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South Korea’s Cyber Security Challenges and Learning Opportunities from Estonia — South Korea’s Cyber Security Challenges and Learning Opportunities from Estonia

In this blog post, Melita Phachulia and Josephine Ørgaard Rasmussen examine South Korea’s persistent cybersecurity vulnerabilities, offering solutions drawn from Estonia's world-leading digital governance system. The piece focuses heavily on resolving Korea's centralized digital paradox by adopting elements of Estonia’s distributed and federated model. The authors conclude by outlining three actionable policy recommendations to deepen ROK-Estonia bilateral cooperation, particularly on future efforts to tackle AI-powered cyberattacks. Download and read this co-authored piece by Phachulia and Rasmussen here.

Trilaterals and the Reorganisation of Northeast Asia’s Regional Order — Trilaterals and the Reorganisation of Northeast Asia’s Regional Order

In an era of intensifying competition over the international order in Northeast Asia, both major and non-major states have increasingly sought to use trilateral mechanisms distinct from bilateral and multilateral forms. In this context, this co-authored article by Sung Chul Jung, Jagannath Panda and Jae Jeok Park discusses various types, origins, and influences of trilateral relations in international politics, as well as current and historical trilateral relations that have contributed to the emergence and transformation of regional orders. First, it categorizes trilateral relations into four types: (1) three partners, (2) three rivals, (3) two partners against one rival, and (4) two rivals competing for one (potential) partner, encompassing cooperative and conflictual relationships among all three parties and three bilateral relations, and clarifying each type’s characteristics and dynamics. Read and download the article here.

Beyond Cable Protection: Taiwan’s Undersea Infrastructure Resilience in the Age of AI — Beyond Cable Protection: Taiwan’s Undersea Infrastructure Resilience in the Age of AI

Yi-Chieh Chen writes that Taiwan has adopted a comprehensive approach to strengthening the resilience of its undersea infrastructure through legal reforms, enhanced surveillance and backup communication capabilities, and calls for international cooperation. She writes further that Taipei seeks to increase its strategic importance within global digital networks by positioning itself as a hub for semiconductor production, AI development, and international communications connectivity. Despite these efforts, significant structural challenges remain. Resource constraints related to energy and water supply may limit the expansion of AI infrastructure and reduce Taiwan’s attractiveness for future undersea cable investments, while dependence on international cable repair arrangements creates vulnerabilities during periods of disruption. Yi-Chieh Chen argues that addressing these challenges will be essential for strengthening Taiwan’s long-term undersea infrastructure resilience and strategic position in the age of AI. Read this brief here.

Why Taiwan Matters More Than Ever for India’s Indo-Pacific Outlook — Why Taiwan Matters More Than Ever for India’s Indo-Pacific Outlook

Jagannath Panda writes for Taiwan Insight at the University of Nottingham that a stronger India–Taiwan partnership should not be interpreted simply as a response to China’s rise. Such an interpretation would not only underestimate the intrinsic value of the relationship but also overlook the broader transformation taking place across the Indo-Pacific, writes Panda. While China will inevitably remain an important strategic variable, India’s engagement with Taiwan is increasingly being shaped by considerations that extend beyond Beijing. That said, China cannot be ignored, writes Jagannath Panda for Taiwan Insight. Read this piece here.

‘Boundaries between climate policy, industrial policy, trade policy, and defense procurement have become analytically and institutionally inseparable’: An Interview with Göran Roos — ‘Boundaries between climate policy, industrial policy, trade policy, and defense procurement have become analytically and institutionally inseparable’: An Interview with Göran Roos

In an era in which decarbonization is reshaping global supply chains, industrial policy, and economic security, understanding its implications for energy systems and critical minerals has become increasingly urgent. That urgency has been reinforced by Sweden’s mineral strategy, launched in July 2026, which explicitly positions securing access to metals and minerals as a matter of security policy and a key pillar of strategic autonomy. In an interview with ISDP’s Tristan Eng, Göran Roos outlines how decarbonization has evolved into a central pillar of industrial strategy, economic security, and geopolitical competition. The discussion also explores the restructuring of global supply chains and Sweden’s emerging role within Europe’s industrial and resource strategy. Read this full interview here.

