Latest Stories
Singapore Orders Facebook to Block Foreign Posts About Upcoming Election
The posts, which were made by three foreign Facebook users, attempted to “urge Singaporeans to vote on racial and religious lines.”
Japan, Vietnam Pledge Closer Economic Cooperation As Trump Tariffs Loom
Prime Minister Ishiba Shigeru said that the two nations will work "to maintain a free and open international order based on the rule of law.”
Power of Siberia 2: Economic Opportunity or Geopolitical Risk for Mongolia?
Discussions of the proposed pipeline often focus on the China-Russia dynamic, overlooking Mongolia’s critical role as a transit state.
Trump, Tariffs, and a Superpower Without Credibility
Through public reversals, shifting deadlines, and contradictory signals, U.S. credibility – and thus the ability to negotiate its way out of the trade war – has significantly eroded.
How Efforts to Reconcile US and Vietnamese Veterans Reshaped Bilateral Relations
People's diplomacy efforts between veterans of the two countries are a symbol of the transformation from confrontation to cooperation in U.S.-Vietnam relations.
Beyond Limited War: India’s Path to Strategic Coercion After Pahalgam
Once again, India confronts the of dilemma how to punish Pakistan without triggering a nuclear crisis. A limited war may be tempting, but it’s not the answer.
Most Read
Terrorists Target Tourist Hotspot in India’s Jammu and Kashmir
The Resistance Group, an affiliate of the Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba, has claimed responsibility for the mass killings. How will India respond?
China’s Bet on Railways in Southeast Asia Is Starting to Pay Off
For all its attendant controversies, Beijing's focus on transport infrastructure is closely aligned with the region's development priorities.
Central Asia Opens Diplomatic Rift With Turkiye Over Cyprus
Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan signed U.N. resolutions deeming Northern Cyprus “occupied.”
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
Facing CCP Threat, Rival Camps Find Common Ground on a Taiwan-centered Identity
For one of the first times ever, the flag of the Republic of China and the Taiwan independence flag have been flown side by side.
How China Hijacks the International Human Rights System
China Decides How Far the Resistance Can Go in Myanmar
China’s First 2+2 with Indonesia: A Symbolic Shift in Diplomatic Strategy
Flashpoints
Diplomacy by Other Means
Recent PLA Exercises Revealed China’s Operational Plan for a Taiwan Strait Conflict
The two-day military exercise conducted by the PLA in early April suggests a three-phase operational plan that the PLA is likely to adopt for a campaign against Taiwan.
How the Philippines Can Counter China’s South China Sea Aggression
What Russia’s Support Means for North Korea’s Nuclear Modernization
The Danger of a Trump Doctrine for Taiwan
Asia Defense
Militaries of the Asia-Pacific
Beyond Limited War: India’s Path to Strategic Coercion After Pahalgam
Once again, India confronts the of dilemma how to punish Pakistan without triggering a nuclear crisis. A limited war may be tempting, but it’s not the answer.
China’s Hydrogen Test and the Future of Non-Nuclear Deterrence
How the Vietnam War Ended: The Vietnamese Communists’ Perspective
Why Japan and Mongolia Are Expanding Defense Capability Cooperation
ASEAN Beat
Insights Into Half a Billion
Singapore Orders Facebook to Block Foreign Posts About Upcoming Election
The posts, which were made by three foreign Facebook users, attempted to “urge Singaporeans to vote on racial and religious lines.”
Japan, Vietnam Pledge Closer Economic Cooperation As Trump Tariffs Loom
Philippines, China Tussle Over Uninhabited South China Sea Reef
Myanmar Military Attacks Continue Despite Earthquake Ceasefire, Report Says
The Pulse
Perspectives on South Asia
Modi’s Saudi Arabia Visit Sets Tone For Long-term Engagement
The joint statement was unequivocal in condemning the Pahalgam attack. And while it did not name Pakistan, it condemned “cross-border terrorism.”
After Pahalgam, India Faces Tough Security and Diplomatic Choices
Why the Balochistan Mines and Minerals Act Was Enacted Swiftly and Silently
Nepal’s Dilemma Over Social Media Regulation
The Koreas
Divided Peninsula
Lee Jae-myung Elected as DP’s Presidential Candidate
After setting a record for the share of votes received during the party’s primary elections, Lee aims to win the presidential election scheduled on June 3.
South Korea: Recognizing Yoon’s Achievements
Han Duck-soo’s Risky Negotiation With Donald Trump
The ‘Trump Doctrine’ and South Korea’s Geopolitical Balancing Act
Tokyo Report
News From Japan
Why Japan Is Worried After Trade Talks With Trump (and the Rest of the World Should Be)
The manner in which the Trump administration has conducted itself toward Japan should serve as a warning to U.S. friends and foe alike: no one is safe.
Tariff Talks an Opportunity to Reinvigorate the Japan-US Alliance
Abe Shinzo and Japan’s ‘Discovery of India’
Japan and Europe Should Forge Ahead With Their Own Alliance, Without the US
The Debate
Comment and Opinion
How Efforts to Reconcile US and Vietnamese Veterans Reshaped Bilateral Relations
People's diplomacy efforts between veterans of the two countries are a symbol of the transformation from confrontation to cooperation in U.S.-Vietnam relations.
Taiwan’s Health Sector Is a Success Story the World Can Learn From
Thai Royal Defamation Case Against American Academic Could Have Dire Consequences
Donald Trump’s Great Tariff Shock
Crossroads Asia
The New Silk Road
Power of Siberia 2: Economic Opportunity or Geopolitical Risk for Mongolia?
Discussions of the proposed pipeline often focus on the China-Russia dynamic, overlooking Mongolia’s critical role as a transit state.
Uzbekistan’s Struggle to Regulate Privately Organized Muslim Pilgrimage Tours Continues
Local Employee of Russian Cultural Agency Detained in Recruitment Case in Kyrgyzstan
Mongolia’s Interim Free Trade Deal With the EAEU: What’s at Stake?
Trans-Pacific View
U.S. Policy on Asia
Trump, Tariffs, and a Superpower Without Credibility
Through public reversals, shifting deadlines, and contradictory signals, U.S. credibility – and thus the ability to negotiate its way out of the trade war – has significantly eroded.
The Implications of South Korea’s Placement on the US DOE’s Sensitive Country List
What Did US Businesses Have to Say About Trump’s Tariffs?
Ending China’s De Minimis Exception Brings 3 Benefits for Americans
Pacific Money
Economy And Business
Asia’s Strategic Realignment Amid the Collapse of Global Free Trade
Most Asian nations have are adapting to the trade war with a mix of economic realism, diplomatic agility, and selective state intervention.
Australia and Japan’s Hydrogen Partnership: Navigating Ambitions and Realities
Why the Port of Darwin’s Chinese Leaseholder May Welcome an Australian Buyout
The Real Threat Behind Trump’s Trade War: China’s Currency Offensive
Oceania
The South Pacific
Trading Debt for Conservation in Tonga
Tonga owes over $100 million to China. Debt-for-nature swaps could be a win-win solution to a looming debt crisis.
Australia’s Preferential Voting System and Diversification of Politics
Australia’s China Policy in the Lead-up to the 2025 Federal Election
Australia’s Third Election Debate Overshadowed by Pope’s Death
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.