TOPIC

Centre for Strategic and International Studies (US)

The Centre for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) is a prominent Washington, D.C.-based non-profit think tank, established in 1962. Dedicated to providing strategic insights and policy solutions on global issues, CSIS focuses on international relations, security, economics, trade, technology, and global health. It conducts extensive research and analysis, developing policy initiatives for decision-makers in government and other sectors. Recognised as a leading bipartisan institution, CSIS is highly influential in shaping foreign policy and national security discussions, contributing significantly to public understanding and policy development.

Cambodia, Myanmar, Laos and Thailand are among countries affected by the United States’ 75-country visa suspension. Photo: TNS

Asean

Visa suspension tests US priorities in Southeast Asia

The move reflects an ‘America first’ policy approach and treats certain allies in the region as ‘strategically insignificant’, analysts say.

17 Jan 2026 - 2:00PMvideocam

Myanmar

Philippine minister’s ‘premature’ Myanmar visit casts doubts over Asean’s role

14 Jan 2026 - 4:16PM

China-Africa relations

China’s Wang Yi cites ‘severe risks’ after Somalia dropped from Africa itinerary

12 Jan 2026 - 5:53PMvideocam

Greenland

Greenland. Greenland. Greenland. Why is Trump so fixed on the US having it?

Denmark says it’s not for sale and people on the island seem opposed to being owned by the United States.

9 Jan 2026 - 5:12PMvideocam

Greenland is a sparsely populated Arctic island and has long been considered strategically important to US defence, mainly because of its location. Photo: Reuters

Saudi Arabia

US allies Saudi Arabia, UAE risk a split in Middle East over competing visions

A ‘new order’ is emerging as Abu Dhabi-backed separatist allies clash with pro-Riyadh governments in the region.

8 Jan 2026 - 5:21PM

US-China trade war

BYD’s win, Tesla’s defeat, Ford’s pivot: the widening gap in US-China EV markets

From wavering policy to cost gaps, analysts say decades of state backing have given China a decisive edge over US rivals.

17 Jan 2026 - 1:07AMvideocam

US-Venezuela conflict

US ousting of Maduro prompts region to reassess China – and Trump’s next move

Trump hints at wider action as Latin American governments weigh sovereignty, China ties and US dominance.

6 Jan 2026 - 5:49PMvideocam

Protesters gather outside a courthouse in New York on Monday where ousted Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro made his first appearance after he was seized by US forces in his country. Photo: Xinhua

US-China relations

US envoy hosts Quad meeting in Beijing as PLA’s drills around Taiwan continue

Some analysts, however, say Quad is losing significance under Trump despite this latest show of unity and deterrence by the regional bloc.

1 Jan 2026 - 5:46AMvideocam

US-China relations

Will Trump’s battleship plan deter China or is it just a pipe dream?

Donald Trump unveils new class of ship meant to ‘inspire fear in America’s enemies’, but analysts say the initiative faces huge hurdles.

26 Dec 2025 - 5:50PMvideocam

US-China relations

Pentagon’s Taiwan war games reflect US anxiety over PLA power: defence experts

Leaked report projects heavy US losses in potential cross-strait conflict and highlights Beijing’s ability to destroy warships and planes.

21 Dec 2025 - 6:00AM

The PLA’s YJ-17 hypersonic anti-ship missile is displayed during a military parade in Beijing on September 3. A recently leaked Pentagon report says Beijing has amassed an arsenal of around 600 hypersonic weapons. Photo: Eugene Lee

Taiwan

Opinion | Taiwan intervention may just spell the end of the West

Mutual economic destruction or worse for China and the West should be enough to deter everyone from internationalising the Taiwan question.

20 Dec 2025 - 9:30AMvideocam

A member of the People’s Liberation Army scans the sea during military exercises, with Taiwan’s frigate Lan Yang in the distance, on August 5, 2022. Photo: Xinhua via AP

China-South Korea relations

China’s build-up of Yellow Sea facilities tipped to fuel South Korean suspicions

Report notes increasing number of buoys with possible military uses in waters both sides claim as part of their exclusive economic zones.

16 Dec 2025 - 6:21PMvideocam

China-South Korea relations

Is the US pushing South Korea to the fore in deterring a war over Taiwan?

Washington’s latest strategy urges allies to spend ‘much more for collective defence’ as it backs Seoul building nuclear-powered submarines.

14 Dec 2025 - 12:00PMvideocam

China-India relations

Trump, Modi have ‘warm’ phone call – but 2025 unlikely to end with a trade deal

Even after calls for India to contribute more in the Indo-Pacific to counter China and deepen defence ties, Trump refuses to budge on trade concessions.

