Latest Stories
#SEAblings: The New Southeast Asian Transnational Solidarity Campaign
The recent youth-dominated protests in Indonesia brought forth a surge of support from young people across the region.t
Shaheer Baig on Why Plans for CPEC’s Extension Into Afghanistan Will Not Succeed
“It always starts with trilateral cooperation, and it often ends the same way – chaos, power grabs, and foreign money trying to fix the mess.”
Pakistan’s Potential Path to Global Relevance Through Critical Minerals
With significant lithium, copper, cobalt, nickel, zircon, and beryllium deposits, Pakistan’s untapped mineral wealth is estimated to be worth $6 trillion.
Singapore’s First F-35 Fighter Set for Delivery by End of 2026, Defense Minister Says
The influx of new state-of-the-art aircraft over the remainder of the decade will complete the “progressive drawdown” of the RSAF’s ageing F-16 fleet.
China Warns Philippines Against ‘Disruptive’ Actions After Patrols With US, Japan
During September 11-13, the Philippines, Japan, and the United States took part in a "maritime cooperation activity" inside the Philippines' exclusive economic zone.
Who’s Afraid of ‘Sustainable Steam Power’?
While nuclear energy is the best means of avoiding climate catastrophe, many remain irrationally terrified of its risks.
Most Read
Nepal’s Gen Z Force Prime Minister Oli to Resign
With his resignation, Oli has become the latest casualty of mass protests in South Asian countries.
Canadian Barrick Gold’s Gamble in Balochistan Meets a Violent Insurgency
The dream of reopening Reko Diq meets a harsh reality on the ground: a worsening insurgency and continued political instability.
A ‘Loser’s Nation’ and the Abandoned Chinese Dream
As opportunities dry up, a society that once idolized entrepreneurs and celebrated commercial risk-taking has turned back to the old logic of administrative power.
Magazine
Can ASEAN Truly Remain Neutral Between the US and China?
Malaysia’s approach as chair epitomizes the bloc’s difficult balancing act.
Kabul Will Never Be the Same Again
24 years after the U.S. invasion, and four years after the Taliban’s triumphant return to power, the question lingers: Were the war’s many sacrifices worth anything?
Memory as Destiny: China and East Asia 80 Years After World War II
History in East Asia is never just history. It is weaponized, re-scripted, and deeply entangled in present-day struggles for legitimacy, identity, and power.
Napon Jatusripitak on How the Cambodia-Thailand Tensions Spiraled Into Conflict
“These flashpoints alone cannot account for the speed or scale of the escalation, or the intensity of the nationalist fervor it has unleashed.”
Blogs
China Power
A New World Order
How China Is Transforming Space Power
China’s progress toward reusable rockets, orbital logistics, and lunar industrialization will secure the strategic high ground for Beijing.
China Promised 20 GW of Overseas Wind and Solar in 5 Years. Can It Deliver?
The End of World War II: 80 Years Times Three
How Taiwan Is Trying to Defend Its Democracy From Mis- and Disinformation
Flashpoints
Diplomacy by Other Means
Bangladesh and Nepal: Why Some Protests Topple Leaders (and Others Don’t)
Protests in Bangladesh and Nepal toppled governments, but equally massive demonstrations in India and the U.S. never go that far – at least, not yet.
24 Years Later, Is the World on the Brink of Another 9/11?
Tracking Conflict in the Asia-Pacific: September 2025 Update
Rational Alignment in Multipolar Competition: India and Russia’s Strategic Pull Toward China
Asia Defense
Militaries of the Asia-Pacific
Singapore’s First F-35 Fighter Set for Delivery by End of 2026, Defense Minister Says
The influx of new state-of-the-art aircraft over the remainder of the decade will complete the “progressive drawdown” of the RSAF’s ageing F-16 fleet.
China’s Newest Aircraft Carrier Is on the Move
President Lee’s Reshuffle of the South Korean Military
Despite Political Headwinds, India and US Continue Military Cooperation
ASEAN Beat
Insights Into Half a Billion
#SEAblings: The New Southeast Asian Transnational Solidarity Campaign
The recent youth-dominated protests in Indonesia brought forth a surge of support from young people across the region.t
China Warns Philippines Against ‘Disruptive’ Actions After Patrols With US, Japan
Who’s Afraid of ‘Sustainable Steam Power’?
