Episode 2: China-Southeast Asia relations: A history of cooperation

After a hiatus, the Asian Peace Talks is back with our 9th episode. For this episode, Kishore Mahbubani speaks to one of the foremost experts on Indian foreign policy, Professor Kanti Bajpai, on India's relations with China and Pakistan. This episode was recorded on May 9, 2025, when the recent India-Pakistan conflict was still on-going. This discussion assumes particular importance, firstly, in the aftermath of the India-Pakistan conflict, and secondly, in the wake of the October 2024 border agreements between China and India.

Amid a shifting balance of power and mounting transnational challenges, the international order is evidently in transition. But with the great powers at loggerheads, will the Global South succeed in building a new international order that reflects their interests? And can the “hedging” strategies of Global South states succeed in bridging the divides – both amongst themselves and with others – that currently obstruct the international community’s ability to address global challenges? On the heels of the publication of the Better Order Project’s signature report, join the Asian Peace Programme (APP) and the Quincy Institute for a discussion of this strategic issue – and its potential implications for policy areas ranging from UN Security Council reform to the Middle East, to climate security.

In this episode, Kishore Mahbubani speaks with Girija Pande, Chairman of Apex Avalon Consulting Singapore and former President of Tata Consultancy Services Asia-Pacific. The topic for this episode is the economic relationship between China, currently the world's second largest economy, and India, currently the world's fifth largest economy. What are the contours of this economic relationship? And how, in spite of the many geopolitical challenges, can this relationship be further strengthened? These are the broad questions that will be discussed on the podcast today.

In this special episode for the Asian Peace Talks, seasoned journalist and veteran interviewer, Jyoti Malhotra, based in New Delhi, India, speaks with Sanjaya Baru, a Distinguished Fellow at the United Service Institution of India, on his essay for APP, "India can still be a bridge to the Global South". This conversation covers the role of India in ensuring a more equitable G20, even as the immediate needs of the Global South continues to diverge from the Global North. For Dr Baru's APP essay, see: https://ari.nus.edu.sg/app-essay-sanjaya-baru/

In this episode, Kishore Mahbubani speaks with Sarang Shidore of the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft, Washington DC, on the trajectory of US-China relations under the Biden Administration, from the perspective of Asia and ASEAN. This discussion covers the changing trajectory of the bilateral relations, how the Biden Administration has been different (if at all) from the Trump administration on China, the impact of the Ukraine conflict, as well as of Nancy Pelosi's ongoing visit to Taiwan, and how all of this affects ASEAN.

Kishore Mahbubani speaks to Professor Kanti Bajpai on India's relations with Pakistan and China, and how they can be improved, despite the seemingly intractable nature of their conflicts. The episode also touches on India's relations with the other great powers, Russia, the United States, its role in an increasingly multipolar world, and its stance in the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.

In this episode, Kishore Mahbubani interviews Marty Natalegawa, former foreign minister of Indonesia, and one of ASEAN's most well-known diplomats and scholars, on the importance of ASEAN centrality to Southeast Asia, and how ASEAN can play a constructive role in the time of growing US-China competition in the region.

In this special episode for the Asian Peace Talks, seasoned journalist and veteran interviewer, Jyoti Malhotra, based in New Delhi, India, speaks with Sarang Shidore (of the Quincy Institute and Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs), on his essay for APP, "Safer Together: Why South and Southeast Asia Must Cooperate to Prevent a New Cold War in Asia". This conversation covers the growing US-China conflict, its impact on Asia, and what South and Southeast Asia can do about it. Please see link for Sarang's essay: https://ari.nus.edu.sg/app-essay-sarang-shidore/. 

A major factor that prevents the US from pursuing greater cooperation with China are the deep and entrenched impressions held by the US body politic, its scholars and policymakers, on China, the Chinese government and its people.  Kishore Mahbubani's interview with George Yeo, Singapore's former foreign minister and a keen student of US-China politics, unpacks these speculations and brings out the divergence between these speculations and the realities on the ground. 

Southeast Asia is perhaps among the world's most diverse regions. Nearly every major world religion is represented here. Even within countries, the ethnic and linguistic diversity is staggering. Does Southeast Asia have a common identity underlaying all of this diversity? What does a 'Southeast Asian' identity entail? For our 3rd episode of Asian Peace Talks, we have with us the famous public historian and academic, Professor Farish Noor. Please join Professor Noor's conversation with Kishore Mahbubani as they unpack the 'Southeast Asian' identity.