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Japan Today
23-07-2025
- Politics
- Japan Today
New Zealand introduces new laws to govern space infrastructure
New Zealand's Defence Minister Judith Collins speaks at the Five Power Defence Arrangements (FPDA) Defence Ministers' Joint Press Conference Meeting (FDMM) on the sidelines of the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore May 31, 2024. REUTERS/Caroline Chia/File Photo By Lucy Craymer The New Zealand government passed legislation on Wednesday to regulate the use of ground-based space infrastructure following concerns about foreign actors using it to harm national security. Space Minister Judith Collins said in a statement that the Outer Space High Altitude Activities Amendment Bill would take effect on July 29 and from then ground-based space infrastructure such as satellite tracking stations and telemetry systems would be subject to oversight and safeguards. The law "supports New Zealand's interest in the safe, secure and responsible use of space and stop any attempts by foreign entities that do not share our values or interests," Collins said. 'Ground-based space infrastructure in New Zealand plays a vital role in supporting global satellite operations and space activities, but without regulation, it can also pose risks to national security, and other national interests." Under the new law, anyone operating ground-based space infrastructure will need to confirm with the government that they have appropriate security arrangements in place and due diligence systems to assess any partners. The South Pacific nation's location and clear skies make it a good place to launch and monitor satellites from, with the European Space Agency among those keeping an eye on space from New Zealand. The new regulations, which were flagged at the end of 2024, come after New Zealand's intelligence service raised concerns last September that some foreign entities had tried to establish space infrastructure, which would have 'assisted foreign military activity that could have harmed New Zealand interests." "They have deliberately disguised their affiliations to foreign militaries and misrepresented their intentions," Collins told parliament on Tuesday. While neither the minister nor the report mentioned China specifically in relation to the incidents, the broader report noted that China remained a complex intelligence concern in New Zealand but there were other states undertaking malicious activity as well. New Zealand is a member of the "Five Eyes" intelligence grouping, along with the U.S., Australia, Canada and Britain. © (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2025.
AllAfrica
16-07-2025
- Politics
- AllAfrica
Neither at war nor at peace in Singapore
In his inaugural Singapore Armed Forces Day message, Defense Minister Chan Chun Sing remarked, 'We are not at war, but neither are we at peace.' The defense chief's words captured a deeper truth: Strategic ambiguity in the Indo-Pacific has become a structural reality amid the return of a multipolar security order. As Singapore builds its fifth-generation Armed Forces – digitally networked, AI-integrated, and autonomous-capable – to address manpower constraints and enhance force multiplication, it must also contend with a more crowded Indo-Pacific theater comprised of old neighbors and distant new visitors. In this context, three shifts warrant closer attention. 1. New Indo-Pacific military balance Between May and June 2025, China deployed both its Liaoning and Shandong aircraft carrier groups beyond the First Island Chain, conducting more than 1,100 sorties over two weeks in the Philippine Sea. These operations, supported by Type 055 destroyers and logistics vessels, confirmed the People's Liberation Army-Navy's rising ability to sustain carrier-based operations in the Western Pacific within the Second Island Chain. The United Kingdom responded with its own signal. In mid-June, HMS Spey transited the Taiwan Strait en route to join Carrier Strike Group 25 (CSG25), whose flagship HMS Prince of Wales docked in Singapore days later. London called the transit lawful and routine; Beijing condemned it as a provocation. On the day HMS Spey transited, the PLA sent 74 aircraft toward Taiwan, with 61 of them crossing the median line in what Taipei described as an unprecedented incursion. Singapore welcomed HMS Prince of Wales with considerable fanfare. Photos and videos of the carrier docked at Marina Bay were widely shared, and officials highlighted the strength of bilateral defense ties. But the symbolism ran deeper. CSG25 will join Exercise Bersama Lima this September under the Five Power Defense Arrangements (FPDA), alongside Australia, Malaysia, New Zealand and Singapore. Originally established as a collective security arrangement for Malaysia and Singapore after Britain's East of Suez withdrawal, the FPDA's evolution could today be seen to reflect a broader rebalancing of China's presence in the region, thus complicating Singapore's fundamental interests of military non-entanglement with China. 