Latest Stories
Online Scam Syndicates Expanding Within and Beyond Southeast Asia, UN Warns
Recent regional law enforcement operations have prompted "agile" organized crime groups to expand their regional and global presence.
How Turkmenistan’s Government Neglects Its People (And Why the World Should Care)
“When the international community ignores a country like Turkmenistan, it sends a message that some lives – and some struggles – matter less.”
US, Philippines Begin Balikatan Annual Drills With South China Sea in Mind
In previewing the drills, military officials mentioned not only the disputed waterway but also the potential deterrent effect in the Taiwan Strait.
With Xi Jinping Visit, Cambodia Doubles Down on China Ties
The relationship is entering a new phase – one defined by less dependence and more by deepening economic and strategic integration.
Xi Jinping’s Tour Highlights Southeast Asia as the Frontline of the Global China-US Competition
During his tour of Southeast Asia, Xi presented China’s vision for the region, emphasizing unity against external confrontation (read the U.S. trade war).
What Russia’s Support Means for North Korea’s Nuclear Modernization
Russia’s growing technological assistance has the potential to bolster North Korea’s development of ICBMs and SLBMs, nuclear-powered submarines, and low yield nuclear weapons.
Most Read
MH370: The Devil Is in the Data
Could data gathered by amateur radio operators finally unlock the truth about the doomed Malaysia Airlines flight?
The Art of Not Dealing: China’s 3-Ring Strategy for a Prolonged Trade War
Beijing is executing a three-layered plan: shoring up its domestic front, tightening the screws on the U.S., and repositioning itself on the global stage.
F-47: The US 6th-Generation Aircraft Plan Signals a Shift Toward Superiority
The announcement signals a shift toward the pursuit of nuclear superiority – which history shows will weaken deterrence and increase the likelihood of nuclear crises.
Magazine
Adani’s Controversial Footprint in India’s Neighborhood (and Elsewhere)
The growth of the Adani Group, especially overseas, has mirrored Modi’s political ascendancy. As a result, controversy involving Adani projects causes backlash against India as a whole.
Cambodia: The Unbearable Memory of the Khmer Rouge
April 17, 1975 – the day Phnom Penh fell – can perhaps never be fully reappropriated because of the strong sense of shame and pain that surrounds it.
Will Lee Jae-myung Rise From South Korea’s Political Chaos?
Lee Jae-myung’s strategic bet – that he can leverage widespread public discontent without further deepening societal divisions – will pose a key test for South Korea’s democracy.
Larry Diamond on the Importance of US Foreign Aid
“Ending aid is not a strategy to make America great again. It’s a strategy to make America resented and isolated in the world.”
Blogs
China Power
A New World Order
Xi Jinping’s Tour Highlights Southeast Asia as the Frontline of the Global China-US Competition
During his tour of Southeast Asia, Xi presented China’s vision for the region, emphasizing unity against external confrontation (read the U.S. trade war).
As US Decouples, China Strengthens Biotech Ties With Japan
What Top Chinese Economists Think of Trump’s Tariffs
Unsung Heroes of World War I Bring Together Chinese and Europeans
Flashpoints
Diplomacy by Other Means
What Russia’s Support Means for North Korea’s Nuclear Modernization
Russia’s growing technological assistance has the potential to bolster North Korea’s development of ICBMs and SLBMs, nuclear-powered submarines, and low yield nuclear weapons.
The Danger of a Trump Doctrine for Taiwan
China’s New Deep-Sea Cutting Tool Exposes Vulnerability of Undersea Cables
The Big Lie: Being Pro-US Won’t Force China to Invade Taiwan
Asia Defense
Militaries of the Asia-Pacific
US, Philippines Begin Balikatan Annual Drills With South China Sea in Mind
In previewing the drills, military officials mentioned not only the disputed waterway but also the potential deterrent effect in the Taiwan Strait.
