Latest Stories
Southeast Asia Must Learn to Defend Itself
Would any of the region's governments lift a finger to maintain peace on behalf of a neighbor?
The Trump Effect on the EU’s Indo-Pacific Strategy
The ideological and strategic rifts between Brussels and Washington could encourage a return to a purely economic approach by Europeans toward the Indo-Pacific.
The Mongol Archive: Medieval Links Between France and Mongolia
The medieval Mongol archive, dating from the 13th century, had a profound influence on French maps and exploration.
Is the United States Becoming a Hollow Maritime Power?
U.S. maritime power increasingly risks projecting strength without the institutional agility to sustain it.
Kazakh Youth Find Their Voice for Nuclear Justice at the UN
Kazakhstan was among the original 50 states that signed and ratified the treaty prohibiting nuclear weapons in 2018.
How China Can Retaliate in the US Trade War
The inconsistent trade policy coming from Washington leaves Beijing with no clear path to take to get out of the crosshairs. That leaves retaliation as the most likely response.
Most Read
The Logic of India’s Warship Numbers
In addition to their economic, constabulary, and diplomatic responsibilities, Indian warships are constantly preparing for their primary warfighting role.
From Washington to Beijing, a Nuclear Tit-for-Tat
U.S. actions continue to drive China’s nuclear buildup. However, like acceptance of mutual vulnerability, that seems too tough a pill for the U.S. side to swallow.
A Shot Across the Bow: China Signals New Era of Sea Power in the Southwest Pacific
The live-fire exercises were a demonstration of China’s growing sea power in Australia and New Zealand’s immediate periphery – and meant to normalize the PLA presence there.
Magazine
Pakistan Under Shehbaz Sharif: The State of the Nation
With domestic politics gravely polarized, security increasingly fragile, and the economy barely stable, there is little sign of an end to Pakistan’s chronic dysfunction.
To Russia With Waning Love: Changing Migration Dynamics in Central Asia
Russia and Central Asia have been mutually shaped by decades of labor migration, but these long-running ties have begun to fray.
The New Age of Global Trade: Aggressive Neo-Mercantilism
International trade, with the U.S. and China at the forefront, is undergoing a paradigmatic shift away from free trade and toward an aggressive form of neo-mercantilism.
Misun Woo on Women’s Rights in the Asia-Pacific
“We need to ask why there hasn’t been much change to advance women’s human rights and end injustice?”
Blogs
China Power
A New World Order
Why a Possible Trump-Putin Rapprochement Is Good for China
Whatever the U.S. intentions, the outcome of the Russia-U.S. dialogue would be beneficial for China.
China’s Soft Power Play: Can Fashion and Digital Influencers Reshape Its Global Image?
Visa-Free Policies Help Bring Foreign Tourists Back to China
What Will a Conservative CDU-led Coalition in Germany Mean for China?
Flashpoints
Diplomacy by Other Means
How China Can Retaliate in the US Trade War
The inconsistent trade policy coming from Washington leaves Beijing with no clear path to take to get out of the crosshairs. That leaves retaliation as the most likely response.
The COVID-19 ‘Lab-Leak Origin’ Theory: Fact or Fiction?
Zelenskyy at the White House: The Rapid Crumbling of US Leadership Creates a Golden Opportunity for China
Budget Cuts, Insufficient Implementation, and Weak Enforcement Are Undermining Taiwan’s Cyber Defenses
Asia Defense
Militaries of the Asia-Pacific
ASEAN Beat
Insights Into Half a Billion
Southeast Asia Must Learn to Defend Itself
Would any of the region's governments lift a finger to maintain peace on behalf of a neighbor?
Uyghur Deportation Was Prompted by Fears of China Retaliation, Thailand Admits
Myanmar Junta Chief Lands in Belarus After Russia Visit
There Are No Robin Hoods in Vietnam These Days
The Pulse
Perspectives on South Asia
South Asian University, a Regional Center for Excellence, Faces ‘Indianization’ Charge
India’s communal politics have seeped into the campus, curtailing academic freedom and embroiling the university in controversies.
