Latest news with #SRajaratnamSchool
CNA
3 days ago
- General
- CNA
CNA938 Rewind - Main takeaways from 22nd Shangri-La Dialogue
CNA938 Rewind The annual Shangri-La Dialogue (SLD) wrapped up on Sunday (June 1) which saw the participation of 47 countries, including 40 minister-level delegates. Andrea Heng and Susan Ng look at the main takeaways from this 22nd edition of SLD with Muhammad Faizal Bin Abdul Rahman, Research Fellow, Institute of Defence and Strategic Studies, S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies.
Reuters
28-05-2025
- General
- Reuters
Exclusive: China's most advanced bombers seen on disputed South China Sea island
HONG KONG, May 28 (Reuters) - Satellite imagery shows China landed two of its most advanced bombers in the disputed Paracel islands in the South China Sea this month - a gesture that some analysts described as Beijing's latest signalling of its growing military capabilities to rivals. The deployment marks the first time the long-range H-6 bombers have landed on Woody Island in the Paracels since 2020, and the movement of the now upgraded aircraft comes amid tensions with the Philippines, operations near Taiwan and ahead of the region's biggest defence forum this weekend. "China's long-range bombers don't need to be on the Paracels so it does appear to be omni-directional signalling by Beijing - against the Philippines and against the U.S. and other things that are going on," said Collin Koh, a defence scholar at Singapore's S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies. French President Emmanuel Macron is due to open the three-day Shangri-La Dialogue forum in Singapore with a speech on Friday while U.S. Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth will outline the Trump administration's approach to the region on Saturday. A British aircraft carrier is expected in the South China Sea on a rare deployment next month, diplomats say. Satellites captured two H-6 planes flying over the hotly disputed Scarborough Shoal, also in the South China Sea, just ahead of Hegseth's visit to the Philippines in late March, when he reaffirmed the United States' "ironclad commitment" to its treaty ally. Regional diplomats and analysts say deployments of the jet-powered H-6 are closely scrutinised, given the way its Cold War-era airframe has been modernised to carry anti-ship and land attack cruise missiles, while some of the planes are capable of launching nuclear-tipped ballistic missiles. A potential threat to U.S. bases in the region, H-6 bombers were deployed in wargames around Taiwan in October, and in July flew close to the U.S. mainland for the first time. Neither China's defence ministry nor the Philippines' maritime and national security council immediately responded to Reuters' requests for comment. China's occupation of the Paracels is disputed by Vietnam, whose foreign ministry also did not immediately respond for comment. Echoing the development of the U.S. B-52, the basic H-6 dates back to 1950s Soviet designs but it remains China's most advanced long-range bomber having been re-fitted with improved engines and modern flight systems along with its state-of-the-art weaponry. Images provided to Reuters by Maxar Technologies show two H-6 bombers on a runway on Woody Island on May 19. Another Maxar image on the same date show two Y-20 transport aircraft and an KJ-500 early warning plane - an aircraft that is seen as vital to China being able to control and secure increasingly complex air and sea operations. Some analysts said the planes may have first arrived on May 17 and been present until May 23. Ben Lewis, founder of open source data platform PLATracker, said they thought it was unlikely that the H-6s would be deployed long-term on Woody Island or be permanently based there. "The ability to cycle forces through the bases, especially higher level assets like the H-6, provides the PLA with a force protection mechanism," he said, referring to China's People's Liberation Army. China's Southern Theatre Command, which covers the South China Sea, maintains two regiments of the bombers, according to the London-based International Institute of Strategic Studies. The bombers are generally kept at heavily fortified bases on the Chinese mainland, where they would have more protection in a conflict from U.S. attacks in conflict scenarios. The U.S. maintains jet fighter wings in Japan, including on its forward deployed aircraft carrier, and on Guam, which is also home to B-52s. China claims sovereignty over nearly all the South China Sea, including areas claimed by Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam. A 2016 ruling by an international arbitral tribunal found Beijing's sweeping claims had no basis under international law, a decision China rejects.
Free Malaysia Today
24-05-2025
- Business
- Free Malaysia Today
Asean key to Southeast Asia's peace, stability, says former sec-gen
Singapore's ambassador-at-large Ong Keng Yong says Asean's sustained diplomacy has helped keep Southeast Asia stable, and hence, economically appealing. PETALING JAYA : Asean has played a key role in Southeast Asia's peace, stability and prosperity, managing the competing interests of the world's major powers effectively while fostering regional cooperation, a former secretary-general said. Ong Keng Yong said each superpower had its own approach to preserving and protecting its interests, while small and middle powers often find strength in numbers when navigating complex global and regional challenges. 'The magic of Asean lies in it being able to appreciate the interests of big powers and multiple stakeholders, and then forge a relevant arrangement to balance the respective interests—thereby moving forward constructively,' Ong, now an ambassador-at-large for Singapore, told FMT. He dismissed the notion that Asean meetings were 'endless talk shops', saying they were in fact vital platforms for managing differences and maintaining long-term cooperation. 'What we see as Asean leaders and ministers as well as bureaucrats meeting and talking is just one aspect of the many actions taken to keep all sides engaged.' Ong, the executive deputy chairman at Singapore's S Rajaratnam School of International Studies, said this sustained diplomacy has helped keep the region stable, and hence, economically appealing. 'The goal is always to keep Southeast Asia attractive to business and investment, grow the economy and trade, and increase the relevance and value of Asean to all stakeholders in the international system,' he said. Ong said the bloc was key to the peace and prosperity of all Southeast Asian nations, a factor that tends to be underappreciated. He said the Asean nations collaborate well with each other and are able to manage crises and maintain order and peace through 'savvy diplomacy'. Ong said maintaining Asean centrality—making the bloc the primary driving force in shaping regional cooperation and external engagement—amid geopolitical jostling and leadership initiatives by big powers was no easy feat. Asean is made up of 10 member states with differing socioeconomic levels and political systems. Timor-Leste is expected to become its 11th member under Malaysia's chairmanship this year. Geographically, the region holds high strategic, geopolitical and geo-economic value as it is home to the South China Sea and the Malacca Strait, two of the world's critical maritime trade routes. According to Ong, Asean centrality reflected the dexterity of its leaders and vision to work with the region's strengths and limitations in order to survive and prosper. 'Asean leaders' readiness to innovate and be creative has moved Asean forward in a world characterised by turbulence, uncertainty, novelty and ambiguity.' With the Asean Community Vision 2025 concluding this year, member states are already gearing up for the launch of the blocs Asean Community Vision 2045. Launched in 2015 during Malaysia's last chairmanship, the 2025 vision saw the region rise to become the world's fourth-largest economy by GDP. 'Malaysia has been the Asean chair on numerous occasions over the past six decades. It has the capability and maturity to lead Asean to manage the various challenges in geopolitics, economic transformation, and future mandate,' said Ong. The 46th Asean Summit, set for May 26–27 in Kuala Lumpur, will focus on the theme 'Sustainability and Inclusivity'.
CNA
08-05-2025
- Politics
- CNA
MINDEF signs contract for 2 more Invincible-class submarines
Singapore's Defence Ministry has signed a contract for two more Invincible-class submarines. The vessels are expected to be delivered from 2034, adding to the current fleet of four. Former defence minister Ng Eng Hen had announced the procurement during the Committee of Supply debates in Parliament earlier this year. Dr Collin Koh, Senior Fellow from the Institute of Defence and Strategic Studies at the S Rajaratnam School of International Studies, discusses the role the submarines play in a navy's defence strategy. He talks about how the new fleet can help the Singapore Navy punch above its weight and stay ahead of regional military superpowers.