12 Dec 2025 - 7:07AMvideocam

US President Donald Trump and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi enjoyed a friendly phone call on Thursday, but a trade deal between the two countries is still some way off. Photo: AP

US-China trade war

USMCA urged to form joint mechanism to address China’s national security threats

US, Mexico and Canada encouraged at US trade hearing to oversee ‘pragmatic and specific plan’ to strengthen economic rules against China.

4 Dec 2025 - 7:42AMvideocam

Shipping containers with flags of Mexico and China. The USMCA has been encouraged to adopt stronger economic security rules with China. Illustration: Shutterstock

South China Sea

China ramps up surveillance equipment at Spratly Islands bases: US think tank

Satellites detect new radars and electronic warfare gear at South China Sea outposts, CSIS says.

3 Dec 2025 - 8:00PMvideocam

South China Sea

‘Strategic’: why are drones taking off among South China Sea claimant states?

Experts weigh the merits and limits of growing pivot in the region to uncrewed aircraft and the potential for 24/7 patrols.

3 Dec 2025 - 11:19AMvideocam

Myanmar

Political show? Why Myanmar is again cracking down on cyber scammers

Myanmar’s junta has been under pressure to raid fraud hubs by China as its citizens have been badly affected by these scammers, analysts say.

27 Nov 2025 - 7:00PMvideocam

White smoke billows after an explosion at KK Park online scam centre in Myawaddy, Myanmar, on October 25, Photo: AP

Indonesia

Indonesia scripts soft-power diplomacy push with film shot in China’s Ningxia

Analysts say ‘Assalamualaikum Beijing 2: Lost in Ningxia’ is a striking example of cinema being used to bridge cultural divides.

27 Nov 2025 - 4:03PMvideocam

US-China trade war

US-China: a fragile truce, divergent accounts and a Thanksgiving test

Washington pushes a rare earth timeline Beijing never acknowledged, underscoring how far apart the two sides still appear to be.

22 Nov 2025 - 4:38AMvideocam

US-China relations

US must speed up arms deliveries to Taiwan, create stockpile, Senate hears

Witnesses warn delays and incomplete mandates under landmark 2022 law weaken deterrence as Washington prioritises better ties with Beijing.

22 Nov 2025 - 12:11AMvideocam

Two US-made M1A2T tanks fire during military exercises in Hsinchu county, Taiwan. A Senate hearing has been told that Washington is still far from delivering the military capabilities it has pledged to Taiwan. Photo: EPA

US-China relations

US ends arms embargo, but can it pry Cambodia away from China on defence?

Beijing has ramped up military ties with Phnom Penh, but now Washington is trying to ‘encroach’ on China’s sphere of influence, analysts say.

16 Nov 2025 - 7:00PMvideocam

Chinese and Cambodian troops take part in a joint humanitarian search and rescue exercise in 2023. Photo: Handout

US-China trade war

Calm before storm? China-US trade war seen growing more volatile despite truce

Analysts say other countries forced to walk fine line, while one argues business interests make it hard to pick sides.

13 Nov 2025 - 10:39PM

Donald Trump

Trump hosts Central Asian leaders as US eyes sources for critical minerals

The C5+1 summit marks Washington’s effort to expand influence in a resource-rich region long dominated by Russia and increasingly courted by China.

7 Nov 2025 - 1:44PMvideocam

US-China relations

‘No structure to say yes’: can Chinese investment still find a home in America?

Even as Beijing pushes for an opening, US rules, local backlash and political fear keep China on the sidelines.

29 Nov 2025 - 1:07AMvideocam

US-China relations

How are leading Western think tanks unboxing the Xi-Trump summit?

The Post looks at insights shared by analysts in the US and Europe after the leaders’ high-stakes meeting in South Korea.

31 Oct 2025 - 8:18PMvideocam

US President Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping meet in Busan, South Korea, on Thursday on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit. Photo: Reuters

China’s coastguard

China, South Korean ships in 15-hour Yellow Sea stand-off last month: report

US-based think tank details latest encounter over Chinese-built structures in contested maritime zone.

29 Oct 2025 - 10:09AMvideocam

US-China trade war

‘Partnership, not pressure’, US soybean farmers urge Trump before Xi talks

US farmers say Trump administration must tone down name-calling and aggressive tactics if they are to secure a lasting soy deal with China.

28 Oct 2025 - 12:45PMvideocam

Help preserve 120 years of quality journalism.

SUPPORT NOW

Centre for Strategic and International Studies (US)

Visa suspension tests US priorities in Southeast Asia

The move reflects an ‘America first’ policy approach and treats certain allies in the region as ‘strategically insignificant’, analysts say.

Philippine minister’s ‘premature’ Myanmar visit casts doubts over Asean’s role

China’s Wang Yi cites ‘severe risks’ after Somalia dropped from Africa itinerary

Greenland. Greenland. Greenland. Why is Trump so fixed on the US having it?

