Latest Stories
Thailand’s Parliament Elects Anutin Charnvirakul as Next Prime Minister
The vote brings to an end a week of political uncertainty, but Thailand's political instability seems set to continue.
China’s Parade of Power
This week’s military procession was a form of “deterrence theater” designed to demonstrate that Beijing has the tools to punish intervention and survive escalation.
Philippine Business Groups Call For Action on ‘Excessive’ Corruption
The call follows revelations about large-scale graft involving government-funded flood control projects.
After Devastating Earthquake, Afghanistan Is Still Caught in the Sanctions Trap
Afghanistan’s post-quake humanitarian catastrophe is to a large extent the predictable outcome of sanctions that strangle the economy and cut off financial lifelines.
Will the Kyrgyz Parliament Dissolve Itself?
Following an overhaul of Kyrgyzstan's electoral system in June, there is talk of dissolving parliament and holding early elections.
Prince Hisahito and Japan’s Imperial Future
Hisahito’s position as the only eligible male heir to the Chrysanthemum Throne has generated intense interest in his life – and public debate about Japan’s male-only imperial succession.
Most Read
Who’s Coming to China’s 2025 Victory Day Military Parade?
There are some notable attendees – hello, Kim Jong Un – but just as interesting is who’s not coming.
Roads and High-Rises Have Made Himalayan Towns Prone to Disaster
Recently, Dharali in the western Himalayas was swept away by floods. Darjeeling in the eastern Himalayas could suffer the same fate.
What’s Behind the Cancellation of Singapore’s Fighter Jet Basing in Guam?
Both nations arguably had sound reasons to shelve the agreement, which would have established a permanent base for the RSAF's F-15s.
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
China’s Neighborhood Diplomacy Comes of Age in Southeast Asia
Southeast Asian states were well represented at both the SCO Summit and China’s military parade.
A ‘Loser’s Nation’ and the Abandoned Chinese Dream
China’s Bargain, Russia’s Lifeline: The Geopolitics of Power of Siberia 2
China’s Victory Day Parade Rekindles Cross-Strait Battle Over WW2 Narratives
Flashpoints
Diplomacy by Other Means
FCC Gives the US a Boost in Subsea Cable Competition With China
The Federal Communications Commission has adopted rules that will speed up submarine cable deployment while ensuring the security and resiliency of this crucial infrastructure.
The Geopolitical Message of China’s Military Parade
India-China Competition in the Western Indian Ocean
China’s Pushback Against the Philippines’ Maritime Strategy: The Limits of Transparency
Asia Defense
Militaries of the Asia-Pacific
Deciphering the Military Signals of China’s Victory Day Parade
The display of hardware at the parade contained clues about the types of missions and conflicts that Beijing expects for its military, as well as its current threat perceptions.
What Were the Weapons on Display in China’s Military Parade?
What the China Coast Guard-PLAN Ship Collision Reveals About China’s Military Capabilities
Japan’s Defense Ministry Requests Largest Ever Budget for Fiscal Year 2026
ASEAN Beat
Insights Into Half a Billion
Thailand’s Parliament Elects Anutin Charnvirakul as Next Prime Minister
The vote brings to an end a week of political uncertainty, but Thailand's political instability seems set to continue.
Philippine Business Groups Call For Action on ‘Excessive’ Corruption
A Death in Jakarta: Police Violence and the Crisis of Accountability
Indonesia Fires Officer Involved in Police Killing That Ignited Violent Protests
The Pulse
Perspectives on South Asia
After Devastating Earthquake, Afghanistan Is Still Caught in the Sanctions Trap
Afghanistan’s post-quake humanitarian catastrophe is to a large extent the predictable outcome of sanctions that strangle the economy and cut off financial lifelines.
Bangladesh Erases Mujibur Rahman’s Legacy
Indus Waters Treaty: From Cooperative Vision to Calculated Confrontation
‘Illegal Migration’ and the Weaponization of Indigeneity in Assam
The Koreas
Divided Peninsula
The Dark Side of China-North Korea Cooperation: Forced Labor
The Kim-Xi bonhomie shouldn’t overshadow the suffering of North Korea’s “state-dispatched workers” to China.
Kim Jong Un Attends China’s Military Parade
PPP’s New Leader Vows to ‘Bring Down’ the Lee Jae-myung Administration
North Korea’s Processed Goods Push Meets China’s Cold Market Reality
Tokyo Report
News From Japan
Prince Hisahito and Japan’s Imperial Future
Hisahito’s position as the only eligible male heir to the Chrysanthemum Throne has generated intense interest in his life – and public debate about Japan’s male-only imperial succession.
How Japan Won the Bid to Supply Australia’s Next-Generation Frigate
Court Rulings and Public Opinion on Same-Sex Marriage in Japan
A New Beginning for Japan-South Korea Relations – Again
The Debate
Comment and Opinion
China’s Parade of Power
This week’s military procession was a form of “deterrence theater” designed to demonstrate that Beijing has the tools to punish intervention and survive escalation.
Why Bangladesh’s Soldiers Who Gunned Down Civilians Should Be Tried by Civilian Courts
BIGD’s Pulse Survey Was About Voicing Citizens’ Hopes and Concerns, Not Predicting the Election Outcome
Funding Coal-powered Nickel in Indonesia Is a Climate Disaster
Crossroads Asia
The New Silk Road
Will the Kyrgyz Parliament Dissolve Itself?
Following an overhaul of Kyrgyzstan's electoral system in June, there is talk of dissolving parliament and holding early elections.
Date Set for Uzbekistan to Sign Enhance Partnership Agreement With the European Union
What Did Central Asia Get Out of the SCO?
How the Ban on WhatsApp, Telegram Calls Affects Central Asian Migrants in Russia
Trans-Pacific View
U.S. Policy on Asia
The US Is Rethinking the India-Pakistan Dynamic
Washington’s South Asia strategy is shifting, and it is this recalibration – rather than tariffs – that threatens to inject lasting volatility into ties with New Delhi.
The Blind Spots of Trump 2.0’s Indo-Pacific Strategy
Why Washington Can’t Ignore Bangladesh
Forging Sea Power Anew: The Merchant Marine Academy and America’s Indo-Pacific Strategy
Pacific Money
Economy And Business
US Tariffs Turn the Screws on India’s Indigenous Industries
While India recalibrates its export strategy and trade partnerships, structural domestic industrial reforms also need addressing.
US Policy Shift Complicates South Korean Semiconductor Operations in China
What Makes Digital Banks in Southeast Asia Successful?
The IRA Has Changed. Now the US Needs a New Nickel Strategy.
Oceania
The South Pacific
Australia’s Real Immigration Problem
Australia needs to think seriously about how to persuade those suspicious of immigration that it is an essential tool to bolster the national interest.
What to Make of the Australian Defense Minister’s ‘Happenstance Encounter’ at the Pentagon
Porepunkah Shooting Highlights Threat ‘Sovereign Citizens’ Pose to Australia
Australia Expels Iran’s Ambassador Over Antisemitic Attacks
Videos
Asia on Video
Podcasts
Asia Geopolitics
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.