Latest Stories
China Doesn’t Fear Tariffs. It Fears a Credible US Industrial Strategy.
Tariffs alone cannot undo decades of offshoring. Without a complementary labor strategy and industrial policy in the United States, China's manufacturing advantage will remain intact.
To Protect the Sea, the Kazakh Government Must Disclose Caspian Oil Agreements
The Caspian Sea is a unique and irreplaceable natural treasure. Protecting it means holding polluters accountable, and that requires transparency.
A Closer Look at India’s Global Influence on Human Rights
India remains a vibrant democracy. Yet its senior leaders remain fundamentally illiberal, and their interests more closely align with authoritarian powers.
Taiwan Races to Scale Up Revamped Conscription Program Before 2027
With understocked equipment, lackluster recruitment, and budget fights in the legislature, full implementation of Taiwan’s new mandatory military service plan remains difficult.
North Korea Human Rights Advocacy in Turmoil
In the wake of the U.S. withdrawal of support, North Korean human rights activists may also soon experience a similar withdrawal of support from Seoul.
Abe Shinzo and Japan’s ‘Discovery of India’
The late Japanese prime minister is widely acknowledged as the driving force in closer Japan-India relations, but his India affinity has deeper roots than often acknowledged.
Most Read
Taiwan’s Youth Are Not Defeatist — and The Data Proves It
A wide body of academic surveys with nationally representative samples shows Taiwanese people’s willingness to fight to defend their homeland, including those under 30.
Taking Stock of China’s Polar Fleet
China’s maritime capabilities in the Arctic remain limited, but domestic research activities suggest a concerted effort to strengthen its presence in the polar regions.
Southeast Asian Governments React to Punitive Trump Tariffs
Vietnam and Thailand say they are open to negotiations with Washington, but will also seek to diversify their export markets away from the U.S.
Magazine
Adani’s Controversial Footprint in India’s Neighborhood (and Elsewhere)
The growth of the Adani Group, especially overseas, has mirrored Modi’s political ascendancy. As a result, controversy involving Adani projects causes backlash against India as a whole.
Cambodia: The Unbearable Memory of the Khmer Rouge
April 17, 1975 – the day Phnom Penh fell – can perhaps never be fully reappropriated because of the strong sense of shame and pain that surrounds it.
Will Lee Jae-myung Rise From South Korea’s Political Chaos?
Lee Jae-myung’s strategic bet – that he can leverage widespread public discontent without further deepening societal divisions – will pose a key test for South Korea’s democracy.
Larry Diamond on the Importance of US Foreign Aid
“Ending aid is not a strategy to make America great again. It’s a strategy to make America resented and isolated in the world.”
Blogs
China Power
A New World Order
From Trade War to Cold War? A Dangerous Shift Is Underway in China-US Relations
Washington and Beijing have entered a phase of hardened rhetoric, reciprocal sanctions, and reduced people-to-people engagement. The risk of miscalculation is now dangerously high.
China-US Trade War About Whose Economy More Resilient: Leading Chinese Scholar
Halting the BRI Won’t Be Enough to Stop China’s Spreading Influence in Central America
The China-US Trade War Is in Full Swing
Flashpoints
Diplomacy by Other Means
Ukraine Claims Capture of Chinese Fighting With Russia in Donetsk
Zelenskyy claims that Kyiv has information on at least 155 Chinese citizens fighting with the Russian forces in eastern Ukraine.
The Historical Great Powers of Asia: Introduction
Between China’s Advance and America’s Retreat: Europe’s Quest for Strategic Autonomy
Tracking Conflict in the Asia-Pacific: April 2025 Update
Asia Defense
Militaries of the Asia-Pacific
Taiwan Races to Scale Up Revamped Conscription Program Before 2027
With understocked equipment, lackluster recruitment, and budget fights in the legislature, full implementation of Taiwan’s new mandatory military service plan remains difficult.
India Launches Multinational Mission of Cooperation in Indian Ocean Region
The BM-04 Missile: India’s Next-Generation Conventional Counterforce Weapon
With Rutte Visit, Japan and NATO Seek ‘Next Level’ of Cooperation
ASEAN Beat
Insights Into Half a Billion
Rodrigo Duterte’s Other Crimes in the Philippines
The former Philippine president's crimes are much more extensive than those on the docket at the International Criminal Court.
