Malaysia’s chairmanship sought to fend off short-term challenges while laying the groundwork for minimizing ASEAN’s longer-term exposure to external stresses.
Elina Noor
Through a combination of country, regional, and topical studies, Strategic Asia 2005–06: Military Modernization in an Era of Uncertainty assesses how Asian states are modernizing their military programs in response to China's rise as a regional power, the war on terrorism, changes in U.S. force posture, the revolution in military affairs, and local security dilemmas.
Source: The National Bureau of Asian Research

Through a combination of country, regional, and topical studies, Strategic Asia 2005–06: Military Modernization in an Era of Uncertainty assesses how Asian states are modernizing their military programs in response to China's rise as a regional power, the war on terrorism, changes in U.S. force posture, the revolution in military affairs, and local security dilemmas. In addition to this central theme, each chapter examines the changing balance of power in Asia and identifies likely threats and opportunities that may arise in the next five years.
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About the Authors
Ashley J. Tellis, senior associate at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, served in the U.S. Department of State as senior advisor to the Ambassador at the U.S. embassy in India and on the National Security Council staff as special assistant to the president and senior director, strategic planning and Southwest Asia. He is the author of India’s Emerging Nuclear Posture and co-author of Interpreting China’s Grand Strategy. He has co-edited Strategic Asia 2004-05: Confronting Terrorism in the Pursuit of Power.
Michael Wills is the Strategic Asia program director at the National Bureau of Asian Research.
Former Senior Fellow
Ashley J. Tellis was a senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.
Michael Wills
National Bureau of Asian Research
Michael Wills is senior vice president for strategy and finance at NBR.
Carnegie does not take institutional positions on public policy issues; the views represented herein are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of Carnegie, its staff, or its trustees.
Malaysia’s chairmanship sought to fend off short-term challenges while laying the groundwork for minimizing ASEAN’s longer-term exposure to external stresses.
Elina Noor
For Malaysia, the conjunction that works is “and” not “or” when it comes to the United States and China.
Elina Noor
ASEAN needs to determine how to balance perpetuating the benefits of technology cooperation with China while mitigating the risks of getting caught in the crosshairs of U.S.-China gamesmanship.
Elina Noor
In July 2025, Vietnam and China held their first joint army drill, a modest but symbolic move reflecting Hanoi’s strategic hedging amid U.S.–China rivalry.
Nguyễn Khắc Giang
Regulation, not embargo, allows Beijing to shape how other countries and firms adapt to its terms.
Alvin Camba