Denmark says it’s not for sale and people on the island seem opposed to being owned by the United States.

US allies Saudi Arabia, UAE risk a split in Middle East over competing visions

A ‘new order’ is emerging as Abu Dhabi-backed separatist allies clash with pro-Riyadh governments in the region.

BYD’s win, Tesla’s defeat, Ford’s pivot: the widening gap in US-China EV markets

From wavering policy to cost gaps, analysts say decades of state backing have given China a decisive edge over US rivals.

US ousting of Maduro prompts region to reassess China – and Trump’s next move

Trump hints at wider action as Latin American governments weigh sovereignty, China ties and US dominance.

US envoy hosts Quad meeting in Beijing as PLA’s drills around Taiwan continue

Some analysts, however, say Quad is losing significance under Trump despite this latest show of unity and deterrence by the regional bloc.

Will Trump’s battleship plan deter China or is it just a pipe dream?

Donald Trump unveils new class of ship meant to ‘inspire fear in America’s enemies’, but analysts say the initiative faces huge hurdles.

Pentagon’s Taiwan war games reflect US anxiety over PLA power: defence experts

Leaked report projects heavy US losses in potential cross-strait conflict and highlights Beijing’s ability to destroy warships and planes.

.css-1m2rp1p{color:#34b8b5;}Opinion | Taiwan intervention may just spell the end of the West

Mutual economic destruction or worse for China and the West should be enough to deter everyone from internationalising the Taiwan question.

China’s build-up of Yellow Sea facilities tipped to fuel South Korean suspicions

Report notes increasing number of buoys with possible military uses in waters both sides claim as part of their exclusive economic zones.

Is the US pushing South Korea to the fore in deterring a war over Taiwan?

Washington’s latest strategy urges allies to spend ‘much more for collective defence’ as it backs Seoul building nuclear-powered submarines.

Trump, Modi have ‘warm’ phone call – but 2025 unlikely to end with a trade deal

Even after calls for India to contribute more in the Indo-Pacific to counter China and deepen defence ties, Trump refuses to budge on trade concessions.

USMCA urged to form joint mechanism to address China’s national security threats

US, Mexico and Canada encouraged at US trade hearing to oversee ‘pragmatic and specific plan’ to strengthen economic rules against China.

China ramps up surveillance equipment at Spratly Islands bases: US think tank

Satellites detect new radars and electronic warfare gear at South China Sea outposts, CSIS says.

‘Strategic’: why are drones taking off among South China Sea claimant states?

Experts weigh the merits and limits of growing pivot in the region to uncrewed aircraft and the potential for 24/7 patrols.

Political show? Why Myanmar is again cracking down on cyber scammers

Myanmar’s junta has been under pressure to raid fraud hubs by China as its citizens have been badly affected by these scammers, analysts say.

Indonesia scripts soft-power diplomacy push with film shot in China’s Ningxia

Analysts say ‘Assalamualaikum Beijing 2: Lost in Ningxia’ is a striking example of cinema being used to bridge cultural divides.

US-China: a fragile truce, divergent accounts and a Thanksgiving test

Washington pushes a rare earth timeline Beijing never acknowledged, underscoring how far apart the two sides still appear to be.

US must speed up arms deliveries to Taiwan, create stockpile, Senate hears

Witnesses warn delays and incomplete mandates under landmark 2022 law weaken deterrence as Washington prioritises better ties with Beijing.

US ends arms embargo, but can it pry Cambodia away from China on defence?

Beijing has ramped up military ties with Phnom Penh, but now Washington is trying to ‘encroach’ on China’s sphere of influence, analysts say.

Calm before storm? China-US trade war seen growing more volatile despite truce

Analysts say other countries forced to walk fine line, while one argues business interests make it hard to pick sides.

Trump hosts Central Asian leaders as US eyes sources for critical minerals

The C5+1 summit marks Washington’s effort to expand influence in a resource-rich region long dominated by Russia and increasingly courted by China.

‘No structure to say yes’: can Chinese investment still find a home in America?

Even as Beijing pushes for an opening, US rules, local backlash and political fear keep China on the sidelines.

How are leading Western think tanks unboxing the Xi-Trump summit?

The Post looks at insights shared by analysts in the US and Europe after the leaders’ high-stakes meeting in South Korea.

China, South Korean ships in 15-hour Yellow Sea stand-off last month: report

US-based think tank details latest encounter over Chinese-built structures in contested maritime zone.

‘Partnership, not pressure’, US soybean farmers urge Trump before Xi talks

US farmers say Trump administration must tone down name-calling and aggressive tactics if they are to secure a lasting soy deal with China.

Opinion | Taiwan intervention may just spell the end of the West