China-India-Pakistan Trilateral Relations amid Changing Regional Dynamics

By Zhang Jiegen

The China–India–Pakistan relationship is less a partnership than a durable strategic triangle shaped by rivalry, asymmetry, and managed restraint. China’s alignment with Pakistan offsets India, India balances against China, and Pakistan remains locked into India-centric deterrence, producing stability without trust.

Reality Check: The Challenges of Integrating Timor-Leste into ASEAN

By Denis Hew, Mae Chow, and Scarlet Xu Ni

Timor-Leste's accession offers market access benefits, but its structural vulnerabilities, such as depleting petroleum reserves, weak institutions, and narrow export base, raise questions about premature timing. The integration therefore tests ASEAN's capacity to achieve equitable development without widening existing disparities among member states.

RCEP 2.0: Why the World’s Largest Trade Deal Needs a Comprehensive Upgrade

By Scarlet Xu Ni

Is the world's largest Free Trade Agreement good enough? This question will define the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP)'s first general review in 2027. Since entering into force in 2022, the RCEP has consolidated the web of ASEAN+1 Free Trade Agreements (FTA) into a unified framework and established the first FTA linking China, Japan, and South Korea. In terms of GDP, it is the largest trade agreement in history. Yet, by ambition, it ends up falling short. The upcoming review will determine whether RCEP 1.0 was merely a starting point or a ceiling. With one more year to prepare, members face a choice: pursue comprehensive upgrades, or risk watching RCEP settle into irrelevance as global trade moves beyond it.