Latest Stories
With Luxon Visit, India-New Zealand Ties Scale New Heights
Historically underemphasized, New Delhi-Wellington engagement is now gaining strategic and diplomatic prominence.
Afghanistan, Pakistan Point Fingers Over Islamic State Presence
Each government is attempting to blame the other for the continued activities of ISKP. Meanwhile, the group continues to conduct attacks.
India Needs to De-weaponize Misinformation
Indian law needs to fix the meaning of fake news and misinformation and needs to be tied to the public interest rather than to the interest of the state.
Cancellation of RFE/RL’s Grant Called ‘Illegal’ and a ‘Gift’ to US Adversaries
RFE/RL leadership has pushed back on the decision by its parent organization, the U.S. Agency for Global Media, to cancel its grants, calling the move outright "illegal."
Argentina’s President Milei Ignores Asia
It is evident that Asia – with its immense economic development and limitless opportunities for Argentina – has no place in Milei’s libertarian world.
Taiwan Looks to Crack Down on China’s Influence and Espionage Activities
From military espionage to pro-China Taiwanese influencers to local government officials, the Lai Ching-te government is seeking to curb infiltration by Beijing.
Most Read
Jaffar Express Hijacking Exposes Pakistan’s Failing Strategy in Balochistan
The hijacking of the Jaffar Express signals that the conflict in Balochistan is reaching a dangerous new phase.
The South China Sea: Making the Philippines-US Alliance Work Under Trump 2.0
The most crucial question remains: How to deter China?
Is the United States Becoming a Hollow Maritime Power?
U.S. maritime power increasingly risks projecting strength without the institutional agility to sustain it.
Magazine
Pakistan Under Shehbaz Sharif: The State of the Nation
With domestic politics gravely polarized, security increasingly fragile, and the economy barely stable, there is little sign of an end to Pakistan’s chronic dysfunction.
To Russia With Waning Love: Changing Migration Dynamics in Central Asia
Russia and Central Asia have been mutually shaped by decades of labor migration, but these long-running ties have begun to fray.
The New Age of Global Trade: Aggressive Neo-Mercantilism
International trade, with the U.S. and China at the forefront, is undergoing a paradigmatic shift away from free trade and toward an aggressive form of neo-mercantilism.
Misun Woo on Women’s Rights in the Asia-Pacific
“We need to ask why there hasn’t been much change to advance women’s human rights and end injustice?”
Blogs
China Power
A New World Order
Taiwan Looks to Crack Down on China’s Influence and Espionage Activities
From military espionage to pro-China Taiwanese influencers to local government officials, the Lai Ching-te government is seeking to curb infiltration by Beijing.
The Lasting Legacy of Taiwan’s 1990 Wild Lily Movement
Tibetan Language, Epic, and the Bards Safeguarding Heritage
China’s Growing Concerns Over India-US Relations
Flashpoints
Diplomacy by Other Means
Afghanistan, Pakistan Point Fingers Over Islamic State Presence
Each government is attempting to blame the other for the continued activities of ISKP. Meanwhile, the group continues to conduct attacks.
Quantum: A New Frontier of China-US Competition
Safeguarding Climate Action Amid Political Transitions in Asia
Atomic Wars: Nuclear Energy Competition in Southeast Asia
Asia Defense
Militaries of the Asia-Pacific
Uncertainty and Strategic Shifts in Taiwan-US Defense Cooperation Under Trump 2.0
U.S. military aid and strategic support for Taiwan are being reshaped. What will that mean for arms sales, military assistance, and strategic commitments?
Rebuilding Civil-Military Trust in South Korea
Beyond a Budget Boost: Modernizing Taiwan’s Defense
As ROK-US Drill Began, North Korea Fired Ballistic Missiles
ASEAN Beat
Insights Into Half a Billion
What Southeast Asian Countries Can Learn from Vietnam’s History of Negotiating Territorial Disputes with China
The involvement of an extra-regional great power in a small power’s territorial disputes with China may prove counterproductive.