India-Sweden Strategic Compass; a bi-monthly Newsletter — India-Sweden Strategic Compass; a bi-monthly Newsletter

The events covered in this edition of the newsletter mark a new milestone in India–Sweden relations with the establishment of a Strategic Partnership, paving the way for stronger cooperation in innovation, sustainability, trade and global development. The India–Sweden relationship entered a new phase following the Gothenburg Summit, where Prime Ministers Narendra Modi and Ulf Kristersson elevated bilateral ties to a Strategic Partnership. This marked a significant upgrade from the long-standing innovation-led partnership, reflecting growing convergence on economic resilience, technology, sustainability, and global governance. Read the latest India-Sweden Strategic Compass, a bimonthly newsletter of the Stockholm Center for South Asian and Indo-Pacific Affairs, covering some of these developments between India and Sweden here.

Can China Turn Influence into Leadership? — Can China Turn Influence into Leadership?

Lei Xie writes that China’s economic strategy increasingly combines internal resilience-building with external institutional engagement. Together, these approaches aim to reduce exposure while increasing influence over the rules that structure global interaction. Yet this strategy faces a challenge that material power alone cannot solve, writes Xie. China’s influence is undeniable. It is central to global manufacturing, infrastructure development, renewable energy production, and critical mineral processing. But influence is not the same as leadership. Leadership requires more than economic weight or institutional presence, argues Lei Xie. Read this piece here.

Why Japan Is Now the Most Important US Ally in Asia — Why Japan Is Now the Most Important US Ally in Asia

Jagannath Panda writes the strategic preference of the Trump administration for Japan in Asia. He writes that the United States recently reasserted its commitment to a rules-based international order, a move its traditional allies will have welcomed. A joint statement, signed on July 12 by the United States and 13 core Asian and European partners, reaffirmed support for a landmark arbitration ruling that, a decade ago, found there is no legal basis for China’s expansive maritime claims in the South China Sea. Support for the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea has rarely mattered more. China’s highly controversial intercontinental ballistic missile test earlier this month—only the second Beijing has publicly acknowledged—shows how far China will go to reassert its perceived rights across the region. But the statement did more than affirm the United States’ continued commitment to a rules-based order in the Pacific. It also offered clues to a new regional diplomatic configuration that’s taking shape, where Japan is given a strategic preference in the Trump administration more than any other country, writes Panda. Read this piece by Jagannath Panda in The National Interest here.

Events »

24 Aug

Research and Innovation Series (RIS) – Part VIII: Open Science under Pressure: Germany’s Experience with Research and Innovation Security Challenges
31 Aug

Silk Cage Series – Webinar VI: Ports, Power, and Political Access: China’s Strategic Grip over Sri Lanka
3 Sep

Hai-Eu Dialogue Series – Part I: Institutional Opening Up: Advancing Free Trade Port Governance and Connectivity
22 Sep

Will China deliver? China’s next decade and the consequences for Europe: Final Conference – EuroHub4Sino
Brussels

Publications »

Trilaterals and the Reorganisation of Northeast Asia’s Regional Order

Jagannath Panda

Beyond Cable Protection: Taiwan’s Undersea Infrastructure Resilience in the Age of AI

Why Taiwan Matters More Than Ever for India’s Indo-Pacific Outlook

Jagannath Panda

Planet Earth viewed from space, focusing on China

‘Boundaries between climate policy, industrial policy, trade policy, and defense procurement have become analytically and institutionally inseparable’: An Interview with Göran Roos

Göran Roos and Tristan Eng

India-Sweden Strategic Compass; a bi-monthly Newsletter, Vol.5, No.3, May-June 2026