EU Keeps Ban on Nepali Aircraft Flying in Its Airspace
Do India’s Domestic Violence Laws Discriminate Against Men?
Violence Against Women Is Widespread in Pakistan
The Koreas
Divided Peninsula
Yoon’s Martial Law Declaration Was Bad. What He Did Next May Have Been Worse.
As Yoon Suk-yeol embraces the rhetoric of far-right extremists, South Korea has become deeply polarized and political violence is on the rise.
South Korean Jets Mistakenly Bomb Village During Training Exercise
What South Korea Is Learning From Trump’s Approach to Ukraine
US About-Face on Ukraine Sparks Diplomatic Dilemma for South Korea
Tokyo Report
News From Japan
Japan’s Catch-22 Situation Over US-Ukraine Row
Opposition parties are calling for Japan to join forces with European countries that have expressed solidarity with Ukraine, but PM Ishiba has maintained a neutral stance.
Japanese Foreign Minister Banned by Russia Over Ukraine Sanctions
Japan’s Struggle to Resolve North Korean Abductions
Chinese Buoy Placed in Japan’s Exclusive Economic Zone Removed
The Debate
Comment and Opinion
Trump and Musk Doom the World’s Poorest to Even More Suffering from Climate Disasters
The Trump administration's retreat from global climate efforts has opened up a funding gap that urgently needs to be filled.
Voting for Survival: Pacific Islanders and Australia’s Federal Elections
Thailand’s Uyghur Repatriation Shows the Consequences of Trump Policy Incoherence
Federal Social Democracy: The Right – and Only – Path Forward for Myanmar
Crossroads Asia
The New Silk Road
The Mongol Archive: Medieval Links Between France and Mongolia
The medieval Mongol archive, dating from the 13th century, had a profound influence on French maps and exploration.
Kazakh Youth Find Their Voice for Nuclear Justice at the UN
What the Launch of a UN Hub in Almaty Could Mean for Stability in Afghanistan and Central Asia
Why Did Mongolia’s Foreign Minister Visit Japan?
Trans-Pacific View
U.S. Policy on Asia
The Trump Effect on the EU’s Indo-Pacific Strategy
The ideological and strategic rifts between Brussels and Washington could encourage a return to a purely economic approach by Europeans toward the Indo-Pacific.
What Countries Do Americans See as the Biggest Threat to the United States?
With Ukraine, the US Is Repeating Mistakes Made in Afghanistan
Indo-Pacific Allies May Rethink US Intelligence Sharing After Gabbard, Patel Appointments
Pacific Money
Economy And Business
How US Companies in China Can Survive
American companies caught in the middle of China-U.S. competition should remember: all geopolitics is local.
AI, Influence, and Power: How China is Reshaping Central Europe’s Digital Future
Singapore’s Budget 2025, Explained
Sri Lanka’s 2025 Budget: Balancing IMF Commitments and Domestic Priorities
Oceania
The South Pacific
Set Adrift: The Australian Political Class and the US Alliance under Trump 2.0
Thus far, Australian leaders seem unable to address the implications of the fact that U.S. values and interests may in fact no longer be congruent with Australia’s own.
Meet the Influencers Courting the Australian Vote
Keeping It Real: Why Australia’s Labor Needs a Retuned Message
‘Dark Ads’ Challenge Truth and Democracy in Australia
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
Is the United States Relitigating Its Grand Strategy?
What can be gleaned from the first month of the second Trump administration about the U.S. approach to world affairs?
DeepSeek and the AI Competition
Trump 2.0 in America: Geopolitical Ripples Across Asia and the World
The Biden Administration’s Asia Legacy
Photo Essays
Asia in Pictures
In Photos: Rohingya Refugees’ Trial by Fire
Deadly fires in the refugee camps in Cox's Bazar have become a terrifyingly regular occurrence.