Latest Stories
Tracking Conflict in the Asia-Pacific: April 2025 Update
An overview of conflict, from protests to military and militant violence, in the Asia-Pacific in March 2025.
The Modern Triumvirate: Trump, Xi, and Musk
U.S. President Donald Trump, Chinese President Xi Jinping, and Elon Musk are closely intertwined with one another's interests.
BIMSTEC: Missing in Action in Myanmar
The grouping has emphasized disaster response in its activities, yet its response to Myanmar’s catastrophic earthquake is sorely lacking.
Kazakhstan Makes Trump ‘Reciprocal’ Tariff List
Trade between the U.S. and Kazakhstan is limited and heavily skewed toward energy, which has been exempt from the new tariffs.
Yoon Suk-yeol’s Dark Legacy for South Korea
The Yoon era is over, but the South Korean polity is divided more than ever.
Hong Kong Sanctions a Bright Spot in Trump’s Foreign Policy
Beijing has torn up Hong Kong’s freedoms and now threatens the security of Hong Kongers and their supporters around the world. It must not be allowed to get away with this with impunity.
Most Read
China Coast Guard Makes Its Longest Intrusion Into Disputed East China Sea Waters
The record-setting intrusion occurred on the same day that Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi came to Tokyo.
Can Philippine President Marcos Survive the Wrath of the Dutertes?
The economy may pose a more serious threat than the fulminations of the Mindanao-based political clan.
Why India Must Stop Ignoring Bangladesh’s Interim Government
India needs to understand the nuanced reality of the ground situation in Bangladesh.
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
Beijing Can Do More to Support China’s Youth
China’s young people face pressures unlike those of any generation before them. The government needs to reimagine how they fit into the economy.
China Is an Indispensable US Trade Partner. Will Trump’s Tariffs Hurt Beijing?
Is China’s Peace Plan Still Relevant for Gaza?
Without Radio Free Asia, Who Will Expose China’s Atrocities?
Flashpoints
Diplomacy by Other Means
Tracking Conflict in the Asia-Pacific: April 2025 Update
An overview of conflict, from protests to military and militant violence, in the Asia-Pacific in March 2025.
Testing a Rival’s Response: China’s Gray Zone Tactics in Australia
On Defense, Trump’s Early Moves in Asia Have Been Notably Normal
The DNI Report Reveals Why the US Must Enhance Deterrence
Asia Defense
Militaries of the Asia-Pacific
Japanese Fighter Jets Scrambled 30 Times Against Chinese Military Drones in FY2024, the Highest on Record
China’s UAV activity is increasing rapidly in the airspace around the Nansei Islands in Japan's southwest, part of the First Island Chain.
Cambodia, China Open New Facilities at Ream Naval Base
Capitalizing on PLA Vulnerabilities: Taiwan’s Opportunities for Enhanced Defense
US Clears Possible $5B Sale of Jet Fighters to Philippines
ASEAN Beat
Insights Into Half a Billion
BIMSTEC: Missing in Action in Myanmar
The grouping has emphasized disaster response in its activities, yet its response to Myanmar’s catastrophic earthquake is sorely lacking.
Targeted Aid and Strategic Competition in Southeast Asia
Trump’s Tariffs Won’t Change the Trajectory of Vietnam’s Foreign Policy
Indonesia’s Quiet Militarization Under President Prabowo Subianto
The Pulse
Perspectives on South Asia
At BIMSTEC’s Bangkok Summit, Leaders Pledge Economic Integration Amid Global Flux
With India shifting focus away from SAARC to BIMSTEC, it is keen to see the latter succeed.
Nepali PM Oli Meets India’s Modi, But Has Little to Show For It
New Law Gives Government a Foothold in Indian Muslim Waqf Properties
What Trump’s New Tariff Rules Mean for South Asia
The Koreas
Divided Peninsula
Yoon Suk-yeol’s Dark Legacy for South Korea
The Yoon era is over, but the South Korean polity is divided more than ever.
South Korea’s Risky Bet on Online Regulation
The Constitutional Questions Being Considered in President Yoon’s Impeachment Case
Constitutional Court Overturns Impeachment of South Korean Prime Minister
Tokyo Report
News From Japan
Japan Enacts FY 2025 Budget After Rare Revisions
Rice prices and inflation are putting pressure on Ishiba’s minority government.
US, Japan ‘Stand Firmly Together’ in the Face of Aggressive Chinese Actions
In Japan, the Radicalness of Yamamoto Taro Meets the Moment
China’s ‘Malinformation’ Comes for Okinawa
The Debate
Comment and Opinion
Hong Kong Sanctions a Bright Spot in Trump’s Foreign Policy
Beijing has torn up Hong Kong’s freedoms and now threatens the security of Hong Kongers and their supporters around the world. It must not be allowed to get away with this with impunity.
ASEAN’s Position in Plastic Treaty Negotiations: Paper Tiger, Plastic Dragon?
COP31: An Opportunity That Australia Cannot Afford to Miss
Airstrikes Amid Earthquakes: Myanmar’s Double Disaster
Crossroads Asia
The New Silk Road
Kazakhstan Makes Trump ‘Reciprocal’ Tariff List
Trade between the U.S. and Kazakhstan is limited and heavily skewed toward energy, which has been exempt from the new tariffs.
The EU and Central Asia Can Forge a Strategic Partnership Through Connectivity
Kygyz, Tajik, Uzbek Presidents Hold Groundbreaking Trilateral Summit
China’s Expanding Footprint in Uzbekistan
Trans-Pacific View
U.S. Policy on Asia
The Modern Triumvirate: Trump, Xi, and Musk
U.S. President Donald Trump, Chinese President Xi Jinping, and Elon Musk are closely intertwined with one another's interests.
Trump’s Subtle Shift on China: From Economic Coercion to Military Confrontation
AI vs Art: Studio Ghibli Edition
Vietnam in US-China Trade Tensions
Pacific Money
Economy And Business
How Chinese Investments Are Reshaping Africa’s Steel Industry
For China, investing in Africa’s steel industry is a strategic move to relocate surplus production capacity and address slowing domestic demand.
Tariffs and Inflation for the US, Disruption for Indian Supply Chains
How Sri Lanka is Rewriting its Economic Narrative
The India-US Trade Dilemma: Tariffs, Tensions, and the Road Ahead
Oceania
The South Pacific
Cooperation, Coordination, and Strategic Denial: Echoes and Lessons from Cold War Oceania
With a fundamentally different playing field today, the United States and its Western partners should adapt, if not adopt, the strategies of the Cold War.
Australia’s Confidence Problem
Australia’s Upcoming Election: The Independent Factor
As Australia’s Election Called for May 3, Both Labor and Liberals See Cause for Hope
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.