Former Philippine President Duterte Appears at First ICC Hearing Since Extradition
Trying to Understand the Logic (If Any) of Thailand’s 10,000 Baht Handout
US Imposes Visa Restrictions on Thai Officials Over Uyghur Deportation
The Pulse
Perspectives on South Asia
With Luxon Visit, India-New Zealand Ties Scale New Heights
Historically underemphasized, New Delhi-Wellington engagement is now gaining strategic and diplomatic prominence.
A Bleak Future for Rohingya Refugees
India Reiterates Mauritius’ Centrality to Its Indian Ocean Region Strategy
Are India-UK Ties on Track to Achieve Vision 2030?
The Koreas
Divided Peninsula
Ahead of South Korea’s Impeachment Verdict, Partisan Division Is Worsening
Even after South Korea’s Constitution Court delivers its verdict, the country’s fierce and fractured partisan divide is likely to rage on both within and outside of the government.
South Korea’s Imperial Presidency
Yoon’s Martial Law Declaration Was Bad. What He Did Next May Have Been Worse.
South Korean Jets Mistakenly Bomb Village During Training Exercise
Tokyo Report
News From Japan
Japan Appoints First Chief of New Joint Operations Command
The new command, which has the authority to unify all three JSDF branches, is set to be launched on March 24.
At Fukushima Daiichi, Japan’s Unprecedented Nuclear Cleanup Continues
Japan’s Catch-22 Situation Over US-Ukraine Row
Japanese Foreign Minister Banned by Russia Over Ukraine Sanctions
The Debate
Comment and Opinion
India Needs to De-weaponize Misinformation
Indian law needs to fix the meaning of fake news and misinformation and needs to be tied to the public interest rather than to the interest of the state.
Argentina’s President Milei Ignores Asia
Myanmar’s Decentralized Resistance Is Too Resilient and Flexible to Crush
The US Is Failing Uyghurs – and Letting China Dominate American Allies
Crossroads Asia
The New Silk Road
Cancellation of RFE/RL’s Grant Called ‘Illegal’ and a ‘Gift’ to US Adversaries
RFE/RL leadership has pushed back on the decision by its parent organization, the U.S. Agency for Global Media, to cancel its grants, calling the move outright "illegal."
Uzbekistan, Pakistan Expanding Trade Amid Connectivity Challenges
An Unlikely Democracy: The Legacy of Mongolia’s 1990 Revolution
Pickers and Clusters: A Complex Array of Issues Confronts Uzbekistan’s Evolving Cotton Industry
Trans-Pacific View
U.S. Policy on Asia
Waste Not, Want Not: The Need for US Soft Power in the Indo-Pacific
The U.S. cannot sustain its influence or meet its objectives in the Indo-Pacific with only hard power or material inducements to other states.
Lawyer Extradited From Kyrgyzstan to California to Face Visa Fraud Charges
Does Trump’s Public Praise for Pakistan Signal a Change in US Foreign Policy toward Islamabad?
Asian Allies on Edge: Japan and South Korea Brace for Uncertainty in Trump’s Second Term
Pacific Money
Economy And Business
The Scandal at Indonesia’s State-Owned Energy Firm Pertamina, Explained
Five oil executives have been arrested for importing fuel at inflated prices. What explains the timing?
How US Companies in China Can Survive
AI, Influence, and Power: How China is Reshaping Central Europe’s Digital Future
Singapore’s Budget 2025, Explained
Oceania
The South Pacific
Half-truths and Lies: An Online Day in Australia
Australians are swamped by misinformation every day, but they're smart enough to know they need help to better navigate an untrustworthy online world.
America or Europe? Why Trump’s Ukraine U-turn Is a Fork in the Road for New Zealand
Set Adrift: The Australian Political Class and the US Alliance under Trump 2.0
Meet the Influencers Courting the Australian Vote
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
Duterte in The Hague: The Philippines and the Geopolitics of International Law
What does Rodrigo Duterte's arrest mean for the Philippines and international law?
Is the United States Relitigating Its Grand Strategy?
DeepSeek and the AI Competition
Trump 2.0 in America: Geopolitical Ripples Across Asia and the World
Photo Essays
Asia in Pictures
The Untold Stories of Peshawar’s Gemstone Market at Namak Mandi
Pakistan’s largest and most important gemstone and mineral market is deeply intertwined with the region’s borders, conflict, and undocumented economies.