Latest Stories
India Signals Reluctance to Call Out Israeli Aggression
New Delhi distanced itself from an SCO statement that strongly criticized Israel’s attacks on Iran.
Clean Energy, Dirty Deals: How Banks Fund Repression in the Guise of Climate Action
When banks mask profit-driven investments as climate solutions, they may end up doing more harm than good.
Why Thailand Shelved the ‘Digital Wallet’ Scheme
The multibillion-dollar stimulus plan did little to address the longer-term structural challenges facing the Thai economy.
Indonesia to Punish Companies for Environmental Violations at Sulawesi Industrial Park
The Indonesia Morowali Industrial Park is home to around 50 companies, most of them involved in the processing of nickel for use in the manufacturing of stainless steel and EV batteries.
Thai PM Rocked By Withdrawal of Major Coalition Partner
The move by the Bhumjaithai party followed the leak of a recorded phone call between PM Paetongtarn and Cambodia's former leader Hun Sen.
Is a Broad Free Trade Coalition Possible?
Or are we doomed to repeat the rise of economic blocs that preceded the world wars?
Most Read
Does Cambodia Really Want to Take Its Disputes With Thailand to the ICJ?
Phnom Penh's threat to internationalize the dispute could give it a bargaining chip during bilateral negotiations.
A Chinese Aircraft Carrier Crossed the ‘Second Island Chain’ for the First Time
In another first, two Chinese aircraft carriers were simultaneously spotted in the West Pacific.
The 100-hour War: India Versus Pakistan
China’s PL-15E long-range air-to-air missile, integrated with Chinese tactical data links, gave the Pakistan Air Force a key advantage on the first day of the strikes.
Magazine
The Messy Reality of Philippine Democracy
The Philippines may be a democratic inspiration, but it is also a warning.
Democracy Disfigured: India’s Political Devolution
India’s political system has shifted from limited democracy to party democracy and finally to plebiscitary democracy, a trend that reached its epitome with Modi.
American Democracy Versus Chinese Governance: The Ultimate Contest
U.S. democracy is viewed as failing, while Chinese governance is seen as succeeding. And while Trump’s presidency may be a symptom of that trend, it’s not the cause.
Mark Chou on Australia’s Post-Election Political Outlook
The Australian election result “masks a more sobering political reality: that Albanese and Labor were increasingly unpopular not all that long ago.”
Blogs
China Power
A New World Order
Taiwan Adds New Export Controls on China’s Chip Industry
The blacklisting of Huawei and SMIC signifies a conscious shift in Taiwan’s role from a neutral supplier in the tech ecosystem to an assertive actor.
Taiwan’s ‘Great Recall’ Moves Ahead – But Only Against the KMT
The Iran-Israel Conflict Drives Home the Importance of Gwadar for China
Amid US Trade War, China and the EU Explore Economic Cooperation
Flashpoints
Diplomacy by Other Means
Russia’s Arctic Bet: Can Asia Deliver on NSR Ambitions?
Moscow sees China, India, and other Asian powers as critical for the future of the Northern Sea Route, but their involvement remains limited.
How India and Pakistan’s Digital Authoritarianism Sows the Seeds of War
Why Israel’s Attack on Iran Is a Geopolitical Blow for India
Reframing the French Indo-Pacific: Les TAAF, a ‘Fictional Collectivity’ of Real Strategic Interests
Asia Defense
Militaries of the Asia-Pacific
The Pros and Cons of an India-US Reciprocal Defense Procurement Agreement
The RDPA is the logical next step in India-U.S. bilateral defense ties, but it faces numerous challenges.
Philippines, Japan, US Hold Second Round of Joint Coast Guard Exercises
The Strategic Conundrum Facing Southeast Asia’s Small Air Forces
Time for a 21st Century Upgrade to US Taiwan Policy
ASEAN Beat
Insights Into Half a Billion
Indonesia to Punish Companies for Environmental Violations at Sulawesi Industrial Park
The Indonesia Morowali Industrial Park is home to around 50 companies, most of them involved in the processing of nickel for use in the manufacturing of stainless steel and EV batteries.
