Latest Stories
South Koreans Show Increasing Support for President Lee Jae-myung
Lee’s approval ratings have exceeded 60 percent, surpassing his 49 percent vote share in the June 3 election.
Gas Pains: Why Australia Must Reset Its Energy Ties With Japan and South Korea
Australia can't be a regional climate leader unless it has hard conversations about LNG with its friends in Japan and South Korea.
How Iran Sees the China-US Trade War
Iranian analysts believe a renewed China-U.S. trade war could harm Iran’s economic lifeline – but also see potential opportunity in global polarization.
Where Climate Fits in China-EU Engagement During Trump 2.0
The China-EU rapprochement will benefit from clear progress, and climate targets provide a near-term opportunity.
Beyond the Miracle: Inequality in South Korea’s New Economy
From soaring household debt to entrenched labor dualism, inequality – not innovation – has become the defining feature of South Korea’s new economy.
Rare Earths Are the Key to Winning the China-US Trade War
To accumulate industrial leverage over the U.S., China played the long game. The U.S. must do the same.
Most Read
China’s Cultural Offensive: How Beijing Is Quietly Reshaping North Korea
China is using “cultural development” to shape “an ideologically and psychologically friendly environment in North Korea.”
The Biggest Misconception About the Philippines’ South China Sea Case Against China
The Permanent Court of Arbitration did not decide the claims brought by the Philippines against China, an arbitral tribunal established under Annex VII of UNCLOS did.
Canada, Japan and Australia: Swing States or Pawns for China?
Europe should consider the recent experience of other middle powers in dealing with the People’s Republic of China.
Magazine
Russian Without Russians: The Politics of Language in Uzbekistan
A new generation is questioning the privileged place of the Russian language in public education and everyday life – while still grappling with its utility, legacy, and political weight.
The Transnational Origins of Taiwan’s Semiconductor Industry
Donald Trump’s self-proclaimed “victory” in his chip war against Taipei is premised on a fundamental misunderstanding of how we got to where we are.
Anatomy of an Insurgency: Balochistan’s Crisis and Pakistan’s Failures
Recent escalations demonstrate both the insurgents’ growing operational capabilities and the Pakistani state’s persistent reliance on heavy-handed military responses that continue to alienate Baloch society.
Michael Kugelman Revisits the India-Pakistan Crisis
“This is the first time since each country went nuclear that we’ve seen so much force used in so many places.”
Blogs
China Power
A New World Order
Where Climate Fits in China-EU Engagement During Trump 2.0
The China-EU rapprochement will benefit from clear progress, and climate targets provide a near-term opportunity.
Xinjiang’s Organ Transplant Expansion Sparks Alarm Over Uyghur Forced Organ Harvesting
‘Great Recall’: Taiwan’s Democratic Experiment
The Digital Silk Road in the Gulf: Navigating Risks Amid China-US Rivalry
Flashpoints
Diplomacy by Other Means
How Iran Sees the China-US Trade War
Iranian analysts believe a renewed China-U.S. trade war could harm Iran’s economic lifeline – but also see potential opportunity in global polarization.
From Four-Sea Coordination to Five-Sea Integration: Trends in China’s Recent Military Activity
Can the Quad Hold the Line on Taiwan?
Reframing the French Indo-Pacific: Clipperton, France’s Indo-Pacific Edge
Asia Defense
Militaries of the Asia-Pacific
Exercise Cope Thunder 2025: Boosting Philippines-US Defense Cooperation
Given the Philippines' ongoing strategic significance, the Philippines-U.S. alliance is expected to continue to play a significant role in the Indo-Pacific region.
Japan’s Defense White Paper Sounds Alarm Over China’s ‘Gray Zone’ Activities
Nudging Indigenization: Competition in India’s AIP Submarine Program
Cambodia to Begin Military Conscription Amid Thai Border Dispute, PM Says
ASEAN Beat
Insights Into Half a Billion
FATF is Behind the Curve on Cambodia’s Cyber-scam Compounds
According to the U.N. Office on Drugs and Crime, Cambodia-based scamming operations are generating billions of dollars in illicit profits each year.
