Most Read
Why Are Taiwanese Youth Protesting Against Legislative Reform?
Many young Taiwanese voted for the third-party TPP, but now are opposed to its efforts to push through a new reform package.
Why US Semiconductor Export Controls Backfire
And how Washington can save its 21st century economic security strategy.
What’s Behind the Deadly Riots in New Caledonia?
The violent unrest in New Caledonia is alarming. Sadly, the island territory is no stranger to violence.
Magazine
The China-Pakistan-Afghanistan Triangle
The dynamics of this trilateral relationship will shape the future trajectory of Afghanistan and its broader implications for regional stability and prosperity.
Tandem Rule in Kyrgyzstan: The Pursuit of Money and Power
The Japarov-Tashiev tandem has sunk real roots into Kyrgyzstan’s society, and those roots are deeper and stronger than they might seem on the surface.
Thailand’s Grand Reconciliation: The Shinawatras and the Establishment
The rift between Thaksin and the establishment finally appears to have been resolved. This compromise not only fails to address any of Thailand’s past mistakes, but it actually repeats them.
Darcie Draudt-Véjares on South Korea’s Post-Election Politics
Economics doomed the PPP’s legislative chances. What now for President Yoon Suk-yeol?
Blogs
China Power
A New World Order
How a Primary Election Led to Hong Kong’s Biggest National Security Case
In 2021, 47 pro-democracy activists were charged under the Beijing-imposed national security law for their involvement in an unofficial primary election. The first verdicts are due this week.
Contrary to Popular Belief, the Putin-Xi Summit Was Not About Ukraine
Despite Protests, Taiwan’s KMT, TPP Pass Controversial Bills to Expand Legislative Powers
Xi’s Rare Symposium With Business Leaders Hints at Third Plenum Agenda
Flashpoints
Diplomacy by Other Means
Asia Defense
Militaries of the Asia-Pacific
Why Japan Is Lagging Behind in Cyber Defense Capabilities
To introduce active cyber defenses, Tokyo will need to overhaul its bureaucracy and legal framework.
With Military Drills, Info Ops, China Steps up Gray Zone Pressure on Taiwan’s New Government
Russian Fighter Deal Reflects Indonesia’s Goal of a ‘Sanctions-Proof’ Economy
South Korea’s Competitive Advantages as a Global Military Supplier
ASEAN Beat
Insights Into Half a Billion
Philippines Vows to Protect Filipino Fishermen Amid Chinese Fishing Ban
The annual ban comes at a time of growing tension between Beijing and Manila in the South China Sea.
Former Thai PM Thaksin to be Charged With Royal Defamation
How Timorese Women Perceive the Election of Prabowo Subianto in Indonesia
Asian Synthetic Drug Production Continued to Grow in 2023, UN Says
The Pulse
Perspectives on South Asia
Narendra Modi’s Decade Without Press Conferences
In the ten years he has been India’s prime minister Modi has faced only one press conference – in 2019, when he let his colleague Amit Shah answer all the questions.
Pakistan Plans to Regulate Social Media Through Legislation
What Drives People From ‘Booming’ Bangladesh to Migrate?
How India’s Politics Is Reshaping International Cricket
The Koreas
Divided Peninsula
North Korea Flies Trash Balloons Over the South as Kim Jong Un Doubles Down on Satellite Ambitions
The balloons, laden with trash and manure, were characterized by North Korean officials as a response to South Korean leafleting campaigns.
South Korea Is Spiraling Toward a Polarized Justice System
Will Frozen China-South Korea Relations Thaw as Seoul Hosts Upcoming Trilateral Summit?
South Korean Court Rejects Effort to Block Plan That Would Boost Medical School Admissions
Tokyo Report
News From Japan
Japan’s Slush Fund Scandal Intensifies in Diet Discussions
Political parties clashed over political fundraising reform as lawmakers deliberate on proposals for varying levels of transparency and punishment.
Osaka Will Host the 2025 World Expo. Can Japan Pull It Off?
Can Japan Boost Its Foreign Students Count to 400,000?
Decoding Japan Foreign Minister Kamikawa’s Tour of Africa, Europe, and South Asia
The Debate
Comment and Opinion
Smoke, Mirrors, and Spin: Deception in the Struggle for Taiwan’s Legislative Reform
The KMT-TPP backed legislation to expand Legislative Yuan powers is not as nefarious as it has been made out to be.
Navigating the Afghanistan Conundrum by Engaging With Afghanistan’s Next Generation
Events in Myawaddy Prove That a Change in Thai Foreign Policy is Needed
Taiwan’s Democracy in Crisis: Next Steps and Their Importance for the World
Crossroads Asia
The New Silk Road
Uzbekistan, Russia to Start Construction of Small Nuclear Power Plants
Nuclear power cooperation between Uzbekistan and Russia appears to be back on track, albeit at a more limited scale than previously anticipated.
A Trojan Horse? The New Kazakh Gambling Legislation Needs a Closer Look
State Projects and Proxies: All the President’s Men in Kyrgyzstan
Anti-Migrant Protests Expose Problems in Kyrgyzstan’s Evolving Migration Landscape
Trans-Pacific View
U.S. Policy on Asia
The Bipartisan Clash Over US Electric Vehicle Policy
The Biden administration’s strategy to compete with China’s dominance hasn’t won buy-in from Republicans, who are skeptical about the entire industry.
Why US Semiconductor Export Controls Backfire
The Luzon Economic Corridor: A Badly-Needed Win For the US in Southeast Asia?
No China-US Trade War This Year, But Uncertainty Ahead in 2025
Pacific Money
Economy And Business
Malaysia Unveils Plans to Become Next Global Chip Hub
Anwar Ibrahim has pitched Malaysia to foreign chipmakers as "the most neutral and non-aligned location for semiconductor production."
Semiconductor Agreement at Japan-US Summit
Did Illegal Tin Mines Really Steal $26 Billion From the Indonesian State?
New Energy Competition: It’s Politics First for Both US and China
Oceania
The South Pacific
France’s Faux Pacific Power: The Colonial Reality in New Caledonia
In terms of France’s broader Indo-Pacific engagement, the strategic implications of the New Caledonia uprising are profound both for Paris and its Western-aligned allies.
Fears Rise of a Second Landslide and Disease Outbreak at Site of Papua New Guinea Disaster
Over 100 Feared Dead in Landslide in Remote Part of Papua New Guinea
In Riot-Stricken New Caledonia, French President Says He Won’t Rush Through Voting Reforms
Videos
Asia on Video
What’s Driving Taiwan’s Mass Protests?
Chiang Min-yen, a non-resident fellow at the Taiwan Economic Democracy Union, joins The Diplomat to discuss the concerns over the bill, the China factor, and what comes next.
What’s Behind Vietnam’s Political Upheaval?
The Danger of China’s Digital Silk Road
What Will China’s Shift From Oil Mean for Saudi Arabia and Russia?
Podcasts
Asia Geopolitics
Photo Essays
Asia in Pictures
New Delhi’s Quiet Student Solidarity With Palestine
Full-fledged protests in India’s capital were quickly muffled, so students have resorted to quieter means of dissent.