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The Top Priority for Japan’s Next Prime Minister: The Economy
It will be difficult to truly address Japan’s inflation and debt woes given the fragile political environment.
Kloop Trial Underway in Kyrgyzstan: Witnesses, Experts Can’t Find ‘Calls for Mass Unrest’
The case appears to rely on video materials published by an outlet the defendants didn’t work for, which prosecution experts have testified don’t contain direct calls for mass unrest.
Brazil and Mexico Chart Different Courses Amid China-US Tensions
Facing tariff threats from Trump, Brazil’s and Mexico’s responses diverged sharply – a split rooted in their respective relationships with the U.S. and China.
While Xi Watched a Military Parade in Beijing, Pope Leo XIV Held a Reception on the Catholic Church in China
The meeting confirmed the new pope will follow the late Pope Francis’ approach to China. What does that mean for Taiwan?
President Lee’s Reshuffle of the South Korean Military
Given South Korea’s bitter experience with military dictators – and last year’s declaration of martial law – the appointment of senior generals is a matter of great importance.
Bangladesh’s International Crimes Tribunal’s Legitimacy Under a Cloud
Due legal process and international involvement will ensure credibility of Bangladesh’s contested judicial platform.
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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.
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.
What Did Central Asia Get Out of the SCO?
For Central Asia, the SCO has become a venue for deepening relations with China and managing relations with Russia.
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
While Xi Watched a Military Parade in Beijing, Pope Leo XIV Held a Reception on the Catholic Church in China
The meeting confirmed the new pope will follow the late Pope Francis’ approach to China. What does that mean for Taiwan?
For Beijing’s Foreign Disinformation, the Era of AI-Driven Operations Has Arrived
Why Hungary Is Sticking Close to China
President Lai Ching-te’s Catch-22
Flashpoints
Diplomacy by Other Means
Tracking Conflict in the Asia-Pacific: September 2025 Update
In August, the Myanmar navy increasingly relied on air support to fight resistance forces, and Indonesia’s anti-government demonstrations turned deadly.
Rational Alignment in Multipolar Competition: India and Russia’s Strategic Pull Toward China
The SCO Tianjin Summit: Unity in Pageantry, Division in Practice?
The Triumvirate’s Triple Win: What Xi, Putin, and Kim Each Gained in Beijing
Asia Defense
Militaries of the Asia-Pacific
President Lee’s Reshuffle of the South Korean Military
Given South Korea’s bitter experience with military dictators – and last year’s declaration of martial law – the appointment of senior generals is a matter of great importance.
Despite Political Headwinds, India and US Continue Military Cooperation
At 2+2, Japan, Australia Hail Milestone in Defense Cooperation
US Sends Signal Via Pakistan to Beijing on Counterterrorism Cooperation
ASEAN Beat
Insights Into Half a Billion
US Government Announces New Sanctions on Scam Networks in Myanmar, Cambodia
The U.S. Treasury Department says that Americans lost more than $10 billion to Southeast Asia-based scammers in 2024.
Thai Court Orders Former PM Thaksin to Serve 1 Year in Prison
Indonesian Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Removed in Cabinet Reshuffle
Ex-Thai PM Thaksin Expected Back in Thailand for Crucial Court Verdict
The Pulse
Perspectives on South Asia
Bangladesh’s International Crimes Tribunal’s Legitimacy Under a Cloud
Due legal process and international involvement will ensure credibility of Bangladesh’s contested judicial platform.
Pakistan’s Anti-terrorism Efforts Complicated by Political Differences
Sri Lanka’s SCO No-show: The Price of Absence
With FM Visit, Germany and India Advance Their Strategic Partnership
The Koreas
Divided Peninsula
Tokyo Report
News From Japan
The Top Priority for Japan’s Next Prime Minister: The Economy
It will be difficult to truly address Japan’s inflation and debt woes given the fragile political environment.
Japan-South Korea Relations: Summit Signals Change in Direction
As Ishiba Steps Down, Japan Will Get Yet Another New Prime Minister
Prince Hisahito and Japan’s Imperial Future
The Debate
Comment and Opinion
Afghanistan: When Disaster Meets Gender Apartheid
Unless the world acts with resolve, every disaster – whether natural or man-made – will continue to claim Afghan women and children first.
No, China’s Isn’t Leading an Anti-West Bloc
China’s Parade of Power
Why Bangladesh’s Soldiers Who Gunned Down Civilians Should Be Tried by Civilian Courts
Crossroads Asia
The New Silk Road
Kloop Trial Underway in Kyrgyzstan: Witnesses, Experts Can’t Find ‘Calls for Mass Unrest’
The case appears to rely on video materials published by an outlet the defendants didn’t work for, which prosecution experts have testified don’t contain direct 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
China-Mongolia-Russia Agreement on Power of Siberia 2 Could Reroute Energy Trade
Trans-Pacific View
U.S. Policy on Asia
Brazil and Mexico Chart Different Courses Amid China-US Tensions
Facing tariff threats from Trump, Brazil’s and Mexico’s responses diverged sharply – a split rooted in their respective relationships with the U.S. and China.
Trump’s Policies Strain South Korea-US Alliance
India-US Relations in the Shadow of American Decline
The US Is Rethinking the India-Pakistan Dynamic
Pacific Money
Economy And Business
Is Vietnam Becoming the New Thailand?
Despite COVID-19 and global trade tensions, Vietnam's exports and current account surplus continue to grow.
Evergrande’s Delisting Exposes China’s Slow Bankruptcy Trap
US Tariffs Turn the Screws on India’s Indigenous Industries
US Policy Shift Complicates South Korean Semiconductor Operations in China
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
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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.