Most Read

Indonesia’s Interest in India’s BrahMos: More Than Just a Missile Deal
In addition to supporting the modernization of the Indonesian Navy, the possible BrahMos deal could also open a new era of cooperation between the two nations.

Beyond the Canal: The Real Risk of China’s Engagement in Panama
China’s combination of presence, influence, and compromising relationships within Panama’s elite gives it numerous opportunities to exploit. The solution is transparency and good governance.

In Bangladesh, Islamists Are Stepping up Actions Against Women
A series of troubling incidents have seen Islamic groups threaten violence to force the cancellation of women's football matches and store openings featuring Bangladeshi actresses.
Magazine

The New Red Scare: When Fear Becomes a Political Weapon
More than seven decades later, the legacies of the Red Scare have resurfaced in the United States – this time targeting China.

North Korea in Ukraine: What It Means for the World
It is time to examine not only the effects and effectiveness of North Korean troops in combat, but the wider implications for international security and conflict management.

Making Sense of Bangladesh’s Monsoon Uprising
Six months ago, Asia’s Iron Lady, Sheikh Hasina, fell dramatically from power. What happened?

Gi-Wook Shin on South Korea’s Political Maelstrom
The martial law episode – and all that followed – “reflects a broader global pattern of democratic erosion but also showcases Korea’s unique strengths.”
Blogs
China Power
A New World Order

Will China Take Advantage of Future EU-US Rifts?
Beijing hopes to benefit from tensions created by the Trump administration, but China will have to change its own approach to capitalize.
China’s Navy Steps up Its Peace Ark Diplomacy
As US Withdraws From WHO, China Supercharges Its Public Health Diplomacy
The Rise of DeepSeek: China’s Answer to Silicon Valley’s AI Dominance
Flashpoints
Diplomacy by Other Means

Will Kim Jong Un Meet Trump Again?
Pyongyang has made clear its nuclear weapons are no longer negotiable but its strategy can be recalibrated depending on Washington’s approach.
How the US Could Undermine Its Biggest Advantage Over China
US Tech Companies Embrace AI ‘Arms Race’ With China – and the Money It Brings
The Next Phase of the China-US Trade War Has Begun
Asia Defense
Militaries of the Asia-Pacific

North Korea Is Sending a Second Wave of Soldiers to Ukraine. Here’s Why.
Pyongyang would seem to have little reason to send its own people to risk their lives in the Russia-Ukraine War. But these soldiers appear to be at the heart of the North Korea-Russia security partnership.
Indonesia’s Interest in India’s BrahMos: More Than Just a Missile Deal
Between Opportunity and Constraint: Recent Developments in Indonesia-France Security Ties
Japan, the UK, and Italy Discuss Bringing Saudi Arabia Into Their Next-Generation Fighter Jet Project
ASEAN Beat
Insights Into Half a Billion

The Continued Threat of Online Radicalization in Malaysia
Social media and the internet continue to be a pivotal part of the modus operandi of extremist networks operating in the country.
Campaigning Begins in Philippine Mid-term Election Amid Vice-Presidential Impeachment Drama
Philippines on Cusp of Major Defense Pacts with New Zealand, Canada
Economic Corridors: One Way Forward For US Engagement in Southeast Asia
The Pulse
Perspectives on South Asia

India’s Turn Toward Its Extended Neighborhood
In the face of an increasingly hostile and constrained near neighborhood, New Delhi has focused on deepening relations with a wider array of countries.
Can Critical Minerals Redefine Pakistan-US Relations?
How Will US Foreign Aid Freeze Affect Nepal?
Iran’s Taliban Charm Offensive
The Koreas
Divided Peninsula

Angry Young Men Amid South Korea’s Impeachment Turmoil
Gender, again, is determining the flow of South Korea’s political upheaval.
Trump’s Opportunities and Challenges in Dealing With the Likely Next President of South Korea
What Will South Korea’s Post-Yoon Foreign Policy Look Like?
North Korea’s Economic Crisis: Solutions or More Controls?
Tokyo Report
News From Japan

The Strange Stability of the Japan-US Relationship
The Ishiba-Trump summit symbolized the stability of the Japan-U.S. relationship under a disruptive U.S. president.
How the Real Murders Behind the Hit Novel ‘Butter’ Exposed Japanese Media Misogyny
Can Japan’s Ishiba Build a Good Personal Relationship With Trump?
Japanese Broadcaster Fuji TV’s Sexual Assault Scandal Sparks Major Corporate Crisis
The Debate
Comment and Opinion

What the Trump Administration Can Learn From Aid Reorganizations in Australia, NZ, and Canada
As the administration considers folding USAID into the State Department, it should study lessons learned from Australia, Canada, and New Zealand – all of which have done the same.
China’s London ‘Super Embassy’ Would Be a Super Surveillance Hub
Exiled Kyrgyz Government Critic Threatened With Extradition From Dubai
Afghan Allies Risked Everything for US Missions. Urgent Action Is Needed to Protect Them.
Crossroads Asia
The New Silk Road

Turkmenistan Settles Gas Swap Deal With Turkiye, Iran
According to Turkish officials, the gas flow is planned to start on March 1, with Turkmen gas reaching Turkiye via a swap deal involving Iran.
How the Curtailing of US Aid Impacts Mongolia’s Development
Can Kazakhstan Succeed in Its Transition Toward Clean Energy?
Musk Takes Aim at RFE/RL, to Japarov’s Delight
Trans-Pacific View
U.S. Policy on Asia

The Imperial Presidency and the China-US Trade War
Trump has expanded presidential power since the first trade war with China, wresting a significant portion of foreign economic policymaking authority from Congress.
Narrowing the Trade Deficit Will Top Modi-Trump Meeting Agenda
Could China Fill the US Aid Vacuum in Afghanistan?
Quad and AUKUS Face an Uncertain Future Under Trump
Pacific Money
Economy And Business

What Does the DeepSeek Disruption Mean for Southeast Asia?
DeepSeek’s low cost – and low computing power – model will have ramifications for Southeast Asia’s bet on data centers.
China’s Overlooked AI Energy Edge Over the US: Cheaper Energy
Indonesia Approves Creation of Second Sovereign Investment Fund
The Big Myth About China’s Low Consumption
Oceania
The South Pacific

With the US in Retreat, a Chance for Australia to Lead
In a world where the great powers are disinterested in trust and responsibility, there’s a lot now on the table for middle powers like Australia to pursue.
Trump’s Illegal Gaza Occupation Plan Puts Australia in a Bind
What Should Australia Do in This Strongman Soft Power Age?
Australia’s Opposition Leader Softens Tone on China, With Election in Mind
Videos
Asia on Video

What’s Driving Taiwan’s Mass Protests?
Chiang Min-yen, a non-resident fellow at the Taiwan Economic Democracy Union, joins The Diplomat to discuss the concerns over the bill, the China factor, and what comes next.
What’s Behind Vietnam’s Political Upheaval?
The Danger of China’s Digital Silk Road
What Will China’s Shift From Oil Mean for Saudi Arabia and Russia?
Podcasts
Asia Geopolitics

Trump 2.0 in America: Geopolitical Ripples Across Asia and the World
The second Trump term is nothing like the first. The implications for Asia are massive.
The Biden Administration’s Asia Legacy
South Korea’s Martial Law Crisis: Geopolitical Implications and Beyond
Central Asian Militaries and Asian Geopolitics
Photo Essays
Asia in Pictures

Life in Ladakh Along the Disputed Sino-Indian Border
For Changpa women in Chushul, the 2020 clashes came during a larger societal shift in gender roles.