Most Read

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.

Cambodia, Thailand Announce Pullback of Troops From Disputed Border
Forces that were deployed after a deadly armed clash on May 28 have been withdrawn to previously agreed positions.

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

Dig Deep Enough in Nicaragua, and You’ll Find China
China-linked companied are quietly expanding their hold on mining concessions in the Central American state.
Rare Earth, Raw Power: How China Plays the Carrot and Stick Game of the Century
Report: Western Supply Chains Tied to Uyghur Forced Labor in China’s Critical Minerals Boom
‘The Eternal Queen of Asian Pop’ Sings One Last Encore From Beyond the Grave
Flashpoints
Diplomacy by Other Means

Reframing the French Indo-Pacific: Les TAAF, a ‘Fictional Collectivity’ of Real Strategic Interests
The TAAF’s recent integration as a component of France’s Indo-Pacific strategy marks a new chapter in the atypical connectivity between three very different areas.
Students for Supply Chains: What the China-US Deal Reveals About Trade Diplomacy Today
No War, No Peace: India’s Limited War Strategy of Controlled Escalation
Tracking Conflict in the Asia-Pacific: June 2025 Update
Asia Defense
Militaries of the Asia-Pacific

Time for a 21st Century Upgrade to US Taiwan Policy
In a volatile security environment, strategic ambiguity must be complemented with a touch of “tactical clarity.”
Trump May Try To Strike A Deal With AUKUS Review, But He Won’t Sink It
A Chinese Aircraft Carrier Crossed the ‘Second Island Chain’ for the First Time
Malaysia’s Silent Military Buildup on Borneo
ASEAN Beat
Insights Into Half a Billion

Prabowo to Visit Russia Next Week, Will Miss G7 Meeting in Canada
The state visit was planned prior to receiving the G-7 invitation from Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, Jakarta says.
Shifting Tides: Southeast Asia’s Changing Perceptions of the Major Powers
Vietnam Approves Radical Consolidation of Provinces and Major Cities
Philippine Prosecutors Defend Impeachment of Vice President, Say Case Must Go Ahead
The Pulse
Perspectives on South Asia

Taliban’s Travel Diplomacy Aims to End Its International Isolation
The Taliban’s recent travel diplomacy and international engagements indicate the group is not as isolated as perceived abroad.
Rahul Gandhi Calls out Bias of India’s Election Commission
What Do We Know About the Air India Crash?
UNHCR Defends Biometric Enrollment Push for Rohingya Refugees
The Koreas
Divided Peninsula

Lee Jae-myung’s First Challenge: Economic Diplomacy in a Divided Indo-Pacific
Confronted by U.S. trade pressure and a polarized Indo-Pacific, South Korea is recalibrating its economic diplomacy at a moment of strategic uncertainty.
South Korea’s New President Begins Diplomacy With Flurry of Calls
South Korea’s Education Obsession Is a National Emergency
Lee Jae-myung Takes Over a Country Split by Gender Politics
Tokyo Report
News From Japan

Japan-South Korea Relations Are About to Get a Stress Test
The past three years were a unique period in the relationship between the two nations. Will Lee’s presidency mark a return to the mean?
Calls for Strategic Autonomy Grow in Japan
Radioactive Flower Beds and the Legacy of Fukushima
Japan’s Stem Cell Awakening
The Debate
Comment and Opinion

Trump’s Deployment of Marines to LA Is a Gift to China
The political theater of sending Marines to Los Angeles subtly eats at force readiness, morale, and urgent preparation for a large-scale, complex, distant war.
The Battle to Save the Uyghur Language From Extinction: China’s Plan to Erase a Civilization
A Blank ‘Democracy Wall’ Sums up What Hong Kong Has Lost
China Abandoned Its Old Norms, But Failed to Craft a Replacement
Crossroads Asia
The New Silk Road

Amid Chinese Investments in Tajikistan, Pamiris Are Losing Their Agency
For the Pamiris, the prospects of benefiting from trade and development are dim, rather the populace will almost certainly lose their agency.
The Historical Great Powers of Asia: Central Asia
Political Science on the Sidelines in Uzbekistan
Ulaanbaatar Dialogue Shows Mongolia’s Foreign Policy Continuity Amid Political Unrest
Trans-Pacific View
U.S. Policy on Asia

Collateral Damage: How Geopolitical Tensions Fuel Discrimination Against Chinese Americans
A recent study explores how Americans’ views of the “China threat” influence ethnic discrimination in the U.S.
Malaysian Trade Minister to Visit Washington For Second Round of Tariff Talks
Taiwan and the US: A New Era of LNG Diplomacy
Trump’s Chaotic Immigration Policies Target Myanmar and Afghanistan
Pacific Money
Economy And Business

Why the National Energy Transition Roadmap Makes Sense for Malaysia
As in other areas of the country's energy sector, the state is playing a leading role in developing renewable energy projects.
Japanese Economic Nationalism and the Seven & i Holdings Takeover
Indonesia, EU to Conclude Free Trade Negotiations By End of June
A Chance for India to Return to RCEP?
Oceania
The South Pacific

New Zealand’s Response to Israeli Strikes Against Iran
The current geopolitical situation will invariably be canvassed when Luxon visits China next week and then attends the NATO summit.
Woodside’s North West Shelf Gas Plant Approval Is Not a One-off
Australia Rejects US Push for Increased Defense Spending
New Zealand Reverses Offshore Oil and Gas Exploration Ban Amid Energy Security Concerns
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.