ASIA-PACIFIC REGIONAL SECURITY ASSESSMENT 2025

The Asia-Pacific Regional Security Assessment (APRSA) examines key regional security policies and challenges relevant to the proceedings of the IISS Shangri-La Dialogue, Asia’s premier defence summit convened by the International Institute for Strategic Studies. It is published and launched at the Dialogue and the issues analysed within its covers are central to discussions at the event and beyond. This twelfth edition of the APRSA covers six chapters and is written by 21 IISS experts from across its offices in London, Berlin, Manama, Washington and Singapore and includes original maps, graphs, charts and tables. The chapters collectively examine how major security policies and trends across the Asia-Pacific are often significantly shaped by seemingly ‘non-security’ dynamics, from industrial globalisation to domestic and bureaucratic politics.The special-topic chapter this year will examine defence-industrial partnerships involving regional and extra-regional powers in the Asia-Pacific as, well as their aims and challenges. The other five chapters cover the following topics:The second Trump administration’s redrawing of the international security landscapeJapan’s concerns over the growing ties between China, North Korea and RussiaEmerging underwater security trends in the Asia-PacificMilitary cyber maturity in the Asia-PacificSoutheast Asia’s uninhabited aerial vehicle-capability developments

The International Institute for Strategic Studies is an independent centre for research, information and debate on the problems of conflict, however caused, that have, or potentially have, an important military content. The staff of the Institute is international in composition and IISS work is international in its perspective and reach. The Institute is independent and stresses rigorous fact-based research with a forward-looking policy orientation that can improve wider public understanding of international security problems and influence the development of sounder public policy, and more effective business decisions in the international arena.