2. Limits of defense diplomacy Economic ties with China are deep and still growing. Singapore remains China's largest foreign investor and strategic partner in projects like the Suzhou Industrial Park and Chongqing Connectivity Initiative. New areas of collaboration, including digital economy and green development, are also taking shape. Notably, SAF-PLA engagements have quietly expanded in recent years, adding nuance to the familiar framing that security ties are limited while economic ties flourish. Yet, Singapore's troops continue to train in Taiwan under Project Starlight – an arrangement maintained for over 40 years, as former Deputy Prime Minister and Senior Minister S. Jayakumar reflected in his book 'Diplomacy: A Singapore Experience.' This has been a point of tension with China, despite Singapore's unequivocal 'one-China policy.' Singapore remains the only Southeast Asian nation to acquire the American F-35 Joint Strike Fighter – unlike US treaty allies Thailand and the Philippines, which have opted to hedge with Sweden's Gripens and South Korea's FA-50s. Coincidentally, the UK has also announced an expansion of its F-35 fleet. Unlike Britain's F-35s, which support its NATO nuclear deterrent posture, Singapore's fleet has no such role yet it underscores deep interoperability with US platform architecture. Additionally, the SAF maintains rotational access agreements for US forces under the 1990 Memorandum of Understanding Regarding United States Use of Facilities in Singapore, the 2005 Strategic Framework Agreement and the 2015 Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement. While access is also extended to international navies, the scale and frequency of US deployments – especially during heightened South China Sea and Taiwan Strait tensions – raises the perception that Singapore is de facto aligned with the US, even when it is not. This perception risk is not trivial. The precedent of Qatar is instructive. In June, Iran launched at least 14 ballistic missiles at the Al-Udeid air base, a US facility in Qatar, in retaliation for US strikes on Iran's Fordow nuclear facility. The Qatari Prime Minister later said it 'scarred' the relationship. Qatar was targeted not for what it did, but for what it hosted. In a future US-China conflict, could the distinction between hosting and aligning of military assets and facilities similarly blur in the eyes of great-power rivals? 3. Diffusion as deterrence As part of its 5G SAF evolution, Singapore's investments in AI-enabled platforms and unmanned systems go beyond addressing manpower constraints. They are designed to enhance the SAF's ability to project presence, monitor contested environments and sustain operations without unnecessarily placing personnel at risk. Take, for example, the SAF's use of digital twins – computer-generated simulation environments that replicate high-threat theatres and allow units to rehearse complex operations virtually. These simulations extend operational readiness across scenarios that may be too politically sensitive or physically hazardous to stage in real life. Paired with autonomous maritime patrols and remote sensing platforms, such tools are increasingly vital to maintaining forward situational awareness while minimizing exposure on the ground. Geographic diffusion is another critical dimension. While longstanding overseas training partnerships remain foundational, new options merit exploration. For instance, could Timor-Leste , soon to join ASEAN and cooperate with both Singapore and China under the Third Country Training Program, serve as neutral terrain for future SAF training, given its strategic proximity to Singapore and relatively low geopolitical baggage? Similarly, could Oman's Port Salalah, situated near key chokepoints in the Indian Ocean, offer a viable platform for naval exercises or maritime logistics access beyond the operational reach of the First and Second Island Chains? Deterrence through cohesion Concentration of force has long been a cornerstone of military doctrine, famously championed by Carl von Clausewitz as the path to achieving a decisive advantage. But in today's Indo-Pacific, where threats are more asymmetric, intentions more easily misread and escalation more automated than ever, the logic of strategic diffusion is gaining ground. For a point target like Singapore, diffusion buys time, creates space and preserves freedom of maneuver. Yet diffusion does not replace concentration; it relies on it. The ability to disperse assets and operate with agility across domains only works when anchored by cohesion. And for Singapore, that cohesion is Total Defense: The belief that an attack on one is met by all. On that basis, Singapore's ultimate deterrence rests on its people – mobilized psychologically, economically, socially and militarily. We saw this vividly during the Covid-19 crisis. As global systems buckled, Singapore activated its entire nation. Under the direction of the Multi-ministry Taskforce, then-Trade and Industry Minister Chan Chun Sing and team diversified supply lines, secured vaccine cold-chains, and built and repurposed facilities overnight. The SAF, public service and citizen-volunteers were mobilized into providing a single, unified response to the pandemic. It wasn't framed as Total Defense, but that's exactly what it was. And it worked. This is why partisan politics must never breach the water's edge; why national institutions must remain trusted; why Singaporeans must never become vessels for foreign agendas, wittingly or otherwise; and why we must not import the ideological suspicions that plague the civil-military-technological discourse elsewhere. This SAF Day, Singaporeans must remember: What truly matters is the will of a people who know what they stand for – and what gives them meaning. In a more crowded and contested Indo-Pacific, that shared sense of purpose remains the foundation of Singapore's defence posture, from which all else must flow. Marcus Loh is chairman of the Public Affairs Group at the Public Relations and Communications Association (PRCA) Asia Pacific. An MA candidate of the War Studies Department in King's College London, Loh also serves on the Executive Committee of SGTech's Digital Transformation Chapter, contributing to national conversations on AI, data infrastructure, and digital policy. A former president of the Institute of Public Relations of Singapore, he has played a longstanding role in shaping the relevance of strategic communication and public affairs in an evolving policy, technology and geoeconomic landscape.
