What’s Behind Thailand’s Planned Border Wall With Cambodia?
Thai Defense Minister Phumtham Wechayachai on February 13 raised the idea of building a wall along parts of its border with Cambodia as part of an effort to stop human trafficking. On March 3, the Thai...
View ArticleThe Future of Vietnam’s Strategic and Comprehensive Strategic Partnerships
This week, Vietnam upgraded its relations with Indonesia and Singapore to Comprehensive Strategic Partnerships (CSPs) during Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) chief To Lam’s visits to the two countries....
View ArticleWill Uzbekistan’s 31-Year Effort to Join the WTO Finally Pay Off?
Uzbekistan hopes to finalize its accession to the World Trade Organization in 2026, bringing to a close a 31-year effort that envisions an open, competitive, and resilient economy. Following the WTO’s...
View ArticleAhead of South Korea’s Impeachment Verdict, Partisan Division Is Worsening
Months after South Korea’s President Yoon Suk-yeol’s declaration of martial law in early December 2024, the country is still rocked by the aftershocks of political turmoil and intensifying partisan...
View ArticleDoes Trump’s Public Praise for Pakistan Signal a Change in US Foreign Policy...
On March 4, President Donald Trump delivered a joint address to the U.S. Congress. During his hour-and-a-half-long speech, he recapped his work as the 47th president since beginning his second term on...
View ArticleBeyond a Budget Boost: Modernizing Taiwan’s Defense
In 1938, a year before Nazi Germany invaded Poland, France, and the United Kingdom allocated roughly 25–30 percent of their government expenditures to defense in preparation for war. Once the conflict...
View ArticleBusiness Impact of Geopolitical Risk in the Trump Era
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 ArticlePickers and Clusters: A Complex Array of Issues Confronts Uzbekistan’s...
Although Uzbekistan has effectively eliminated large-scale state-imposed forced labor in the cotton harvest, ongoing government influence over certain aspects of the country’s agricultural industry...
View ArticleMaking Sense of Nepal’s Pro-monarchy Protests
While this month’s pro-monarchy rallies in Nepal have caught international attention, there has always been a level of support for monarchy in this narrow patch of South Asia. The institution was...
View ArticleRebuilding Civil-Military Trust in South Korea
Service in South Korea, whether in the military or government, is regrettably not the time-honored tradition it once was. But declining interest in military service is not just an issue of recruitment...
View ArticleCan Singapore’s Measured Approach Endure in a Tumultuous World?
Singapore has never been known for loud proclamations on the world stage. Its leaders typically favor steady, measured language, guided by a foreign policy steeped in principled and pragmatic...
View ArticlePakistan’s Counterterrorism Capacity Tested as Militants Hijack Train
After nearly two days of battling militants who had hijacked an express train in Balochistan province, the Pakistani military announced on Wednesday night that all terrorists had been killed and the...
View ArticleChina’s Pivot to ‘Small and Beautiful’ Foreign Aid
While the term “small and beautiful” initially emerged in the context of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), it is increasingly reshaping China’s foreign aid agenda. On February 18, 2025, the China...
View ArticleIndia’s Nascent Blue Economy: Structural Constraints and Climate Change...
India’s National Policy on the Blue Economy has been in the making since 2021, when a draft policy was launched. Since then, the government has made periodic claims of nearing the promulgation of a...
View ArticleChina’s Growing Concerns Over India-US Relations
The changing India-U.S. dynamic has been much in the news in China lately. Many Chinese reports have been indulging in a narrative that India is worried about its ties with the United States, with...
View ArticleDetained Philippine Ex-President Admits ‘Responsibility’ For Anti-drug Campaign
Former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has taken full responsibility for his administration’s “war on drugs,” as he prepares to make his first appearance at the International Criminal Court (ICC)....
View ArticleWhy the US Must Push For Meaningful Financial Reform in Singapore
Singapore is often praised for its economic prosperity, political stability, and financial transparency. Yet, beneath this polished image, the country has become a conduit for the global flow of both...
View ArticleWhy India Should Not Delay the Delimitation Exercise
Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government has been seeking to redraw parliamentary constituencies in 2026 to reflect population changes, a process known as delimitation. Delimitation would naturally...
View ArticleAre India-UK Ties on Track to Achieve Vision 2030?
On March 9, Indian Minister of External Affairs S. Jaishankar concluded a 6-day trip to the United Kingdom and Ireland, which was hailed as having injected a “fresh momentum” into the partnership. The...
View ArticleWhat’s Next for Philippine Politics After Duterte’s Arrest
Former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte is now in the custody of the International Criminal Court (ICC), marking a significant step forward in the pursuit of accountability and justice for the...
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