Our weekly roundup of member activities features analysis on AUKUS, the US-India defence partnership, China’s AI governance and Vietnam’s strategy amidst US-China rivalry.

ASEAN has laid the foundations for responsible behaviour in cyberspace through its adoption of UN cyber norms and the 2024 implementation checklist. Yet these achievements alone cannot ensure accountability when norms are breached. Gatra Priyandita argues that Southeast Asian states should prioritise developing a collective attribution capability by approaching attribution first as a technical capacity before it becomes a political act. Taking an incremental, coalition-based approach would allow the region to move beyond declaratory commitments and build a more credible governance framework.

“Managing First-Strike Pressures, the Nuclear Taboo, and Proliferation Risks in Northeast Asia” is a joint APLN–Toda Peace Institute research and policy dialogue project launched in 2026. Through commissioned research papers, policy briefs, and thematic dialogues, the project develops practical policy recommendations for reducing nuclear risks in the region. This work will culminate in a workshop in Tokyo in September 2026 convening experts from Japan, South Korea, China, the United States, Russia, and India. 

APLN has over 180 members from 24 countries in the Asia-Pacific.
Each week, we feature their latest contributions
to global and regional security debates.