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A Message to China from Japan’s Takaichi Administration

Can Japan ‘normalize’ relations?

yesterday 10

The Diplomat

Kawashima Shin

US Unpredictability Is Giving Its Asian Allies New Reasons to Cooperate

Across the Indo-Pacific, several of the United States’ closest partners are investing more heavily in relationships with one another – and,...

previous day 2

The Diplomat

Donggak Heo

Human Rights Are Essential to Australia’s Interests

Governments such as Australia’s need to recognize that defending civil society and a free press throughout the region and beyond are not luxuries...

previous day 2

The Diplomat

Philippe Bolopion

How the Chinese Government Has Controlled the Narrative on the Tibet Floods

Chinese state media’s handling of the Tibet floods is following its usual pattern of restricted coverage, censorship, and emphasizing positive news.

previous day 2

The Diplomat

Wanning Sun

In Cambodia, Floating Houses Are Stuck Aground as Climate Change Takes Hold

Researchers are seeing a change in Cambodian weather patterns as climate change takes hold across the region.

previous day 3

The Diplomat

Phoung Vantha

The Real Key to the AI Race: Nanometers or Gigawatts?

By 2030, the China-U.S. AI competition may be decided less by who builds the most advanced chips than by who deploys the most computing power.

previous day 4

The Diplomat

Bruno S. Sergi And Kevin Chen

Why Australian Politics Is Shifting Right, Not Left

The prevalence of nationalism, authoritarianism, and populism explains the rise of far-right politics in Australia.

previous day 2

The Diplomat

Ibolya Losoncz

Indonesia’s Emerging China Dependencies

Is this the beginning of the end of Jakarta’s truly “free and active” foreign policy?

previous day 2

The Diplomat

Faqih Addien Al Haq And Liam Mullett

Nepal’s Floods Upset Its China-India Balancing Act

Trade infrastructure was swept away. Nepal’s trade with China, which was already limited, will be further restricted after the August 26 floods.

previous day 3

The Diplomat

Biswas Baral

Public Scrutiny Really Does Help the Unjustly Detained

Concerned citizens and civil society groups working in tandem can help free the unjustly imprisoned. But the work is far from finished.

previous day 2

The Diplomat

Mandeep Tiwana And Susan Marx

Humanoid Robots and China’s Vision of the Future

China’s humanoid robots are more than a showcase of state ambition. They reveal how differently we interpret visions of the technological future...

previous day 2

The Diplomat

Leonie Spangenberg

Indonesia’s President Pitches His Country as Russia’s ‘Gateway’ to Southeast Asia

Speaking at the Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok, Prabowo Subianto described his country as “a natural entry point to ASEAN" for investors.

previous day 10

The Diplomat

Sebastian Strangio

Escaping the Escalation Trap in the Thailand-Cambodia Maritime Dispute

Compulsory conciliation under UNCLOS could help both sides insulate sensitive negotiations from domestic political pressure.

previous day 9

The Diplomat

William J. Jones

Japan’s FOIP 3.0: Is Pragmatism That Delivers Resilience Enough?

Japan’s updated vision is sharper and more self-interested.

previous day 7

The Diplomat

Oba Mie

Vietnam Sentences 11 to Death in Country’s Largest Ever Drug Trafficking Case

The case dates back to March 2023, when four flight attendants were ‌caught carrying narcotics hidden in toothpaste tubes on a flight from Paris to...

previous day 10

The Diplomat

Sebastian Strangio

Securing Navigation for Trans-Caspian Trade

Since 2022, but particularly in 2026, hard maritime security issues on the Caspian Sea have started moving to the forefront.

previous day 9

The Diplomat

Cornell Overfield And Elizabeth Wishnick

The Climate Crisis Is Stretching the Nepali Military Beyond Its Limits

The question here is not whether the military should be involved in disaster response, but how the military itself is responding, adapting, and...

