
Setting Sail: Dr. Collin Koh on China's Naval Buildup and the Future of Sea Power
In this episode, Garrison is once again joined by Dr. Collin Koh, senior fellow at the Institute of Defense and Strategic Studies at RSIS in Singapore. The two discuss the meteoric naval buildup of China's Navy, and its efforts to improve professionalism and integration in its naval forces. This comes amidst the backdrop of the U.S. Navy's increasingly demanding role in the Middle East and questions about America's focus on the Pacific theater of operations. They also discuss Japan's return to military hard power as a security contributor for Southeast Asia, and its deepening defense cooperation with Australia. The discussion concludes with a review of Dr. Koh's recent article in CNA explaining why Malacca is not the Hormuz when it comes to naval security, and why manned surface ships will keep navies relevant in the age of drones. Dr Collin Koh is senior fellow at the Institute of Defence and Strategic Studies which is a constituent unit of the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies, based in Nanyang Technological University, Singapore. He has research interests on maritime security and naval affairs in the Indo-Pacific, focusing on Southeast Asia. Collin has published several op-eds, policy- and academic journal articles as well as chapters for edited volumes covering his research areas. He has also taught at Singapore Armed Forces professional military education and training courses. Besides research and teaching, Collin also contributes his perspectives to various local and international media outlets, and participates in activities with geopolitical risks consultancies. Garrison Moratto is the founder and host of The New Diplomatist Podcast; he earned a M.S. of International Relations as well as a B.S. in Government: Public Administration (Summa Cum Laude) at Liberty University in the United States. He has been published in RealClearDefense, and Pacific Forum International's "Issues & Insights", among other publications. He is the author of Distant Shores on Substack. Guest opinions are their own. All music licensed via UppBeat. Episode recorded on Aug. 19th, 2026