The Martial Law Crisis: How Military Disobedience Helped Save South Korea’s Democracy
Are the Russians Eyeing West Papua for an Overseas Military Base?
The Evolution of the Baloch Liberation Army
ASEAN Beat
Insights Into Half a Billion
Online Scam Syndicates Expanding Within and Beyond Southeast Asia, UN Warns
Recent regional law enforcement operations have prompted "agile" organized crime groups to expand their regional and global presence.
With Xi Jinping Visit, Cambodia Doubles Down on China Ties
Xi Jinping Declares China’s ‘New Era’ With Cambodia
2 Rohingya Refugees Die in Indonesia Amid Global Funding Crunch
The Pulse
Perspectives on South Asia
The Emerging Exception: India Sees Itself as Transcending Middle Power
India no longer sees itself as merely a middle power, but as a key player shaping the global order: an “emerging great power.”
The National Security Implications of Starlink’s Entry Into India
Bangladesh Pokes India in the Eye; Delhi Hits Back
Through Climate Diplomacy, Nepal Sounds the Alarm on the Himalayas
The Koreas
Divided Peninsula
Tokyo Report
News From Japan
Tariff Talks an Opportunity to Reinvigorate the Japan-US Alliance
With the 24 percent additional tariffs on Japan suspended for 90 ninety days for negotiations, the U.S. and Japan should approach this moment as a chance to forge a new economic compact.
Abe Shinzo and Japan’s ‘Discovery of India’
Japan and Europe Should Forge Ahead With Their Own Alliance, Without the US
Japan Enacts FY 2025 Budget After Rare Revisions
The Debate
Comment and Opinion
Imposing Tariffs on China Is Not a Choice to Tackle the US Fentanyl Issue
No single country can respond to the fentanyl challenge alone. What's needed is joint effort and sustained cooperation – not economic coercion.
Balochistan’s War on Journalism: When Truth-telling Becomes a Death Sentence
The World Shouldn’t Turn Away From the Rohingya Community
Beijing Cannot Be Trusted to Mediate on Iran’s Nuclear Program
Crossroads Asia
The New Silk Road
How Has Kazakhstan’s Foreign Policy Evolved Under Tokayev?
Tokayev’s foreign policy marks a calibrated shift that emphasizes national sovereignty, economic pragmatism, and diversified multilateral alignments.
Central Asia Opens Diplomatic Rift With Turkiye Over Cyprus
Trans-Afghan Railway: Will Uzbekistan Develop the Kandahar Route?
Why Uzbekistan Continues to Push for Engaging With Afghanistan
Trans-Pacific View
U.S. Policy on Asia
What Did US Businesses Have to Say About Trump’s Tariffs?
Before the tariffs, businesses took advantage of a public comment period to lay out the dangers of a trade war. It seems clear that the Trump administration didn’t take their concerns into account.
Ending China’s De Minimis Exception Brings 3 Benefits for Americans
China Doesn’t Fear Tariffs. It Fears a Credible US Industrial Strategy.
After FM Phone Call, Are Pakistan-US Ties on the Mend?
Pacific Money
Economy And Business
Southeast Asia’s Quiet Revolt Against the Dollar: Should the US Be Worried?
The shift away from the U.S. currency is still in its early days, but the era of unquestioned dollar supremacy may be gradually drawing to a close.
The US Flip-flop Over H20 Chip Restrictions
The Trump Tariff Shock Should Push Indonesia to Reform Its Economy
Why ASEAN Countries Often Run Trade Surpluses
Oceania
The South Pacific
The 4 Keys to Australia’s Democracy Edge
Threats to democracy seen in the U.S. are a global issue, but differences in the media and political systems limit their impact in Australia — for now.
Solomon Islands, FSM Consider Labor Mobility Scheme
Rabuka’s Support for Trump Doesn’t Earn Fiji Reprieve From US Tariffs
Cooperation, Coordination, and Strategic Denial: Echoes and Lessons from Cold War Oceania
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
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.