thursday 2

The Diplomat

Tek Raj Koirala

The Japan-Thailand Relationship: Light and Shadow

The benefits and vulnerabilities of deepening interdependence

thursday 2

The Diplomat

Aoki-Okabe Maki

K-Beauty’s Brazil Push Signals a New Type of Korean Diplomacy

As strange as it sounds, the Korean beauty industry is playing an increasingly important role in Seoul’s foreign policy calculus.

thursday 2

The Diplomat

Nicole Choi

Security Is the Key to Resolving the Thai-Cambodia Border Conflict

“The first step is security: uphold the ceasefire, reduce military risks, clear mines, strengthen law enforcement, and cooperate against criminal...

thursday 2

The Diplomat

Sihasak Phuangketkeow

Central Asia’s Energy Transition Depends on Water Security

A more integrated and flexible power system could give Central Asian states greater room to manage drought, hydropower volatility, and competing...

thursday 2

The Diplomat

Kamila Fayzieva

US Allies in Asia Are Paying for the Iran Stalemate

The U.S. administration lacks the willingness to confront China and Russia over their assistance to Iran, and Asian allies are paying the price.

thursday 2

The Diplomat

Alexandru Filip

The Meaning Behind Pakistan’s First Lunar Rover

The Jinnah 1 mission signals increased cooperation with China and takes Pakistan’s rivalry with India to new heights – literally.

thursday 4

The Diplomat

Usman Haider And Abdul Moiz Khan

Ezra Jin Is Free, But There Are More Pastors in China Behind Bars

“I respectfully ask the international community to stand with me – to fight for the freedom of Pastor Gao Quanfu, Pang Yu, and all peaceful...

thursday 2

The Diplomat

Gao Pu

Australia’s Broken Hill: Where Children Are Sacrificed to Mining Interests

A historical mining town in Australia’s outback is confronting severe lead-contamination health threats, disproportionately affecting Aboriginal...

thursday 3

The Diplomat

Antonio Castillo

Japan’s Electricity Shock Is a Contract Problem

It’s not a matter of counting suppliers.

thursday 2

The Diplomat

Richard Dickenson

US Aircraft Carrier Arrives in Thailand After Record 286-day Deployment

The vessel's arrival has shone a light on Pattaya's sex industry, which established itself as a rest and recreation destination for U.S. personnel...

thursday 10

The Diplomat

Sebastian Strangio

UNHCR Says It Is Not Involved in Malaysia’s Planned Repatriation of Refugees to Myanmar

Rights groups say that the 1,476 Myanmar nationals are at high risk of torture, mistreatment, and forced conscription on their return.

thursday 10

The Diplomat

Sebastian Strangio

Mohan Malik on Trump, Asia, and the Legacy of the Global War on Terror

The veteran strategist and security analyst joins Beyond The Mekong to discuss the region's ongoing security challenges.

thursday 10

The Diplomat

Luke Hunt

‘We Are Horrified’: Academic Freedom at Risk With Uzbek Professor’s Arrest in Kazakhstan

Dr. Ikboljon Qoraboyev's arrest on espionage charges has sent shockwaves through Kazakhstan’s increasingly internationalized academic sector.

thursday 10

The Diplomat

Catherine Putz

Latin America’s China Dilemma: Lessons From Peru and Colombia’s Presidential Elections

Pro-American candidates are winning elections, but deep economic ties with China will continue to constrain any significant strategic realignment.

02.09.2026 2

The Diplomat

Alonso Illueca

Hans van de Ven on World War II and the Making of Modern Asia

“The Asian theater was never just about defeating Japan – it was also about dismantling European imperialism and creating new national futures.”

02.09.2026 2

The Diplomat

Catherine Putz

The US Arms Bottleneck Is Impacting Its East Asian Allies

Taiwan's Patriot missiles, and Japan's Tomahawks are competing in the same queue as Ukraine and the Iran replenishment. But there are solutions.