The Arrest of Suspected Bangladeshi Terrorists in Malaysia: Implications for Regional and Global Security
Philippine President Marcos to Meet with Trump in Washington
Former Thai PM Thaksin Gives Testimony in Lese-majeste Case
The Pulse
Perspectives on South Asia
What Underlies High US Tariffs on Bangladesh
Dhaka’s trade deficit with the US is smaller than that of Vietnam. Yet it has been slapped with a higher tariff rate.
Has Hindutva Peaked in India?
Recent Violence Underscores Problems Facing Afghanistan’s Badakhshan Province
India Seeks to Stabilize Newly Thawed Relations With China
The Koreas
Divided Peninsula
Beyond the Miracle: Inequality in South Korea’s New Economy
From soaring household debt to entrenched labor dualism, inequality – not innovation – has become the defining feature of South Korea’s new economy.
South Koreans Show Increasing Support for President Lee Jae-myung
Why Trump’s Trade War on South Korea May Backfire
China’s Cultural Offensive: How Beijing Is Quietly Reshaping North Korea
Tokyo Report
News From Japan
Japan-Canada Sign Security of Information Agreement
The SIA, once ratified, will enable exchanges of national security-related data and facilitate two-way defense procurements.
The Rising Force of Japan’s Ultra-Nationalist, Anti-Immigration Sanseito Party
Pope Leo XIV and Japanese Diplomacy
Japan Heads to the Polls With Ruling Coalition’s Majority at Risk
The Debate
Comment and Opinion
Repressive Laws Are Increasingly Being Used to Silence Activists Across Asia
From Hong Kong to India, governments are passing and weaponizing new laws to pursue and jail whoever speaks up for human rights.
The US Must Treat India’s Transnational Repression as a National Security Threat
Reform Theater: Don’t Be Taken In By Cambodia’s Cybercrime Crackdown Promises
China’s Position on Russia and Ukraine Is a Warning to the West and the Pacific
Crossroads Asia
The New Silk Road
Tajikistan Orders Afghan Refugees Out en Masse
The Tajik government reportedly has given Afghan refugees residing in the country 15 days to leave voluntarily or face deportation.
Kazakhstan Bans Veils in an Effort to Heighten Security
How Tajikistan’s Banks Help Russian Citizens Bypass SWIFT Ban
New Trump Tariffs Target Kazakhstan With 25% Rate
Trans-Pacific View
U.S. Policy on Asia
Rare Earths Are the Key to Winning the China-US Trade War
To accumulate industrial leverage over the U.S., China played the long game. The U.S. must do the same.
US Solar Manufacturers Seek New Tariffs on Imports From India, Southeast Asia
As Deadline Approaches, Trump Announces Tariff Deal With Indonesia
Trump Is Reshaping Southeast Asia’s Future. Does He Realize That?
Pacific Money
Economy And Business
Trump’s Tariffs and the Risk of Reverse Friendshoring
Under pressure from U.S. tariffs and protectionism, what if firms, rather than moving away from China, begin repositioning themselves closer to it?
China’s H1 Economic Data Was Encouraging, But It’s Not Out of the Woods Yet
Why Indonesia Now Has Two State-Owned Investment Funds
Is China Entering Its ‘Japan Moment’?
Oceania
The South Pacific
Gas Pains: Why Australia Must Reset Its Energy Ties With Japan and South Korea
Australia can't be a regional climate leader unless it has hard conversations about LNG with its friends in Japan and South Korea.
Bridging the Pacific’s Digital Divide: Why the West Must Act Together
Australia and New Zealand Need to be More Vocal in Opposition to Trumpian Policies
Fiji’s Patriarchal Bargain
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
The Geopolitics of the Second China-Central Asia Summit
How are Central Asian states navigating great power dynamics?
What Does South Korea’s New Progressive Administration Portend for Northeast Asia?
France as a ‘Resident Power’ in the Pacific
The India-Pakistan Clashes of 2025: Why Things Are Different (And More Dangerous) This Time
Photo Essays
Asia in Pictures
Nickel For EVs Threatens the Last Nomadic Peoples in Indonesia
The indigenous O'Hongana Manyawa tribe lives in remote pockets of Halmahera island, a hub of environmentally destructive nickel processing facilities.