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Governments traditionally prepare for threats that cross borders: invading armies, hostile navies, or military confrontation. But across Southeast Asia, some of the region's most serious security risks arrive without soldiers or missiles.   Climate change is disrupting food production and displacing communities. Cyberattacks increasingly threaten critical infrastructure. Food insecurity and weak governance create conditions that undermine ...

The Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore is Asia’s leading security forum, but this year it revealed more divergence than consensus. The main divide was not between the United States and China, but between Washington and several Southeast Asian governments over how regional security should be understood.   Chinese Defense Minister Dong Jun was absent for a second consecutive year. That created more space for US messaging, but it did not ...

For decades, experts have warned that Central Asia could face conflicts over water in the future. The region depends heavily on two major rivers, the Amu Darya and Syr Darya, which support agriculture, energy production, and the livelihoods of millions of people. As climate change accelerates and water supplies become less predictable, concerns about regional stability are growing.   Yet despite recurring shortages and political tensions, ...

Africa's energy ambitions are evolving. For decades, many African countries exported crude oil while importing refined fuels, leaving them vulnerable to global supply disruptions, price volatility, and foreign refining capacity. Today, governments and investors are increasingly trying to change that model.   New refinery projects across the continent—including proposals linked to Nigerian billionaire Aliko Dangote—reflect a bro...

For Beijing, Singapore is becoming more than a diplomatic partner or a commercial hub. It is increasingly tied to one of China’s most important alternative logistics routes: the New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor (ILSTC), a network linking western China to Southeast Asia by rail, road, inland waterways, and sea routes.   The corridor runs from Chongqing, the anchor of China’s inland industrial base, through Guangxi to Qi...