Latest Stories
‘Autocracy 2.0’: How China Reinvented Tyranny for the Innovation Age
Insights from Jennifer Lind.
Trump’s Deportations Threaten the US Relationship With the Pacific, and China Seeks to Capitalize
Increased deportations and unequal and growingly restrictive visa policies are jeopardizing the trust built by decades of hosting Pacific Islanders – while China moves in the opposite direction.
China and Russia Seek to Deepen Defense and Security Cooperation
Do not cling to hopes that either China or Russia will moderate the other.
Strategic Priorities for ASEAN’s Newest Member
Membership of ASEAN brings Timor-Leste political visibility and economic opportunity, but also new exposure to disputes.
China’s ‘White Paper’ Protests: 3 Years Later
More than 100 people were arrested over the White Paper protests. Three years later, the status of many of those people remains unknown.
Pakistan: Entrenchment of the Pretorian Guard
The 27th Amendment severely undermines democracy, reshapes the military chain of command, and weakens civilian oversight of Pakistan’s nuclear arsenal.
Most Read
Inside China’s Rare Earth Empire: The Hidden Costs in Myanmar
Welcome to the dirty side of rare earths, which ironically are key to the “clean energy” transition.
The 27th Amendment and Pakistan’s Emerging Military Posture
Don’t sleep on the 27th Amendment’s strategic reorientation of Pakistan’s defense architecture.
Cracking Southeast Asia’s Scam Economy
Washington and London’s recent unprecedented actions showed what global coordination can achieve – and what remains to be done.
Blogs
China Power
A New World Order
China’s ‘White Paper’ Protests: 3 Years Later
More than 100 people were arrested over the White Paper protests. Three years later, the status of many of those people remains unknown.
How China’s Smart City AI Is Moving Into Environmental Control
Hongqi Bridge Collapse Is a Warning. China’s Leaders Should Listen.
China’s AI Push in the Persian Gulf Region
Flashpoints
Diplomacy by Other Means
China and Russia Seek to Deepen Defense and Security Cooperation
Do not cling to hopes that either China or Russia will moderate the other.
A Triangle Across Oceans: Australia, Canada, and India’s Minilateral Experiment
Delhi Explosion and India’s Counterterrorism Response
How the Trump-Xi Summit Led to a Blow up in China-Japan Ties
Asia Defense
Militaries of the Asia-Pacific
South Korea Eyes Defense Exports to Europe, Middle East
Seoul had apparently picked two priority regions in its quest to become a top-four global defense exporter.
Type 076 Warship Highlights PLA’s Shift Toward Unmanned Aerial Dominance
Sri Lanka’s Defense Upgrade Cannot Rely on Foreign Donations Only
China’s Fujian: A Milestone, Not the Endpoint, of Naval Modernization
ASEAN Beat
Insights Into Half a Billion
Strategic Priorities for ASEAN’s Newest Member
Membership of ASEAN brings Timor-Leste political visibility and economic opportunity, but also new exposure to disputes.
The Murky Future of Thailand’s Pheu Thai Party
Unregulated Mining Boom Pouring Toxins Into Southeast Asian Rivers: Report
Trump Administration Ends Deportation Protections for Myanmar Immigrants
The Pulse
Perspectives on South Asia
Pakistan: Entrenchment of the Pretorian Guard
The 27th Amendment severely undermines democracy, reshapes the military chain of command, and weakens civilian oversight of Pakistan’s nuclear arsenal.
Gaza Peacekeeping: Pakistan’s Delicate Balancing Act Between the US and the Muslim World
As Bengal Elections Near, a Battle Over Bengali Patriotic Songs Grows Shriller
India’s New Rules to Tackle Deepfakes Look Good, But Are Hard to Put in Action
The Koreas
Divided Peninsula
South Korean President Says Unification Is Ultimate Goal
During a press conference on his way to Turkiye, South Korean president shared his view on North Korea.
North Korea’s Execution State: When Law Becomes a Tool of Terror
President Lee Jae-myung’s Latest Headache
South Korea Wakes up to Southeast Asia’s Ballooning Scam Industry
Tokyo Report
News From Japan
Former Defense Minister Nakatani Says Japan’s Next Submarine ‘Will Eventually Need Nuclear Propulsion’
If Tokyo acquires nuclear-powered subs, it would be a significant strategic shift for the only nation to have suffered atomic bombings.
Sleepless at the Top: Takaichi’s Work Ethic Highlights Japan’s Overwork Problem
How Will Japan’s New Leader Approach the North Korea Problem?
Takaichi’s Taiwan Remarks: Much Ado About Nothing?
The Debate
Comment and Opinion
Crossroads Asia
The New Silk Road
From Dialogue to Agency: Central Asia’s Strategic Transformation?
With the full inclusion of Azerbaijan and moves toward institutionalization, the region is shifting from loose consultation to a cohesive geopolitical community.
Strengthening the Astana-Tashkent Axis
Kyrgyz Authorities Arrest Alleged Protest Plotters Ahead of Election
In Uzbekistan, Local Development Without Local Democracy
Trans-Pacific View
U.S. Policy on Asia
Try, Try Again: New Bills Submitted to Address the Jackson-Vanik Problem
Two new bills have been submitted to the U.S. Congress to deal with the Cold War-era Jackson-Vanik amendment.
Can the NBA Help Heal China-US Relations?
The Supreme Court’s Tariff Test: What Is at Stake for the Rule of Law and Global Trade
What to Make of the Recent Trump-Xi Summit?
Pacific Money
Economy And Business
Takaichi’s Growth Gamble: The 30-Year JGB Is Flashing a Warning
Japan’s resilience, despite the world’s highest public debt ratio, stems from its debt structure. But the conditions undergirding that structure are changing.
Gender and the Political Economy of the Asian Sports Media
How Asia Is Navigating America’s Fading Financial Control
South Korea’s Semiconductor Dependence Is Becoming a Structural Economic Risk
Oceania
The South Pacific
Trump’s Deportations Threaten the US Relationship With the Pacific, and China Seeks to Capitalize
Increased deportations and unequal and growingly restrictive visa policies are jeopardizing the trust built by decades of hosting Pacific Islanders – while China moves in the opposite direction.
What the Liberal Party Is Missing About Australia’s Energy Future
Why Did Australia Drop Its Bid to Host the COP31 Climate Talks?
Australia Revokes Visa of South African Neo-Nazi
Videos
Asia on Video
Podcasts
Asia Geopolitics
Don’t Call It a Deal Just Yet: South Korea to Pursue Nuclear-powered Submarines
There’s a tremendous amount of uncertainty as to what was actually agreed to.