Importance of Transboundary River Data Sharing Between India and China

By Neeraj Singh Manhas

In a recent high-level diplomatic engagement during the 23rd Meeting of the Special Representatives (SRs) of India and China, India’s National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval visited China and met Mr Wang Yi, a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and Minister of Foreign Affairs. This dialogue signals a cautious but noteworthy effort to normalise relations between the two Asian giants. Amid unresolved tensions, particularly the border stand-off along the Line of Actual Control (LAC), both nations appear to be inching toward pragmatic cooperation in critical areas, such as the sharing of transboundary river data.

ASEAN’s Next Plan for Food, Agriculture and Forestry Needs to Prioritise Action

By Elyssa Kaur Ludher

As ASEAN faces escalating food insecurity from trade disruptions and climate impacts, immediate implementation is essential in four key areas: boosting intra-regional trade, enhancing cross-sector enablers like channelling research and development (R&D) to climate-smart and digital inclusion, diversifying food stockpiles beyond rice, and protecting regional environmental commons.

Navigating Minilateralism: Challenges and Opportunities for ASEAN

By Byron Chong

The rise of minilateralism in the Indo-Pacific presents both challenges and opportunities for the region’s key multilateral bloc, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). On one hand, the emergence of smaller, more agile coalitions poses a direct challenge to ASEAN’s much vaunted ‘centrality’ and raises questions about its continued relevance to the region’s security architecture. On the other, minilaterals could actually be the much-needed remedy for some of ASEAN’s longstanding structural deficiencies. This essay explores how ASEAN can navigate the opportunities and challenges posed by minilateralism amidst the shifting power dynamics in the Indo-Pacific.