Latest Stories
Gen Z’s Challenge to Elite Dominance in South Asia
Deadly protests by youths in Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and Nepal show how lack of attention to inclusive development can fuel public anger.
Familiar Tensions Emerge at the Pacific Islands Forum
With China-Taiwan rivalry, China-Western competition, and big carbon emitters at odds with the islands on climate policy, there is plenty of tension to go around.
The Arctic and the Future of the South Korea-US Alliance
The Arctic could be a testing ground as the alliance expands beyond the Korean Peninsula.
Are Bangladesh’s Overseas Guardians of Democracy Being Silenced?
Red tape could discourage 13 million expats from casting their ballots just when their country needs them most.
India Has Nothing to Fear From the Bangladesh-US Joint Air Force Exercise
A recent defense exercise between Bangladesh and the U.S. sparked some exaggerated responses.
Trains and Planes: Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan Sign $12.2 Billion in Deals With US Companies
Kazakhstan has agreed to purchase 300 freight locomotives to the tune of $4.2 billion; Uzbekistan will buy at least 14 Boeing jets, in a deal said to be valued at $8 billion.
Most Read
Cambodia’s Decline Under 2 Years of Hun Manet
Hun Manet’s two years in power have witnessed a decline in any semblance of a government functioning in the interests of its people.
The AI Race: How China Inherited (and the West Lost) the Apollo Blueprint
China’s strategic ambition is reminiscent of the pioneering spirit of the Apollo missions that won the Space Race for the U.S.
What Singapore’s Poseidon Purchase Tells Us About Its Foreign Policy Worldview
It reflects the city-state’s confidence in advancing its own national interests together with those of neighbors, major powers, and the wider maritime commons.
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
2025 Xiangshan Forum: China Enters a New Era of Assertive Global Governance
Comparing the 2024 and 2025 Beijing Xiangshan Forums, the transformation in China's messaging was unmistakable.
Why China Won’t Weaponize Clean Energy Tech
China’s Political Troubles in South Asia
Inside China’s Surveillance and Propaganda Industries: Where Profit Meets Party
Flashpoints
Diplomacy by Other Means
AI Propaganda and the China-US Race for Influence
China is using AI to turbocharge its disinformation efforts. The U.S. is not ready.
Malacca of the Moon: Asia Amid the China-US Lunar Race
North Korean Leader Inspects Unmanned Weapons Performance Test
US Foreign Policy Is Restructuring the World Order to China’s Benefit
Asia Defense
Militaries of the Asia-Pacific
India Has Nothing to Fear From the Bangladesh-US Joint Air Force Exercise
A recent defense exercise between Bangladesh and the U.S. sparked some exaggerated responses.
The Indian Army’s High-Altitude Drones
Indian Navy’s Growing Role in Securing the Indian Ocean
Pakistan and Saudi Arabia Forge Strategic Defense Pact Amid Shifting West Asian Dynamics
ASEAN Beat
Insights Into Half a Billion
Indonesian Government Defends Expanding Military Influence in Civilian Affairs
President Prabowo Subianto is accused of eroding the firewall erected between the military and civilian spheres after the fall of Suharto in 1998.
RCEP Summit to Discuss Deeper Trade Alignment, Possible New Members, Malaysia Says
Massive Protests Condemn Corruption in the Philippines
Thai Military Commanders Vote to Shut Cambodian Border Indefinitely
The Pulse
Perspectives on South Asia
Gen Z’s Challenge to Elite Dominance in South Asia
Deadly protests by youths in Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and Nepal show how lack of attention to inclusive development can fuel public anger.
Are Bangladesh’s Overseas Guardians of Democracy Being Silenced?
Are Taliban-Iran Relations Moving on a Positive Trajectory?
India Extends Support to Interim Government’s Efforts to Stabilize Nepal
The Koreas
Divided Peninsula
The Arctic and the Future of the South Korea-US Alliance
The Arctic could be a testing ground as the alliance expands beyond the Korean Peninsula.
The Devil Is in the Details: US and South Korea Seek Alliance Modernization, But How?
South Korea in the Indo-Pacific: a ‘Force Multiplier’ in the Making?
South Korean President Holds Press Conference to Mark 100 Days in Office
Tokyo Report
News From Japan
Japan’s Ruling LDP Pursues Unity Ahead of Leadership Race
The top contenders, including Koizumi Shinjiro and Takaichi Sanae, have moderated their positions since the 2024 race.
Why Can’t Japan Solve Historical Perception Issues?
How Japan’s Active Cyber Defense Is Changing Its International Cooperation
The Japanese Youth Strike Back
The Debate
Comment and Opinion
The Problem Isn’t ChatGPT. It’s Us.
As a technology, large language models have been ruthless in highlighting the waste and weaknesses of the "knowledge industries."
An Open Femicide Trial in Kazakhstan Sparked Progress on Gender-based Violence, But More Must Be Done
US Southeast Asia Scam Sanctions: The Good, the Bad, and the Incoherent
The Hyundai Raid Reflects a Broken US Immigration System
Crossroads Asia
The New Silk Road
Trains and Planes: Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan Sign $12.2 Billion in Deals With US Companies
Kazakhstan has agreed to purchase 300 freight locomotives to the tune of $4.2 billion; Uzbekistan will buy at least 14 Boeing jets, in a deal said to be valued at $8 billion.
First Direct Akim Election on the Horizon for Kazakhstan’s Semey
The Future of the C5+1 Under Trump 2.0
Tokayev’s Digital Vision for Kazakhstan
Trans-Pacific View
U.S. Policy on Asia
Trump and Xi Spoke on the Phone, But Differ on What Was Said
Trump spoke of agreements on visits and TikTok, while China's readout was more circumspect.
Trump’s TikTok Deal Is Lose-Lose Diplomacy
If the US Retreats to the Western Hemisphere, What Happens to Asia?
How Indiana Became a Stronghold for Tibetan Culture – and the Dalai Lama’s Influence
Pacific Money
Economy And Business
The Economic Philosophy of Sumitro Djojohadikusumo
The economist articulated a series of statist economic principles that continue to guide decision-making in Indonesia to the present day.
Sri Lanka’s Development Financing Crossroads: Lessons for a Post-Aid Era
From Foundry to Forum: Taiwan’s Repositioning in the New Semiconductor Order
Is Vietnam Becoming the New Thailand?
Oceania
The South Pacific
Familiar Tensions Emerge at the Pacific Islands Forum
With China-Taiwan rivalry, China-Western competition, and big carbon emitters at odds with the islands on climate policy, there is plenty of tension to go around.
Why Haven’t PNG and Australia Signed the Pukpuk Mutual Defense Treaty Yet?
New Zealand Looks to Europe for Defense Industrial Partnerships
Reforming Australia’s Migration to Favor Skilled Workers, Not Family Reunion
Videos
Asia on Video
Podcasts
Asia Geopolitics
Strategic Alliances: The Pakistan-Saudi Arabia Mutual Defense Pact
Under the agreement, the two countries pledged that “any aggression against either country shall be considered an aggression against both.”
What’s Really Behind Nepal’s Gen Z Revolution?
What Actually Mattered at China’s Big Military Parade?
South Korea’s Lee Hits the Road to Japan and the United States
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.