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Security & Defense

The PLA, the US Indo-Pacific Command, the Quad, AUKUS and the emerging security architecture of the region.

AI-Driven Biology Outpaces Governance, Raising Dual-Use Risks Across Indo-Pacific
Security

AI-Driven Biology Outpaces Governance, Raising Dual-Use Risks Across Indo-Pacific

AI models like OpenAI's GPT-5 are autonomously designing and executing tens of thousands of biological experiments via robotic cloud labs. T

Huang Wei ·
Quad's Rare Earth Strategy Confronts Myanmar's Fragmented Control
Security

Quad's Rare Earth Strategy Confronts Myanmar's Fragmented Control

The Quad's push to secure critical minerals is complicated by China's near-monopoly on refining and the Kachin Independence Organization's c

Kenji Watanabe ·
US Naval Blockade of Iran Raises Stakes for Asian Energy Security
Security

US Naval Blockade of Iran Raises Stakes for Asian Energy Security

The Trump administration has enacted a full naval blockade of Iran's ports, aiming to cripple its economy by halting oil exports. Military a

Kenji Watanabe ·
NATO Allies Reject Trump's Hormuz Blockade as Oil Prices Surge Past $100
Security

NATO Allies Reject Trump's Hormuz Blockade as Oil Prices Surge Past $100

NATO allies including the UK, Spain, and Turkey have publicly rejected former President Donald Trump's call for a blockade of the Strait of

Kenji Watanabe ·
Trump's Vatican Clash Highlights Foreign Policy Strains with Asian Implications
Security

Trump's Vatican Clash Highlights Foreign Policy Strains with Asian Implications

Former US President Donald Trump's social media attack on Pope Leo XIV centers on Vatican criticism of his Iran policy and war rhetoric. The

Huang Wei ·
Iran Accuses Trump Team of Sabotaging Near-Deal in Islamabad Talks
Security

Iran Accuses Trump Team of Sabotaging Near-Deal in Islamabad Talks

Iran's foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, stated that US negotiators sabotaged marathon talks in Islamabad with maximalist demands when a dea

Kenji Watanabe ·
Iran Conflict Traps Trump Administration as Asian Economies Face Energy Shock
Security

Iran Conflict Traps Trump Administration as Asian Economies Face Energy Shock

The US naval blockade of Iranian ports is squeezing major Asian economies like Japan, South Korea, and India, which rely on Hormuz Strait oi

Huang Wei ·
Quantum Computing's Cryptographic Threat Accelerates, Prompting Regional Security Rethink
Security

Quantum Computing's Cryptographic Threat Accelerates, Prompting Regional Security Rethink

Recent algorithmic advances indicate the quantum computing resources needed to crack widely used encryption may be far lower than prior esti

Kenji Watanabe ·
Five Indo-Pacific Shifts from the Iran Conflict
Security

Five Indo-Pacific Shifts from the Iran Conflict

The Iran conflict is not an Indo-Pacific war, but its effects are reshaping regional security. Five emerging themes include nuclear prolifer

Kenji Watanabe ·
Trump Orders Hormuz Blockade After Iran Talks Collapse in Islamabad
Breaking

Trump Orders Hormuz Blockade After Iran Talks Collapse in Islamabad

President Donald Trump declared a military blockade of the Strait of Hormuz on Sunday, citing Iran's refusal to trust US negotiators. The mo

Huang Wei ·
US-Iran Conflict Shifts Regional Power Dynamics, Benefiting China and Russia
Security

US-Iran Conflict Shifts Regional Power Dynamics, Benefiting China and Russia

The recent US-Iran conflict has damaged Washington's standing in the Middle East, analysts argue. China and Russia have gained strategic adv

Kenji Watanabe ·
Suspected Chinese UUV in Lombok Strait Tests Indonesia's Maritime Sovereignty
Security

Suspected Chinese UUV in Lombok Strait Tests Indonesia's Maritime Sovereignty

A suspected Chinese unmanned underwater vehicle was found in Indonesia's strategic Lombok Strait, a critical maritime corridor. The incident

Kenji Watanabe ·