Victim or Criminal? The Cameroonian Migrants Caught Up in Transnational Job Scams
The Pulse
Perspectives on South Asia
Pakistan’s Potential Path to Global Relevance Through Critical Minerals
With significant lithium, copper, cobalt, nickel, zircon, and beryllium deposits, Pakistan’s untapped mineral wealth is estimated to be worth $6 trillion.
Nepal’s Gen Z Movement Crowns Former Chief Justice Sushila Karki as Interim Leader
Muslim Conservatives Oppose Urdu Academy Event Invitation to Poet Javed Akhtar
How Many People Live in Afghanistan?
The Koreas
Divided Peninsula
South Korea in the Indo-Pacific: a ‘Force Multiplier’ in the Making?
Seoul is well-positioned to leverage its newly-gained status as a “force multiplier,” capable of shaping the geopolitical calculations of the U.S. and China.
South Korean President Holds Press Conference to Mark 100 Days in Office
South Korea Considers Setting up a Special Tribunal for Insurrection
The Dark Side of China-North Korea Cooperation: Forced Labor
Tokyo Report
News From Japan
The ‘Demon Slayer’ Phenomenon and Japan’s Evolving Anime Industry
The franchise's success reflects the growing size – and evolving nature – of Japan’s anime industry in recent years.
The Top Priority for Japan’s Next Prime Minister: The Economy
Japan-South Korea Relations: Summit Signals Change in Direction
As Ishiba Steps Down, Japan Will Get Yet Another New Prime Minister
The Debate
Comment and Opinion
We Deserve Better: Korea’s Investment in Georgia Must Be Secured, Not Shackled
A South Korean National Assembly member discusses the damage done by the ICE raid on Hyundai’s plant.
Russia’s Nuclear ‘Diplomacy’: From Seizing a Nuclear Facility in Ukraine to Backing Myanmar’s Military Junta
Afghanistan: When Disaster Meets Gender Apartheid
No, China’s Isn’t Leading an Anti-West Bloc
Crossroads Asia
The New Silk Road
Looking Back at a Hot Railroad Summer for Central Asia and Afghanistan
In July, Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan, and Uzbekistan all signed agreements with Afghanistan related to the development of railways.
Kloop Trial Underway in Kyrgyzstan: Witnesses, Experts Can’t Find ‘Calls for Mass Unrest’
In Annual State of the Nation Address, Tokayev Proposes a Unicameral Parliament for Kazakhstan
Trump Holds Call With Uzbek President, a Shouted Question About Kazakhstan Steals Headlines
Trans-Pacific View
U.S. Policy on Asia
If the US Retreats to the Western Hemisphere, What Happens to Asia?
There are strong indications Washington is moving toward hemispheric retrenchment. The consequences for the Asia-Pacific could be dramatic.
How Indiana Became a Stronghold for Tibetan Culture – and the Dalai Lama’s Influence
Brazil and Mexico Chart Different Courses Amid China-US Tensions
Trump’s Policies Strain South Korea-US Alliance
Pacific Money
Economy And Business
From Foundry to Forum: Taiwan’s Repositioning in the New Semiconductor Order
The lesson of SEMICON 2025 is clear: no single country can control every layer of the semiconductor value chain.
Is Vietnam Becoming the New Thailand?
Evergrande’s Delisting Exposes China’s Slow Bankruptcy Trap
US Tariffs Turn the Screws on India’s Indigenous Industries
Oceania
The South Pacific
Reforming Australia’s Migration to Favor Skilled Workers, Not Family Reunion
Australia’s migration program has failed to deliver what it promises. It brings in relatively few genuinely skilled workers, while favoring family migration.
Australia’s Real Immigration Problem
What to Make of the Australian Defense Minister’s ‘Happenstance Encounter’ at the Pentagon
Porepunkah Shooting Highlights Threat ‘Sovereign Citizens’ Pose to Australia
Videos
Asia on Video
Podcasts
Asia Geopolitics
What Actually Mattered at China’s Big Military Parade?
It was a big week for China, hosting an SCO Summit in Tianjin and then a massive military parade in Beijing. The world was watching closely.
South Korea’s Lee Hits the Road to Japan and the United States
Geopolitical Ripple Effects: US-Russia, China-India, and More
Reviewing Thailand and Cambodia’s July 2025 Border Skirmish
Photo Essays
Asia in Pictures
Self-Help Groups Are Transforming Women’s Lives in India
For decades, men ruled the farms in Bihar. Now, it’s women who are reshaping the agricultural economy.