You are here

TheDiplomat

Subscribe to TheDiplomat feed
The Diplomat is a current-affairs magazine for the Asia-Pacific, with news and analysis on politics, security, business, technology and life across the region.
Updated: 8 hours 42 min ago

New START’s Expiration Is a Win for China

Wed, 04/02/2026 - 15:22
The treaty’s looming end sends a damaging signal about how the United States now views nuclear competition – and China is watching.

The Pandemic Roots of the Sino-Russian ‘No-Limits’ Friendship

Wed, 04/02/2026 - 14:32
Fixation on the “no-limits” formula obscures a more consequential development that occurred at the same time. 

Kazakhstan’s New Draft Constitution: A State-Building Blueprint With External Consequences

Wed, 04/02/2026 - 14:18
The draft Constitution is an elegant blueprint. But what does it promise? And what will audiences, internal and external, read in it?

Japan’s Defense Policy Accelerates as Public Debate Lags Behind

Wed, 04/02/2026 - 14:00
Takaichi looks set to win a major victory – but voters are laser-focused on economic issues, not her desired security reforms.

Balendra Shah: Frontrunner for PM’s Post in Nepal’s Election

Wed, 04/02/2026 - 11:28
The former rapper campaigns in silence. For now, he is winning without speaking. But Nepali elections have a way of demanding answers.

Did Prime Minister Modi Dodge Responsibility During a Crucial Clash With China?

Wed, 04/02/2026 - 10:30
In his unpublished memoir, then-Indian Army Chief Gen. Naravane claims that a key decision on whether or not to fire upon advancing Chinese tanks and troops was left to him to make.

Did Trump Jump the Gun With the US-India Trade Deal Announcement?

Wed, 04/02/2026 - 05:33
India and the U.S. seem to have agreed only on a framework to address the reciprocal tariff agreement. More work lies ahead for a full trade agreement.

Pheu Thai is Banking on Corruption to Remedy Thailand’s Informal Economy

Wed, 04/02/2026 - 00:14
After the collapse of the party's "digital wallet" stimulus plan, voters should not be fooled by its recently announced 1 million-baht election sweepstakes.

Asia’s Tigers Benefit When Scientists Collaborate Beyond Borders 

Tue, 03/02/2026 - 20:09
Asia’s most iconic species makes an ‘improbable return’ in the forests of Russia and China. 

NATO’s Asia-Pacific Engagement Does Not Impress China 

Tue, 03/02/2026 - 17:04
Chinese analysts talk tough but see NATO as divided and European states as lacking hard power – and Trump is making it worse.

An Interview With Tarique Rahman – Likely Bangladesh’s Next Prime Minister

Tue, 03/02/2026 - 16:37
“We will establish the power of the people – this is my commitment,” the BNP leader tells The Diplomat.

Spheres of Influence Are Officially Back – and China Stands to Gain

Tue, 03/02/2026 - 15:57
We are seeing the return of overt geopolitics: a style of major power politics that does not bother to hide behind international law or multilateral norms. That’s good news for China – and bad news for Taiwan.

Rifts Deepen Between South Korea’s President and Ruling Party

Tue, 03/02/2026 - 15:08
President Lee Jae-myung criticized the DP for slowrolling his agenda, and pro-Lee supporters’ anger toward party leader Jung Cheong-rae has snowballed.

The Economics of Biodiversity Loss: Implications for Asia and the Pacific

Tue, 03/02/2026 - 14:46
Nature provides essential inputs to the economy through ecosystem services. In Asia and the Pacific, accelerating biodiversity loss is eroding these services, increasing vulnerability to shocks, and creating new risks for investors and governments.

Central Asians Persecuted at Home, Unwelcome in the EU

Tue, 03/02/2026 - 14:35
European governments present themselves as global defenders of human rights. Yet for many dissidents fleeing repression in Central Asia, Europe has become not a refuge, but another link in the chain of persecution.

Taiwan Just Cut a Trade Deal With the US. Is that Good or Bad News?

Tue, 03/02/2026 - 14:01
The murky trade deal – like all aspects of Taiwan-U.S. relations – has become a battleground issue between the pan-Green and pan-Blue camps.

How Political Patronage and Official Apathy Led to Encroachment of Government Land in India’s Border State of Assam

Tue, 03/02/2026 - 11:40
Encroachers belong to different communities, including local groups in some instances, but many are Muslim immigrants from erstwhile East Pakistan and Bangladesh.

Indonesia’s Stock Market Sell-Off, Explained

Tue, 03/02/2026 - 06:18
Last week, the IHSG Composite Index plunged by 8 percent, wiping out an estimated $80 billion in market value.

Political Activists File Fresh Impeachment Complaints Against Philippine Vice President

Tue, 03/02/2026 - 02:46
After surviving an impeachment attempt last year, Sara Duterte has once again been accused of corruption and betraying the public's trust.

Timor-Leste Opens Legal Proceedings Against Myanmar’s Military Junta

Tue, 03/02/2026 - 01:04
A human rights group representing the Chin ethnic minority last month submitted a legal complaint in Dili accusing the military of a litany of abuses.

Pages