The Sun
26-06-2025
- Politics
- The Sun
UK strengthens ASEAN ties via FPDA, security cooperation in Malaysia
KUALA LUMPUR: The United Kingdom has reinforced its dedication to regional security and economic stability by deepening ties with ASEAN, particularly under Malaysia's leadership, through established defence agreements and international legal frameworks. UK High Commissioner to Malaysia Ajay Sharma highlighted the Five Power Defence Arrangements (FPDA) as a cornerstone of this cooperation. The FPDA, involving Malaysia, Singapore, Australia, and New Zealand, was established in 1971 to ensure regional defence post-Britain's military withdrawal. Today, it addresses modern challenges like maritime security and counter-terrorism through joint exercises. Sharma emphasised the UK's adherence to global norms such as the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), which supports maritime stability. 'Through agreements like UNCLOS and collaboration with Malaysia and regional partners, we aim to resolve differences diplomatically,' he said during an interview on Bernama TV's *The Diplomatic Dispatch*. ASEAN's role in fostering inclusive dialogue was also praised. 'ASEAN's centrality allows the UK to engage on critical issues, ensuring peaceful resolutions through strong international institutions,' Sharma noted. With Malaysia chairing ASEAN this year, the UK seeks to expand its partnership, focusing on ASEAN-led initiatives. 'Asia is the future, and we want to be part of it. Strengthening ties with ASEAN, especially under Malaysia's leadership, is a priority,' he added. The UK became ASEAN's Dialogue Partner in 2021, its first new partner in 25 years. The 58th ASEAN Foreign Ministers' Meeting (AMM) and related sessions will take place in Kuala Lumpur from July 8 to 11, offering further opportunities for collaboration.
Barnama
26-06-2025
- Politics
- Barnama
UK Reaffirms ASEAN Commitment Through FPDA, Security Cooperation
By Nur Atiq Maisarah Suhaimi KUALA LUMPUR, June 26 (Bernama) -- The United Kingdom (UK) has reaffirmed its commitment to regional peace and stability by strengthening cooperation with ASEAN member states under Malaysia's chairmanship, through international legal frameworks and long-standing defence arrangements. UK High Commissioner to Malaysia Ajay Sharma said this includes the Five Power Defence Arrangements (FPDA), a security partnership involving Malaysia, Singapore, Australia, and New Zealand, as well as adherence to global norms such as the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), which underpins maritime stability in the region. bootstrap slideshow 'As part of our relationship with Malaysia, we are working bilaterally, regionally and internationally to promote stability and create the conditions for economic growth. 'Through agreements such as the law of the sea, and cooperation with Malaysia and other countries in the region, we aim to ensure that international agreements are respected and that any differences are resolved diplomatically and through dialogue,' Sharma told Bernama after appearing on the Bernama TV programme The Diplomatic Dispatch on Thursday. Established in 1971, the FPDA is a multilateral security arrangement formed in the context of Britain's military withdrawal from the 'East of Suez', to support the defence and stability of Malaysia and Singapore following their respective independence and separation. Since its establishment over 50 years ago, the FPDA has evolved to cover a broader range of security tasks, including air defence, maritime security, and counter-terrorism, as demonstrated in major annual exercises. Sharma noted that ASEAN plays an essential role in fostering inclusive dialogue and multilateral cooperation on regional and global challenges. 'ASEAN is great because it brings together, with ASEAN centrality and inclusivity at its heart, a group of countries that we in the UK can engage with on a range of important issues.
