Latest Stories
As Geopolitical Competition Heats up, China Is Eyeing the Caribbean
China continues to mount a challenge to U.S. power and influence in the Caribbean Community bloc, as this grouping feels increasingly boxed in by Trump 2.0.
Asia’s Role In the US Shipbuilding Surge
Insights from Colin Grabow.
Tajikistan Decriminalizes ‘Likes’ Online
A 2018 amendment had opened the door to criminal prosecution, and up to 15 years in jail, for “liking” or reacting online with an emoji to content deemed to be extremist.
Why the China-US Trade War Truce Won’t Last
The May 12 announcement is best viewed as a truce that does not shift the underlying structural reality: the U.S. and China are locked into a long-term cycle of escalating strategic competition.
Time for China to Ditch Commercial IOUs – Like Japan Just Did
Ending these abusive payment tools could empower SMEs and bolster private sector confidence.
A War Nobody Wins: The Real Cost of India-Pakistan Rivalry
Both governments are claiming victory, but it’s clear who the real losers are: the people on both sides of the border.
Most Read
Does Southeast Asia Lead the World in Human Flourishing?
In a new global study attempting to measure contentment and quality of life, Indonesia and the Philippines are ranked first and third, respectively.
Russia’s Plans Are Bigger Than Conflict With the West or Camaraderie With China
The Kremlin's geopolitical strategy is increasingly preoccupied with the geography of its southern and eastern borders.
Amid India-Pakistan Clashes, China Faces a Difficult Balancing Act
Pakistan is China’s “iron brother,” but full support is a bridge too far when Beijing would much prefer de-escalation to an expanded conflict.
Magazine
Vicky Davis on Remembering World War II in Central Asia
“As the importance of Victory Day in Central Asia decreases, it is needed even more in Moscow to promote and validate the war in Ukraine.”
Mapping Coal Phaseouts in Key Asian Markets
Coal is on its last gasp – only legacy energy sector policy stands in the way of a self-reliant, self-sustaining future.
China-US AI Technology Competition: Who’s Winning in Key Inputs?
Energy, rare earth elements, and talent: these critical inputs face vastly different structures in the two countries and may determine the pace and scale of AI innovation.
The Fall of Saigon: The Day Domino Theory Died
Fifty years after the communist victory in Vietnam, the old domino theory seems to have been definitively replaced by a deeper conflict determined by history, power, and geography.
Blogs
China Power
A New World Order
As Geopolitical Competition Heats up, China Is Eyeing the Caribbean
China continues to mount a challenge to U.S. power and influence in the Caribbean Community bloc, as this grouping feels increasingly boxed in by Trump 2.0.
Why the China-US Trade War Truce Won’t Last
Don’t Be Fooled: The China-US Trade War Is Here to Stay
China’s Thinking on Pahalgam and Operation Sindoor
Flashpoints
Diplomacy by Other Means
Strategic Convergence Between India and the European Union
As the world undergoes a profound transition, India and the EU can help shape the future global order, safeguard stability, and advance their shared goals.
The Taliban’s Role in the Fragile Ceasefire Between India and Pakistan
China, US Declare Temporary Truce in Their Trade War
Tracking Conflict in the Asia-Pacific: May 2025 Update
Asia Defense
Militaries of the Asia-Pacific
Japan Ground Self-Defense Force Says It Will Conduct First-Ever Joint Exercise With South Korean Marine Corps
However, its South Korean counterpart says it has no such plan.
India-Pakistan Military Crisis: A Testing Ground for Chinese Military Hardware
Cambodia, China Prepare to Launch ‘Golden Dragon’ Military Exercises
The Japan-US Alliance: Has the ‘Bottle Cap’ Come Off?
ASEAN Beat
Insights Into Half a Billion
British Authorities Charge Former Myanmar Envoy With Trespassing on London Residence
Claiming to represent Myanmar's legitimate government, Kyaw Zwar Minn has refused to leave the ambassador's residence in London.
Vietnam Takes Steps to Tackle Piracy and Counterfeiting Amid US Trade Negotiations
Understanding The Logic of Vietnam’s Reconciliation Policy
Is ASEAN Falling Short, or Are We Expecting Too Much?
The Pulse
Perspectives on South Asia
The Koreas
Divided Peninsula
After Last-Minute PPP Drama, South Korea’s Presidential Campaigns Officially Kick Off
The candidates are set, despite some twists in the ruling party’s primary process. Now the 21-day presidential campaign has officially begun.
North Korean Spy Arrest in China May Signal Beijing’s Unease over Growing Pyongyang-Moscow Ties
The Politics of Regional Gravity: South Korea’s Space Future Caught in Domestic Politics
Revealed: North Korea’s Diplomatic Missions Double as Trade Brokers
Tokyo Report
News From Japan
Richard Armitage, Joseph Nye, and the Future of the Japan-US Alliance
The Trump administration appears to have inherited the mantle of being “pro-U.S.-Japan alliance” from two establishment figures whose class the president publicly disparages.
How Japan’s $1.1 Trillion in US Treasuries Became a Strategic Lever in the New Tariff War
LDP’s Takaichi Proposes a ‘Quasi-Alliance’ While in Taiwan
What Could Japan’s Coast Guard Do in an Armed Attack?
The Debate
Comment and Opinion
A War Nobody Wins: The Real Cost of India-Pakistan Rivalry
Both governments are claiming victory, but it’s clear who the real losers are: the people on both sides of the border.
20 Years Since Andijan, Remembering Past Abuses in Uzbekistan
When Development Finance Does More Harm than Good: The Case of Indorama Agro in Uzbekistan
The Survival of Cambodian Press Freedom Requires More Than Funding
Crossroads Asia
The New Silk Road
Tajikistan Decriminalizes ‘Likes’ Online
A 2018 amendment had opened the door to criminal prosecution, and up to 15 years in jail, for “liking” or reacting online with an emoji to content deemed to be extremist.
Central Asian Conference of Women Journalists Abruptly Cancelled in Dushanbe
Kazakhstan’s Slow Shift Away From Celebrating Victory Day
Uzbekistan and Afghanistan: A New Era of Limited Recognition
Trans-Pacific View
U.S. Policy on Asia
Trump Administration Ends Temporary Protections for Afghan Immigrants
Homeland Security Secretary Noem determined that "permitting Afghan nationals to remain temporarily in the United States is contrary to the national interest of the United States.”
How Marco Rubio’s Dual Roles Could Impact the China-US Relationship
Trump Is Undermining 3 Key US Advantages Over China
Trump, Tariffs, and a Superpower Without Credibility
Pacific Money
Economy And Business
Time for China to Ditch Commercial IOUs – Like Japan Just Did
Ending these abusive payment tools could empower SMEs and bolster private sector confidence.
India-UK Free Trade Agreement: Sign of a New Dawn?
The Rise and Fall, and Rise Again, of Sea Ltd
Vietnamese Exports to the US Reach New Post-COVID High
Oceania
The South Pacific
What Can Asia and the Pacific Expect From Australia’s New Government?
Foreign policy didn’t feature heavily in the campaign, but Labor’s pre-election budget plan offers clues to the government’s priorities.
Australia’s PM Albanese Bound For Indonesia on First Post-election Trip
Solomon Islands PM Avoids No Confidence Vote, But Is Potentially Weakened
Post-Election Canada and Australia Face Similar Security Challenges – and a Shared Opportunity
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.