Thai PM Rocked By Withdrawal of Major Coalition Partner
Cambodian Govt Stages Large Protest in Support of Thai Border Policy
Good Neighbors Make Good Fences: The Strategic Basis for a Thai-Vietnamese Entente
The Pulse
Perspectives on South Asia
India Signals Reluctance to Call Out Israeli Aggression
New Delhi distanced itself from an SCO statement that strongly criticized Israel’s attacks on Iran.
How India’s Migrant Labor Struggles During a Crisis
The Indian Diaspora, Conflicted: The US Position on Immigration and India’s View on Emigration
India’s Ocean Ambitions: Can Bold Promises Become Reality?
The Koreas
Divided Peninsula
South Korea’s Syria Gamble
For South Korea, the normalization of relations with Syria opens a new chapter for bilateral cooperation – and strips North Korea of a rare diplomatic ally.
South Korea’s New Government
South Korea’s Emerging AI Gap
Lee Jae-myung’s First Challenge: Economic Diplomacy in a Divided Indo-Pacific
Tokyo Report
News From Japan
Trust Deficit: Japan’s Corporate Scandals and the Case for Independent Financial Oversight
Japan’s reluctance to empower third-party oversight in its corporations is no longer just a domestic risk but an international one.
In Japan, Rice Is a Security Issue
Japan-South Korea Relations Are About to Get a Stress Test
Calls for Strategic Autonomy Grow in Japan
The Debate
Comment and Opinion
China’s Beachhead in Cuba Signals an Authoritarian Axis
Around the world, autocratic client states like Cuba are sustained by Beijing’s money and technology in exchange for access, influence, and strategic positioning.
Clean Energy, Dirty Deals: How Banks Fund Repression in the Guise of Climate Action
A Dark Cloud: No Space for Freedom of Expression in Mirziyoyev’s Uzbekistan
Cutting International Exchange Programs: America First or a Gift to China?
Crossroads Asia
The New Silk Road
1 Region, 5 Realities: Rethinking the EU’s Central Asia Engagement
A one-size-fits-all approach overlooks the sharp societal, institutional, and political differences between the states of Central Asia.
Why Uzbekistan Seeks to Establish a West-South Transport Axis
How Kazakhstan Can Build a Non-Resource-Based Growth Model
Russia’s Rosatom Selected to Take Lead on Kazakhstan’s 1st Nuclear Power Plant
Trans-Pacific View
U.S. Policy on Asia
Cambodia, Kyrgyzstan Among 36 Nations in Line for US Travel Bans: Report
A State Department memo suggests that a new group of nations, most of them in Africa, could be soon subjected to full or partial bans.
The Battle for TikTok Is at the Forefront of a Deeper Geopolitical Trend
Collateral Damage: How Geopolitical Tensions Fuel Discrimination Against Chinese Americans
Malaysian Trade Minister to Visit Washington For Second Round of Tariff Talks
Pacific Money
Economy And Business
Why Thailand Shelved the ‘Digital Wallet’ Scheme
The multibillion-dollar stimulus plan did little to address the longer-term structural challenges facing the Thai economy.
Is a Broad Free Trade Coalition Possible?
Tariffs Put Extra Pressure on Workers in Both China and the US
Why the National Energy Transition Roadmap Makes Sense for Malaysia
Oceania
The South Pacific
Australia’s Albanese at the G7
A meeting with Trump was cancelled when the U.S. president left the summit early, but that may have been the best outcome for Australia.
The Pacific Islands: America’s Power Vacuum and China’s Offensive
New Zealand’s Response to Israeli Strikes Against Iran
Woodside’s North West Shelf Gas Plant Approval Is Not a One-off
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
What Does South Korea’s New Progressive Administration Portend for Northeast Asia?
Will Lee Jae-myung succeed in implementing a pragmatic foreign policy?
France as a ‘Resident Power’ in the Pacific
The India-Pakistan Clashes of 2025: Why Things Are Different (And More Dangerous) This Time
Asia’s New Nuclear Age
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.