Latest Stories
US Diplomat Reportedly Met Myanmar Naval Officer in Vietnam
The meeting between Daniel Kritenbrink and Kyaw Lin Zaw may mark a shift in the U.S. approach to Myanmar's conflict.
A Seasoned Diplomat Arrives in Phnom Penh
China sends Wang Wenbin, a former MFP spokesperson, to a strategically important Southeast Asian capital.
Uzbek Lawmakers Take Aim at ‘Undesirable’ Foreigners
A draft law seeks to guard Uzbekistan’s sovereignty by ousting foreigners who incite enmity or insult the dignity of the country.
In Global First, China’s Lunar Probe Returns to Earth With Samples From the Far Side of the Moon
Chang’e 6 is the first lunar mission to have collected samples from the far side of the moon.
Prosecutor in Kyrgyzstan Seeks 8 Year Sentence for Akyn Askat Zhetigen
In the grand tradition of Kyrgyz akyns going back centuries, Zhetigen’s crime appears to be sharing his opinions with sharp words.
Is US Paying the Price for Criticizing Sheikh Hasina’s Autocratic Rule?
Bangladesh seems to have snubbed the U.S. by opting for Airbus rather than Boeing aircraft.
Most Read
How Did China, India, and the BRICS Approach the Swiss Peace Summit on the Russia-Ukraine War?
None of the BRICS countries endorsed the Joint Communiqué. Can they provide an alternative pathway to peace?
China and the Philippines Inch Closer to Conflict in the South China Sea
After eight Philippine marines were injured in a melee with Chinese forces this week, some are questioning the response of Manila's foreign allies.
Myanmar’s Conflict Reaches the Doorstep of Bangladesh’s Saint Martin’s Island
Boat transportation to the island has been suspended following gunfire from Myanmar, once again dragging Dhaka into its neighbor's civil war.
Magazine
Banning the Bomb in Asia and the Pacific
Countries in Asia and the Pacific bore the brunt of nuclear trauma. Now they are leading the charge to prohibit nuclear weapons.
How Politics Holds Back Pakistan’s Economy
It is politics, not economics, that is preventing a wholesale turnaround of Pakistan’s broader trajectory.
Papua New Guinea: All Geopolitics Is Local
The whole Pacific is grappling with Beijing’s campaign to become the dominant regional power and the pushback from a coalition of rival nations. PNG is experiencing this competition in unique ways.
The New Reality of Energy Geopolitics in Eurasia
With the so-called gas union, Russia, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan are engaging in opportunistic cooperation and flirting with dangerous new dependencies.
Blogs
China Power
A New World Order
In Global First, China’s Lunar Probe Returns to Earth With Samples From the Far Side of the Moon
Chang’e 6 is the first lunar mission to have collected samples from the far side of the moon.
Lai Ching-te’s View on History
Xi Jinping’s Ideologization of the Chinese Academy
Caught Between Allies: China’s North Korea Dilemma
Flashpoints
Diplomacy by Other Means
What South Korea Needs Post-Russia-North Korea Mutual Defense Treaty
In forging deeper strategic ties with Pyongyang, Russia has inadvertently tarnished one of the key touchstones of Moscow’s relations with Seoul.
Europe Must Make a Realistic Commitment to the Indo-Pacific
How Did China, India, and the BRICS Approach the Swiss Peace Summit on the Russia-Ukraine War?
Philippines Has ‘Secretly Reinforced’ South China Sea Outpost, Report Claims
Asia Defense
Militaries of the Asia-Pacific
The Importance of Europe-South Korea Security Cooperation in the Indo-Pacific
Even as North Korea and Russia intensify ties, South Korea and European countries are discovering new avenues to enhance their security collaboration.
The J-20 Challenge: Can India Bridge the Fighter Jet Gap With China?
Germany’s Defense Engagement in the Indo-Pacific Is a Balancing Act
Turkish Naval Corvette TCG Kinaliada Visits Japan to Commemorate 100 Years of Diplomatic Ties
ASEAN Beat
Insights Into Half a Billion
US Diplomat Reportedly Met Myanmar Naval Officer in Vietnam
The meeting between Daniel Kritenbrink and Kyaw Lin Zaw may mark a shift in the U.S. approach to Myanmar's conflict.
