Assessing China-Malaysia Relations
The Diplomat author Mercy Kuo regularly engages subject-matter experts, policy practitioners, and strategic thinkers across the globe for their diverse insights into U.S. Asia policy. This conversation...
View ArticleChina’s Third Plenum Offers Little Hope for a Flagging Economy
The recently concluded Third Plenum of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) 20th Central Committee did not produce any major surprises or unexpected policy shifts. Rather, the conclave was mostly an...
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The Risks of China’s Loans to Uzbekistan
China has spent $105 billion in Central Asia over the past 22 years on development finance, of which Uzbekistan has received $18 billion. Half of this figure consists of loans from the China...
View ArticleA Proposed Law Seeks to Ban Political Dynasties in the Philippines
The clamor against the power of political clans in the Philippines has been revived, after the Supreme Court uploaded a copy of the petition seeking an order to compel Congress to pass a law banning...
View ArticlePhilippine President Announces Ban on Online Gambling Operations
Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has announced a ban on online gambling operations, accusing them of connection to a variety of crimes, including murder, kidnapping, online scams, human...
View ArticleBlinken Set to Visit 4 Southeast Asian Nations on Regional Tour
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken will tomorrow embark on a six-nation tour of Asia that will include visits to four Southeast Asian nations, beginning with a stop in Vietnam to attend the funeral...
View ArticleIs Fuel Subsidy Reform Finally On the Way in Southeast Asia?
Indonesia and Malaysia are two of Southeast Asia’s major oil giants. The 1970s and early 1980s were a boom time in Indonesia thanks, in large part, to high crude oil prices which made the New Order...
View ArticleDecoding Newly Appointed Indian Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri’s Visit to Bhutan
India’s ex-deputy national security advisor (NSA) and newly appointed foreign secretary, Vikram Misri, was on a two-day visit to Bhutan from July 19-20. His visit to Thimphu came on his fourth day in...
View ArticleHan Dong-hoon Elected Leader of South Korea’s Conservatives After Tumultuous...
In South Korea, the ruling conservative People Power Party (PPP) has elected a new leader. Han Dong-hoon, former prosecutor and first justice minister to President Yoon Suk-yeol, has emerged victorious...
View ArticleInterview With Dr. Choi Eunmi: Can the Japan-South Korea Friendship Endure?
The relationship between Japan and South Korea has strengthened in recent years. Since taking office in May 2022, South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol has dedicated considerable efforts to thawing...
View ArticleThe Indian Navy’s Humanitarian Role: Strategic Soft Power in Action
India’s soft power is usually linked with concepts like yoga or Bollywood and, lately, cultural elements such as Indian cuisine and spirituality. One may not imagine that the Indian Navy could...
View ArticleMyanmar Junta Chief Min Aung Hlaing Named Acting President
Myanmar junta chief Senior Gen. Min Aung Hlaing has taken on the role of “acting president” replacing army-appointed Vice President Myint Swe, who has served in the role since the February 2021 coup....
View ArticleThe Vietnamese Communist Strongman’s Contested Legacy
Nguyen Phu Trong, who was elected chief of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) in 2011 and steadily established himself as the top figure in Vietnamese politics, was confident in the CPV’s divine...
View ArticleThailand Will Draft Bill to Regulate Cannabis, Minister Says
Thailand’s government may be backing away from a promise to ban recreational marijuana use, with one minister suggesting that it will instead seek to regulate the booming cannabis industry. Speaking to...
View ArticleThe Most Misunderstood – and Important – Factor in the AI Arms Race
On July 10, 2024, NATO and its Indo-Pacific partners announced four new joint projects, one of which is dedicated to artificial intelligence (AI). This collaboration marks a stronger effort to counter...
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Cultural Unity and Heritage: The Role of FestPAC in the Pacific Islands
Pacific Island nations face significant threats of cultural erosion due to globalization, modernization, and external influences. Traditional practices, art forms, and languages are at risk of...
View ArticleThe ‘Corridorizing’ of Asia: Cooperation, Competition, and Consequences
“Corridor” has become a ubiquitous buzzword in governance and analyst circles. To fully assess the meaning of “corridors” it is appropriate to fashion an outline of a definition. While the corridor...
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Myanmar Is Running Out of Gas. What Happens Next?
Myanmar’s domestic gas production is plummeting. The country’s biggest gas field, called Yadana, is nearing the end of its lifetime. According to Thai energy data, Thai imports of Yadana gas have...
View ArticleThailand to Begin Enrollment for Massive Stimulus Program Next Month
Thailand will next month begin enrollment for its 450 billion baht ($12.5 billion) “digital wallet” stimulus program in a bid to revive the country’s ailing economy, the country’s finance minister...
View ArticleASEAN Must Step-up or Face Irrelevance on the Myanmar Crisis
The situation in Myanmar has drastically intensified in the past year, which has seen significant military victories by the revolutionary coalition involving People’s Defense Forces (PDFs) and ethnic...
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