Straits Times
24-06-2025
- Business
- Straits Times
Singapore relationship with UK is ‘one of certainty' amid global disruption: Melvyn Ong
British F-35B fighter jets and Royal Navy Merlin helicopters on the flight deck of the British aircraft carrier HMS Prince of Wales on June 24. ST PHOTO: CHONG JUN LIANG SINGAPORE – The Republic's relationship with the United Kingdom is one of certainty as 'the world around us loses their heads,' said permanent secretary for defence development Melvyn Ong. Amid the geopolitical uncertainties and the disruptions in the world, it is important to try to find this in relationships, said Mr Ong at the opening of a defence industry trade show on board the UK aircraft carrier HMS Prince of Wales. Mr Ong, a former defence chief, said: 'The certainty in our relationship with the UK is one such thing that we continue to rely on, and the fact that we're able to stand here as the world around us loses their heads, is testimony to abiding friendship and abiding relationships and abiding trust.' Some 30 UK businesses were gathered in the cavernous hangar of the 284m-long vessel – the flagship of a multinational UK-led strike group, which docked at the Marina Bay Cruise Centre on June 23. The group is on an eight-month deployment to ensure the stability of the Indo-Pacific called Operation Highmast, which departed from Britain in April, with the ships sailing from the Atlantic to the Pacific. Also speaking at the opening, British Minister of State for Defence, Lord Vernon Coaker, said the carrier's hangar makes an ideal setting to showcase some of the UK and Singapore's world leading technology and the innovation of their defence companies. This event falls in the same month that the UK published a strategic defence review, which names Singapore as a key partner, he noted. He said: '(This) reflects our commitment to developing our defence cooperation and inter-operability as Five Power Defence Arrangements (FPDA) partners. The review makes clear that our policy of Nato first does not mean Nato only.' Singapore and the UK, along with Malaysia, New Zealand and Australia, are members of the FPDA, which will convene for the annual Bersama Lima drills in September. The HMS Prince of Wales is scheduled to join the exercise – the first aircraft carrier to do so since 1997. The visit is a rare opportunity for the industry and new technology companies to represent themselves, said Mr Marcus Ralphs, enterprise commercial lead for Whitespace, an artificial intelligence (AI) company whose technology is being used on the HMS Prince of Wales. The company provides an AI platform for organisations with higher security needs, like militaries. The visit is is hugely valuable to show that UK and Singapore industry players can partner effectively not just as individual companies but collectively, he said on the sidelines of the event. Ms Natasha Pheiffer, regional managing director for British multinational aerospace, defence, and security company BAE Systems, said the company is very pleased to contribute to the carrier strike group's deployment and the visit to Singapore. British F-35B fighter jets on the flight deck of the British aircraft carrier HMS Prince of Wales, docked at the Marina Bay Cruise Centre on June 24, 2025. ST PHOTO: CHONG JUN LIANG She said: 'With world-class equipment across the fleet, we had the opportunity to promote our capability to our colleagues and friends in Singapore and beyond.' British Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology Peter Kyle said at the sidelines of the event that the UK is here to show its partners around the world that British companies are available for them to partner with as well. He said: 'When you look at the global economy, the high growth sectors: space automation, AI, health technology, climate technology, drones – these are all areas where Singapore has real expertise, and Britain is leading the world in many of these areas. So there are some great opportunities for us to come together and fully seize the moment.' Some work is already being done ahead of the drills in September. Speaking to the media at a doorstop earlier that day, the commander of the carrier strike group, Commodore James Blackmore, said he is meeting senior leaders from the Republic of Singapore Navy on this visit. He said: 'We increasingly recognise that as we go forward, the two navies need to be able to operate together.' (From left) Captain Will Blackett, Commodore James Blackmore and Captain Colin McGannity speaking to the press on the flight deck of the British aircraft carrier HMS Prince of Wales, docked at the Marina Bay Cruise Centre. ST PHOTO: CHONG JUN LIANG Some preparations are happening during this deployment, he added. This will allow the two countries to bring their navies together when the carrier is back for Bersama Lima, he said. He said: 'That's where we'll see all of those five navies coming together and air forces and working seamlessly during that exercise, that then gives us the confidence that we know we can all dock in and work together.' The carrier is set to leave Singapore on June 29. Join ST's WhatsApp Channel and get the latest news and must-reads.