A Seasoned Diplomat Arrives in Phnom Penh
Conflict in Myanmar Paves the Way for a New Way of Democracy
Malaysia, Vietnam Upgraded Again in US Government’s Human Trafficking Report
The Pulse
Perspectives on South Asia
Is US Paying the Price for Criticizing Sheikh Hasina’s Autocratic Rule?
Bangladesh seems to have snubbed the U.S. by opting for Airbus rather than Boeing aircraft.
Pakistan Launches New Counterterrorism Operation
Security Through Human Rights – For Afghanistan, It’s Not ‘Either/Or’
Why is India’s Hindu Right Pro-Israel?
The Koreas
Divided Peninsula
Why North Korea’s Military Partnership With Russia Is Here to Stay
For North Korea’s military-industrial complex, collaboration with Russia creates a self-perpetuating cycle.
In Bid to Be Major Global Player, North Korea Signs New Treaty With Russia
Before Summit With North Korea’s Kim, Putin Vows They’ll Beat Sanctions Together
Reality Check: South Korea and China Face More Complex Economic Dynamics
Tokyo Report
News From Japan
Japan’s Decades-long Diplomatic Transformation
Japan’s post Cold War foreign policy evolution stems from emerging threats abroad and political reforms at home.
The Challenge of Regulating Japan’s Deep-sea Mining Experiment
Japan’s Rush to Play Cyber Defense Catchup
The Missed Opportunity of Japan’s Kishida Fumio
The Debate
Comment and Opinion
New Uzbekistan, Old Tricks
With so many activists in Uzbekistan once again behind bars, the president’s promises of reform ring increasingly hollow.
Vladimir Putin and Chinese Public Opinion
Southeast Asian States’ Position in Global Plastics Treaty Negotiation: A Case of Maladministration?
Pakistan and the Global North’s Climate-linked Trade Policy
Crossroads Asia
The New Silk Road
Uzbek Lawmakers Take Aim at ‘Undesirable’ Foreigners
A draft law seeks to guard Uzbekistan’s sovereignty by ousting foreigners who incite enmity or insult the dignity of the country.
Prosecutor in Kyrgyzstan Seeks 8 Year Sentence for Akyn Askat Zhetigen
Kazakh Betting Law Saga Continues
The West Is Laser-Focused on Central Asia’s Middle Corridor. So Is China.
Trans-Pacific View
U.S. Policy on Asia
US Lawmakers Meet Dalai Lama in India’s Dharamshala, Sparking Anger From China
The meeting comes close on the heels of the U.S. Congress passing the Resolve Tibet Act.
Should the US Initiate a New Round of Backroom Diplomacy With China?
Why India and Pakistan’s T20 Cricket Showdown in New York Is Such a Big Deal
Chief Financial Officer of Anti-CCP, Pro-Trump The Epoch Times Accused of Money Laundering
Pacific Money
Economy And Business
Can Indonesia Actually Raise Its Debt to GDP Ratio to 50 Percent?
Prabowo's deficit-driven economic vision draws from that of his father Sumitro Djojohadikusumo, a key intellectual of the early post-independence period.
Singapore Is in Perfect Position to Court AI Companies From China
China Targets Europe’s Farmers, Not Its Automakers, in Response to EU Tariffs on Electric Cars
Southeast Asia’s Digital Banking Race Has Gotten Off to a Slow Start
Oceania
The South Pacific
This Year’s Pacific Island Elections Have 1 Thing in Common
In a busy year of Pacific Island elections, a worrying gender disparity is evident. This has implications for the quality of democracy in the region.
Energy at the Crux of Australia-Taiwan Relations
New Caledonia Police Detain 11, Including Independence Leader, Following Revolt Against French Rule
Australia and China Are Making the Same Mistake in Papua New Guinea
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
A New Russia-North Korea Strategic Partnership: Geopolitical Implications for Asia
What does Vladimir Putin's embrace of Kim Jong Un portend for Northeast Asian geopolitics?
Putin Goes to Beijing: Where the Russia-China Relationship Stands in 2024
Taking Stock of Russia-Central Asia Relations in 2024
India’s 2024 General Elections and Geopolitics
Photo Essays
Asia in Pictures
New Delhi’s Quiet Student Solidarity With Palestine
Full-fledged protests in India’s capital were quickly muffled, so students have resorted to quieter means of dissent.