Sevil Khikmatova, Anne Weiler and Jagannath Panda

Why Japan Is Now the Most Important US Ally in Asia

Jagannath Panda

ISDP Spotlight

Internship Opportunity at ISDP’s China Center – Fall 2026 — Internship Opportunity at ISDP’s China Center – Fall 2026

Every semester, ISDP runs an internship program that is open to university students and recent graduates. The Stockholm China Center is looking for an intern to join the center for the fall 2026 semester. The internship lasts between 4-6 months at the main office in Stockholm, and the desired start date for the fall semester is from September, with some flexibility due to the short notice. ISDP’s internships are typically full-time (40 hours per week) and unpaid, with flexibility for studies and thesis writing. We look forward to receiving your application no later than August 23, 2026.

ISDP Co-hosted the ICES Inaugural Annual Conference in Brussels — ISDP Co-hosted the ICES Inaugural Annual Conference in Brussels

On 10 and 11 June, ISDP participated in the inaugural Annual Conference of the Institute for China-Europe Studies (ICES) in Brussels. Convened by ICES and co-hosted by ISDP and two other partners, the conference brought together leading diplomats, academics, and researchers for critical dialogues on EU-China relations amid great power competition and global order reconfiguration.

Trends in China-India Relations: The Stockholm Center for South Asian and Indo-Pacific Affairs hosted a panel discussion with Dr. Ivan Lidarev and Dr. Abhishek Pratap Singh — Trends in China-India Relations: The Stockholm Center for South Asian and Indo-Pacific Affairs hosted a panel discussion with Dr. Ivan Lidarev and Dr. Abhishek Pratap Singh

On June 8, 2026, the Stockholm Center for South Asian and Indo-Pacific Affairs at the Institute for Security and Development Policy (ISDP) hosted a panel discussion with Dr. Ivan Lidarev, a research fellow at the Institute of South Asian Studies (ISAS) at the National University of Singapore (NUS), and Dr. Abhishek Pratap Singh from the University of Delhi. The panel discussion was moderated by Dr. Jagannath Panda, the Head of the Stockholm Center for South Asian and Indo-Pacific Affairs at ISDP.

Looking back at Professor Ryosei Kokubun’s visit to Stockholm — Looking back at Professor Ryosei Kokubun’s visit to Stockholm

ISDP had the great pleasure of welcoming Professor Ryosei Kokubun, Non-Resident Distinguished Fellow, to Stockholm last week. During this stay, ISDP arranged a roundtable discussion on “Managing Sino-Japanese ties in the contemporary East Asian context” during which he presented future perspectives of the geopolitical balance in the East Asia region, highlighting the complex relations between China and Japan.

Roundtable with Dr. Shan-Jan Sarah Liu: Taiwanese Women’s Experiences in Taiwan’s Military — Roundtable with Dr. Shan-Jan Sarah Liu: Taiwanese Women’s Experiences in Taiwan’s Military

On June 4th, the Stockholm Taiwan Center had the pleasure of hosting a roundtable discussion with Dr. Shan-Jan Sarah Liu. The roundtable discussion was moderated by Yi-Chieh Chen. Dr. Shan-Jan Sarah Liu is Senior Lecturer (Associate Professor) in Gender and Politics at the School of Social and Political Science, University of Edinburgh. The discussion explored Dr. Liu’s findings from her research on Taiwanese women’s experiences in the military and was joined by ISDP research staff and experts from Stockholm’s academic community.

Niklas Swanström and Jagannath Panda participated in the 11th Ulaanbaatar Dialogue (UBD) International Conference — Niklas Swanström and Jagannath Panda participated in the 11th Ulaanbaatar Dialogue (UBD) International Conference

ISDP, represented by Dr. Niklas Swanström and Dr. Jagannath Panda, participated in the 11th Ulaanbaatar Dialogue (UBD) International Conference held in Ulaanbaatar. The Dialogue focused on critical themes such as security challenges and opportunities for peace in Northeast Asia, preventive diplomacy and mediation pathways, artificial intelligence and emerging security risks, regional connectivity between Northeast and Central Asia, and green power corridors linking the two regions.