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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.

Strategic Autonomy and Deterrence: Greece’s Role in Shaping the European Defense Pillar — Strategic Autonomy and Deterrence: Greece’s Role in Shaping the European Defense Pillar

This issue brief by Athanasios Drivas explores the political, military, industrial, and technological dimensions of the strategic partnership between France and Greece, including the renewal of the bilateral defense agreement, the mutual defense assistance clause, and the integration of advanced capabilities such as Rafale fighter aircraft, FDI HN frigates, and the prospective acquisition of Blacksword Barracuda submarines. Particular attention is given to the development of network-centric operations, enhanced interoperability, defense-industrial cooperation, and long-range precision-strike capabilities. The author concludes that the Greek-French partnership constitutes a model for European strategic autonomy, reinforcing deterrence, regional stability, and the credibility of Europe’s security architecture in the Eastern Mediterranean. Read the brief here.

Navigating China’s Maritime Silk Road and Economic Coercion — Navigating China’s Maritime Silk Road and Economic Coercion

China’s 21st Century Maritime Silk Road (MSR), the maritime component of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), is reshaping global geopolitical and geo-economic dynamics. While Beijing presents the MSR as a connectivity and infrastructure initiative, this brief by Stephen Nagy argues that it also serves as a strategic instrument for expanding China’s influence, leveraging economic dependence and challenging the United States’ maritime primacy. Drawing on the theoretical frameworks of Rush Doshi, Xu Chenggang, and Wang Huning, it examines the strategic, institutional, and ideological foundations of China’s maritime statecraft. Comparative case studies of Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Malaysia, Djibouti, and Cambodia illustrate how China employs dual-use infrastructure, elite capture, and asymmetric debt vulnerabilities to achieve its strategic objectives, writes the author. Nagy concludes with policy recommendations for the United States and its allies, emphasizing competitive infrastructure financing, institutional capacity building, debt transparency, and enhanced maritime domain awareness to mitigate the coercive aspects of the MSR. Download and read this brief here.

Digital frontline of East Asia security regime — Digital frontline of East Asia security regime

Jagannath Panda writes that the future of Northeast Asian security will not be determined solely by military alliances, missile deployments or major-power summits. The author argues that it will also be shaped by how states manage AI-driven competition, cyber vulnerabilities, technological dependence and hybrid threats. The region needs new forms of security thinking capable of addressing these realities, writes Panda. He writes further that the most pressing question is no longer whether Northeast Asia faces a security challenge. It clearly does. The real question is whether the region’s political leaders can adapt their security architecture quickly enough to meet the technological and geopolitical transformations already underway. The answer will determine not only the future of Northeast Asia but also the stability of the broader international order, writes Panda. Read this piece in The Korea Times here.

Why Uzbekistan’s Global Market Push Matters Beyond Finance — Why Uzbekistan’s Global Market Push Matters Beyond Finance

Muhammad Khujanazarov writes on the rising prospect of Uzbekistan's economic fortune. He argues that the numbers from Tashkent’s first international equity listing tell a striking story. Uzbekistan’s government raised US$604 million through the London Stock Exchange debut of its National Investment Fund (UzNIF) on May 13, 2026, making it London’s first major IPO of the year. Demand exceeded supply by a factor of four. Cornerstone investors, including asset managers BlackRock and Franklin Resources, committed US$300 million before the book even opened. For a country that remained largely closed to global capital less than a decade ago, the reception was remarkable. But interpreting this as simply a finance story—a developing economy tapping liquidity—misses the more consequential argument embedded in what just happened, writes Khujanazarov. Read this piece here.

Redesigning Extended Deterrence in the Third Nuclear Age: Alliance Modernization in the ROK-U.S. Alliance — Redesigning Extended Deterrence in the Third Nuclear Age: Alliance Modernization in the ROK-U.S. Alliance

The international nuclear order is entering the “Third Nuclear Age,” defined by simultaneous near-peer nuclear competition with Russia and China alongside North Korea’s advancing capabilities. This brief by Hanbyeol Sohn argues that pressure to redesign extended deterrence now originates as much from Washington’s strategic requirements as from allied demand. The United States faces credibility challenges regarding not only its willingness to employ nuclear weapons but also the sufficiency of its nuclear capabilities. Using the Republic of Korea as a primary case, this brief examines how the alliance must evolve from a provider-protectee model toward genuine co-management of the nuclear order. Read this brief by Hanbyeol Sohn here.

Flawed by Design, Structurally Shielded: How Policies to Combat Demographic Pressures Enable Human Trafficking in South Korea — Flawed by Design, Structurally Shielded: How Policies to Combat Demographic Pressures Enable Human Trafficking in South Korea

This piece by Nerea Alvarez examines the unintended link between gender-focused demographic policies and human trafficking risks, specifically within commercial marriage brokerage systems currently utilized in South Korea as a means of addressing the nation’s low birthrate. It argues that short-term fixes—particularly marriage migration promoted as a solution to rural bachelorhood—have created a permissive environment in which foreign women are treated as commodities and left vulnerable to exploitation. Despite legal advancements, weak enforcement of broker regulations and institutional neglect persist, writes Nerea Alvarez. Read this piece here.

“Why we should cooperate with China on AI regulation”: An Interview with Tom Abram — “Why we should cooperate with China on AI regulation”: An Interview with Tom Abram

In this interview, Tom Abram discusses the evolution of China’s domestic AI regulatory framework, the political and strategic logic underpinning Beijing’s governance approach, and China’s growing role in global AI governance initiatives. The conversation also explores the opportunities and limitations of EU-China cooperation on AI governance, highlighting both areas of potential convergence, such as technical safety and content labelling, and deeper normative divergences regarding state authority, individual rights, and technological sovereignty. Conducted by Loke Sandvall, Katja Pomortseva, and Felicia Kämpe, this interview is divided into three parts, from domestic to an international perspective. Read this expert's take here.

NEW AGE OF STRATEGIC NATIONALISM — NEW AGE OF STRATEGIC NATIONALISM

Jagannath Panda writes for the 9Dash Line that the liberal international order is not disappearing; it is being transformed by the rise of a more protective, nationalist, and interest-driven conception of world politics. Across both democratic and non-democratic states, the language of sovereignty, strategic autonomy, economic security, and national resilience increasingly outweighs commitments to universal norms and collective governance. The result is an emerging order that is less liberal, less predictable, and more transactional, argues Panda. Read this specialized expert's take in 9Dash Line here.

Events »

19 Aug

Digital Taiwan Lecture Series – Taiwan’s Electoral System and the 2026 Local Elections
22 Sep

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

Publications »

Why Japan Is Now the Most Important US Ally in Asia

Jagannath Panda

Strategic Autonomy and Deterrence: Greece’s Role in Shaping the European Defense Pillar

Athanasios Drivas

Navigating China’s Maritime Silk Road and Economic Coercion

Stephen R. Nagy

Digital frontline of East Asia security regime

Jagannath Panda

Redesigning Extended Deterrence in the Third Nuclear Age: Alliance Modernization in the ROK-U.S. Alliance

“Why we should cooperate with China on AI regulation”: An Interview with Tom Abram

Tom Abram, Maud Descamps, Loke Sandvall, Katja Pomortseva and Felicia Kämpe

ISDP Spotlight

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.