Contesting Prabowo Subianto’s Polite Democracy
ASEAN Expresses ‘Concern’ Over US Tariffs, But Seeks Dialogue
Indonesia Ready to Temporarily Shelter Palestinians From Gaza, President Says
The Pulse
Perspectives on South Asia
A Closer Look at India’s Global Influence on Human Rights
India remains a vibrant democracy. Yet its senior leaders remain fundamentally illiberal, and their interests more closely align with authoritarian powers.
Minilateralism Is the Driver of India’s Diplomatic Strategy in the Indo-Pacific
Can a Leadership Change Revive the Indian Left?
Bangladesh Offers to Import More From the US
The Koreas
Divided Peninsula
North Korea Human Rights Advocacy in Turmoil
In the wake of the U.S. withdrawal of support, North Korean human rights activists may also soon experience a similar withdrawal of support from Seoul.
Unlocking India-South Korea Trade Opportunities: Insights from the Recent Partnership Economic Forum in Seoul
Yoon Suk-yeol’s Dark Legacy for South Korea
South Korea’s Risky Bet on Online Regulation
Tokyo Report
News From Japan
Abe Shinzo and Japan’s ‘Discovery of India’
The late Japanese prime minister is widely acknowledged as the driving force in closer Japan-India relations, but his India affinity has deeper roots than often acknowledged.
Japan and Europe Should Forge Ahead With Their Own Alliance, Without the US
Japan Enacts FY 2025 Budget After Rare Revisions
US, Japan ‘Stand Firmly Together’ in the Face of Aggressive Chinese Actions
The Debate
Comment and Opinion
To Protect the Sea, the Kazakh Government Must Disclose Caspian Oil Agreements
The Caspian Sea is a unique and irreplaceable natural treasure. Protecting it means holding polluters accountable, and that requires transparency.
EU-Central Asia Summit Offers a New Model of Mutually Beneficial Partnership
American Leaders Should Hold the Taliban Accountable, Not Engage With Them
The US Is MIA in Myanmar’s Earthquake Response
Crossroads Asia
The New Silk Road
Satire on Trial: Temirlan Yensebek in Kazakh Court for Using a Rude Rap Track
An offensive 20-year-old rap song may land a Kazakh satirist in jail for seven years. But there's more to the case than a rude song.
Tajikistan Criminalizes Electricity Use Fraud Amid Energy Crisis
Andijan Taxi Driver Sentenced for Attempt to Recruit Uzbeks into the Russian War in Ukraine
Mongolia and Czechia Become Comprehensive Partners
Trans-Pacific View
U.S. Policy on Asia
China Doesn’t Fear Tariffs. It Fears a Credible US Industrial Strategy.
Tariffs alone cannot undo decades of offshoring. Without a complementary labor strategy and industrial policy in the United States, China's manufacturing advantage will remain intact.
After FM Phone Call, Are Pakistan-US Ties on the Mend?
Vietnam Pledges to Crack Down on Illicit Transshipment of Chinese Goods: Report
The Case for the US and Bhutan to Establish Formal Diplomatic Relations
Pacific Money
Economy And Business
How India Should Respond to Trump’s Tariff Threat
India should take this opportunity to drop tariffs on US manufacturers to zero – for reasons that go far beyond Trump's “Liberation Day.”
Asia Holds a Few Trump Cards in the Global Trade War
Trade, Tariffs and Trump in Southeast Asia
Parsing ASEAN’s Response to President Trump’s ‘Reciprocal’ Tariffs
Oceania
The South Pacific
Rabuka’s Support for Trump Doesn’t Earn Fiji Reprieve From US Tariffs
Recent developments should draw attention to the moral costs of Rabuka’s decision to unreservedly embrace both Trump and Israel.
Cooperation, Coordination, and Strategic Denial: Echoes and Lessons from Cold War Oceania
Australia’s Confidence Problem
Australia’s Upcoming Election: The Independent Factor
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
Trump, Tariffs, and America’s Global Messaging
The Asia Geopolitics podcast discusses the latest developments in Washington and their implications for Asia policy.
Duterte in The Hague: The Philippines and the Geopolitics of International Law
Is the United States Relitigating Its Grand Strategy?
DeepSeek and the AI Competition
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.