02.09.2026 3

The Diplomat

Jonathan Walberg

The Lasting Economic Damage From the China-Nepal Flood

Beyond the immediate devastation, the abrupt closure of the China-Nepal trade corridor – again – will reshape the local economy for years to come.

02.09.2026 5

The Diplomat

Jayash Paudel

China’s Global Strategy Under Xi Jinping

Insights from Steve Tsang.

02.09.2026 8

The Diplomat

Mercy A. Kuo

Why Pakistan Is Shrugging Off Trump’s Latest Iran Sanctions

A Pakistani statement signals to Tehran that Islamabad will not undermine a relationship or existing trade ties that have long faced pressure from...

02.09.2026 7

The Diplomat

Umair Jamal

Balancing China and Russia: India’s Tightrope Walk at BRICS

New Delhi aims to keep BRICS relevant to the Global South while preventing its transformation into a Chinese bandwagon or an explicitly anti-Western...

02.09.2026 5

The Diplomat

Shanthie Mariet D’souza

Land Seizures in the Name of Development in Vietnam

More and more Vietnamese are being forcibly displaced to make way for development. Many are reluctant to speak out, because “between a victim and a...

02.09.2026 5

The Diplomat

Christelle Nguyen

Prioritizing Social Stability Over Democratic Reforms: Uzbekistan Announces New Development Programs

Uzbekistan’s new national development programs prioritize socio-economic developments over democratic reforms.

02.09.2026 6

The Diplomat

Aziz Adilov

From Partnership to Penalty: US Tariffs Shadow India Trade Deal

The promise of deeper economic cooperation is undermined by punitive measures that could torpedo the India-U.S. pact even before it is signed.

02.09.2026 4

The Diplomat

Biswajit Dhar

Mongolia’s President at the SCO Summit

For Mongolia, the highlights were the bilateral meetings held on the sidelines with Kyrgyzstan, China, and Russia.

02.09.2026 7

The Diplomat

Bolor Lkhaajav

US Drugmakers Are Dependent on Chinese Supply Chains

Analysts warn a disruption in Chinese sources of common antibiotics or blood thinners could leave American patients with no reliable alternative.

02.09.2026 5

The Diplomat

Mitch Shin

The Limbang Question Lingers On

The territory's curious status is the result of an unresolved border dispute between Malaysia and Brunei that dates back to the British colonial era.

02.09.2026 5

The Diplomat

Asif Ullah Khan

To Secure the Natuna Sea, Indonesia Needs More Than New Ships

Maritime security is one of Indonesia’s most demanding defense domains. And at its current stage, Indonesia needs significant help.

01.09.2026 6

The Diplomat

Aurelia Leowinata

As the World Nomad Games Come Home, Japarov Expands Kyrgyzstan’s National Story

The opening of the games coincided with Kyrgyzstan's 35th independence anniversary and a major Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit.

01.09.2026 4

The Diplomat

Oliver Fisk

India, China Take Small Step Forward Toward Border Settlement

At the recent special representatives talks in Beijing, the two sides agreed to work on identifying less contentious sections of their disputed...

01.09.2026 7

The Diplomat

Elizabeth Roche

Despite Delays, China Could Gain Ground in the Space Race

While the U.S. still holds considerable advantages gained through its earlier lunar explorations, China’s planned mission could provide it with a...

01.09.2026 6

The Diplomat

Rajeswari Pillai Rajagopalan

Ethanol Issue Has Entered Indian Kitchens, Impacting Household Budgets

What began as an energy policy to reduce crude imports has travelled through the agricultural supply chain and ended up on the dinner table.

01.09.2026 5

The Diplomat

Asif Ullah Khan

Taiwan Finally Passed Its 2026 Budget. What Got Cut?

The budget was passed almost 9 months late, amid growing concern that defense spending was being held up – especially funding for drones.

01.09.2026 8

The Diplomat

Brian Hioe