Think Tank (3/2024)
Promoting Amity: Diplomacy and Dialogue as Statecrafts in a Fragmented World
Modernising the People’s Liberation Army in the New Era: Aspiring to be a Global Military Power
James Char
The book tracks the reforms undertaken by the PLA as part of the grand objectives set at the 2015 Central Military Commission Reform Work Meeting: for China’s armed forces to transform themselves into a more professional and modern military. Focusing on those changes since late 2016 at corps level and below, the first and second sections of the volume document the subsequent force structure and operational changes to the PLA’s four conventional services, and two newly established PLA branches: the Strategic Support Force and Joint Logistic Support Force. To that end, the contributors examine the reforms promulgated by the Chinese high command and measure them against observable developments in the PLA’s power projection capabilities. In view of how the instrumentalization of military power is writ large in Beijing’s strategic calculus and in regional hotspot issues, the final part of the book also provides pathbreaking insights into two critical but not-so-well-understood phenomena: the now regular PLA aerial activities in the Taiwan Strait and the PLA Navy’s submarine operations in the South China Sea.
Indonesia and Islam in Transition
Leonard C. Sebastian, Syed Huzaifah Bin Othman Alkaff
This book focuses on Islam in Indonesia, showcasing the wide range of Muslim organisations, belief systems and movements, together with an analysis of the political behaviour of Indonesian Muslims. It includes an investigation of the structure of groups, organizations, and societies, and how Muslims within the archipelago interact within these contexts. In doing so, it promotes a more nuanced understanding of Indonesian Muslim society by approaching it through the utilisation of scholarly frameworks. Theories related to religion and society are used, especially in characterising the transition of the Indonesian Muslim society from pre-New Order to post-New Order. Particularly significant is Abdullah Saeed's framework in understanding one’s attitude towards key and contemporary issues, originally used to understand one’s attitude towards the religious ‘other’. The authors thus adopt this framework in the book, as a method of categorising people in a diverse society which in turnhelps readers to understand the nuances of Islam and Muslims in a huge country like Indonesia.
Perspectives of Two Island Nations: Singapore – New Zealand
Anne-Marie Schleich
Singapore and New Zealand are island nations that share many similarities and have enjoyed close relations for almost sixty years. Both face global challenges in today's less stable world. Twenty-seven prominent experts cover a wide range of topics, from Singapore's and New Zealand's history, foreign policy, trade relations, economy, sustainability and climate policies, to creative sectors, museums and ageing populations. Other distinguished authors highlight the close cooperation in defence, trade and business.
The Editor, Dr Anne-Marie Schleich, was a German career diplomat posted to Singapore from 1982 to 1985 and was the German Ambassador to New Zealand from 2012 to 2016. She is now an Adjunct Senior Fellow at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies, NTU, Singapore.
