help shape research & policy on some of today’s most pressing nuclear issues. ⏰ Application Deadline: Sept 30, 2026 🔗 Learn more and apply ➡️ www.apln.network/news/notice/... #NukeSky

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Asia-Pacific Leadership Network @apln.network · 16/09/2026

Originally presented at the Kunming Forum’s July 2026 meeting, the brief makes the case that nuclear stability is the logical next frontier for both the GSI and the scholarly community that convenes around it.

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Asia-Pacific Leadership Network @apln.network · 16/09/2026

Cmde Bhaskar proposes a 4-step agenda, from analytical groundwork and CBMs through #NFU norm entrepreneurship to regional safety dialogues, and identifies the Kunming Forum, China’s established Track1.5/Track2 platform with South & Southeast Asia, as the place to test and refine these ideas.

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Asia-Pacific Leadership Network @apln.network · 16/09/2026

China’s nuclear arsenal is expanding faster than any other #P5 state’s, yet Beijing’s institutional contribution to nuclear risk reduction remains limited. C Uday Bhaskar argues that China’s own Global Security Initiative #GSI offers a framework to close that gap. www.apln.network/analysis/pol...

apln.network

From Principle to Practice: Using the Global Security Initiative and The Kunming Forum to Advance Nuclear Risk Reduction | Asia-Pacific Leadership Network

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Jamie Kwong @jamiekwong.bsky.social · 15/09/2026

Not only is the Aus program progressing, but ROK is also pursuing SSNs and calls for Japanese SSNs are growing In a new paper for @apln.network, I unpack the key strategic, legal, technical, financial, and political factors informing non-nuclear states' pursuit of SSNs (2/3)

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Frank O'Donnell @frank11285.bsky.social · 15/09/2026

New @apln.network policy brief by Vice Adm. (Retd.) Sanjay Mahindru - inaugural commanding officer of 🇮🇳's first SSBN, and former Deputy C-in-C of Strategic Forces Command - on how 🇮🇳 might implement nuclear fail-safe reviews. For more on this important topic, see www.apln.network/projects/adv...

apln.network

A Proposed Indian Nuclear Risk Reduction Mechanism | Asia-Pacific Leadership Network

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Asia-Pacific Leadership Network @apln.network · 15/09/2026

Australia is investing well beyond the submarines: Ghost Shark XLUUVs, Speartooth large UUVs, 36 MH-60R helicopters, 14 P-8A Poseidons, a new Maritime Autonomous Systems Unit. But the workforce to integrate all of this does not yet exist.

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Asia-Pacific Leadership Network @apln.network · 15/09/2026

Australia's biggest ASW gaps are not the submarines. Neither class of surface combatant has a towed array sonar, a planned strategic array purchase appears cancelled, and the Navy no longer develops specialist ASW officers. New paper by Jennifer Parker: www.apln.network/projects/mar...

apln.network

Australia’s Anti-Submarine Warfare Capability in the 2030s | Asia-Pacific Leadership Network

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Asia-Pacific Leadership Network @apln.network · 15/09/2026

A submarine operated by a state without nuclear weapons could still be perceived as a threat to a nuclear-armed adversary's ballistic missile submarines, and therefore to its second-strike capability. That escalation risk has been under-examined in both the Australian and South Korean debates.

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Asia-Pacific Leadership Network @apln.network · 15/09/2026

Three Asia-Pacific states without nuclear weapons are heading for nuclear-powered submarines. The safeguards rules have not kept pace. New APLN paper by Jamie Kwong compares Australia's AUKUS pathway, South Korea's Jangbogo-N, and Japan's emerging debate: www.apln.network/projects/mar...

apln.network

In Pursuit of Nuclear-Powered Submarines: Australia, South Korea, And Japan | Asia-Pacific Leadership Network

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Asia-Pacific Leadership Network @apln.network · 14/09/2026

John Carlson and John Tilemann call for full and timely payment of assessed contributions and a broader rethink of the "zero-growth" approach that has constrained international organisations for decades.

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Asia-Pacific Leadership Network @apln.network · 14/09/2026

That shift, they warn, risks handing major donors disproportionate influence over the #IAEA's priorities at precisely the moment when the #nuclear order is under the most strain.

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Asia-Pacific Leadership Network @apln.network · 14/09/2026

John Carlson and John Tilemann show how delayed contributions from major funders, led by 🇺🇸 & 🇨🇳, are forcing the #IAEA to lean on voluntary extrabudgetary funding to carry out essential work on nuclear safeguards, safety and security.

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