Asia

The maritime insurance industry sees little elevated risk from China’s exercises.

Afghanistan’s extremist rulers are cracking down on minorities, especially Shiites, as hard as they have on women.

Military exercises have stiffened Japanese resolve.

Yoon Suk-yeol simply isn’t up to international diplomacy.

Ignoring what everyone else thinks is part of the junta’s mindset.

Analysts have been keen to make comparisons to tensions in 1996.

Rising prices, food insecurity, and a growing debt burden make Islamabad’s other challenges all the more pressing.

The U.S. drone strike exposes the regime’s terrorist ties and further dims its prospects for international legitimacy.

The international community has a part to play in ending its culture of impunity.

Impressive as the operation to kill Ayman al-Zawahiri was, it doesn’t obviate the terrorism threat from Afghanistan.

Many on social media expressed anger that the government hadn’t followed through on its fiery rhetoric.

Oil and gas are a critical economic lifeline for Myanmar’s military junta.

A new report exposes the regime’s shocking brutality.

Years of propaganda have given Pakistanis an unrealistic understanding of what ails their country.

Pelosi’s visit is another spur for Beijing’s disinformation campaign.

“Justice has been delivered, and this terrorist leader is no more,” Biden says.

He inherited the leadership of al Qaeda when U.S. forces killed Osama bin Laden but lacked his predecessor’s charisma.

The U.S. House speaker puts both Washington and Beijing in a bind.

Beijing is desperate to avoid being trapped in Kabul’s politics.

The Tagalog word eludes Western concepts of gender and sexuality—and offers a window into LGBTQ+ Filipinos’ quest for acceptance.

The controversy over Nancy Pelosi’s proposed trip highlights the contradictions of U.S. policy toward the island.

Damned if she goes, damned if she doesn’t.

Uzbekistan hosts two major summits this week with consequences for neighboring South Asia, particularly Afghanistan.

A new Amnesty report lays out the Taliban playbook for erasing half the population: electrocutions, beatings, detentions, and disappearances.

If the U.S. wants to compete with China in developing countries, our research shows it needs to offer tangible assistance in response to real needs.

The House speaker’s visit is a grand gesture, but it shouldn’t be seen as a show of strength.

A risky trip seems more about dramatic gestures than actual help.

A three-day conference in Uzbekistan has united the region, worried about the guerrillas in their midst.

The Filipino American journalist and Nobel laureate explains what it’s like to be a government target—and how to safeguard a free press.

Former Prime Minister Imran Khan’s party won a surprise victory in a by-election in the country’s biggest province.

But the United States is leery of giving the Taliban access to billions in cash.

FP’s columnist on a harrowing return to Kabul, almost one year after the United States left Afghanistan.

“We managed to survive the pandemic, but this is worse.”

Even as he pushed for closer U.S. ties, Japan’s former prime minister clung to his belief in the legitimacy of Japanese conquest.

Hassib Habibi carries his convictions as easily as his AK-47. Now he has to resuscitate the Afghan economy.

But the Pacific Islands are loath to be pawns in a geopolitical game.

At the I2U2’s first summit, India, Israel, the UAE, and the U.S. are in the mood for cooperation.

Seoul aims to become one of the world’s top arms exporters.

U.S. elites were happy to overlook the late Japanese prime minister’s historical revisionism.

The food crisis is hitting the country’s most vulnerable the hardest.

Beijing’s investments in the island look shaky after protests topple the government.

Investments Indian and Russian public sector companies have made in each other’s oil sectors have created an umbilical cord between their energy industries.

The proximate cause for the protests is inflation, but the roots are in Sinhalese Buddhist nationalism.

A surprisingly precious resource is another front in gray zone warfare.

Abe’s killing may have boosted an already strong LDP vote.

The Taliban are strip-mining their mineral wealth to fund factional power grabs.

And made Tokyo a major player across the Indo-Pacific.

The success of productions such as “Squid Game” and “Parasite” prove the industry can hold its own without excessive protectionism.

The assassinated former prime minister leaves behind a complex legacy.

Washington mourns the man who made Japan a real security ally in the Indo-Pacific.

Abe killing shocks one of the world’s safest countries.

A flood of arms, including many from former Afghan soldiers, threatens to spark more violence.

The government’s crackdown on dissent puts it on a collision course with Big Tech.

Both maximalist and minimalist strategies have utterly failed.

What the kidnapping and trial of a former billionaire tell us about China’s ultrawealthy.

Violent protests over proposed changes to its status have swept the autonomous region of Karakalpakstan.

The battle for cash pits the Kabul extremists against Hazara locals.

With the Taliban at loggerheads and Afghanistan in chaos, one politician has a plan to stave off civil war.

Prodded by Washington, Seoul and Tokyo are taking steps to overcome deep historical tensions.

Seoul and Washington have pledged they’re ready to talk with a nuclear-testing North Korea—but they’re not getting any response.

The Agnipath plan has triggered protests among potential soldiers and criticism from veterans, but it’s not likely to dent Modi’s government.

The recent LGBTQ film tries to give life to the complications of queer desire. It falters.

Is it a genuine push toward a cleaner—and safer—nation?

The Taliban can’t govern in normal times, let alone disaster response.

A flurry of moves is positioning Tokyo at the center of anti-China alliances.

An internal United Nations report details escalating Taliban violations of human rights—and little U.N. leverage.

It’s not about democracy. It’s about power.

New Delhi makes a fairly safe gamble by supporting the group—without putting itself at odds with the West.

Stare, and the abyss stares back into you.

While American mothers can’t find enough formula, a new WHO report details why parents are getting too much in other parts of the world.

Worryingly, Washington’s concern does not rise to the level of the danger.

Thousands of Afghans who worked with the United States need a route out.

One of the United States’ oldest security partners in Asia is increasingly marching to Beijing’s music.

Many long-standing leaders are aging, raising questions about the longevity of the region’s political dynasties.

Cambodia’s prime minister has outmaneuvered political opponents and groomed his oldest son for power, but does he know when to walk away?

It’s time to consider what’s never been tried before.

The regional capos who broke Afghanistan once before are angling to contest control of the country with the current Taliban rulers.

Two years after a deadly border clash, New Delhi appears wary of Beijing but unwilling to partner with Washington. These contradictions leave it open to exploitation.

Naval power projection is a long way out for Beijing still.

Americans need to recognize their own ugly history in Southeast Asia.

Offensive remarks about Islam by ruling party leaders have consequences for New Delhi in Persian Gulf states.

Afghanistan’s new rulers are looting the past—again.

Mistrust and disagreements over privacy have impeded a partnership that could transform the global digital economy.

The Biden administration shut down a touchpoint for thousands of refugees from Afghanistan—and left its diplomats in agonizing limbo.

India, now courted by all sides, is the clear beneficiary of Russia’s war.

A planned visit by Nepal’s prime minister to Washington reflects expanding engagement in the region.

As Pyongyang claims success, the World Health Organization raises serious doubts.

A distracted international community hasn’t been watching.

Afghans rue the return of the Taliban. So does Pakistan, as al Qaeda-linked militants run rampant.

The Taliban are diplomatically feted even as they destroy women’s rights.

Critical routes will be finished by the end of 2022.

“Paper City” explores the forgotten firebombing of Japan’s capital.

The Taliban takeover of Afghanistan has put 9/11’s planners back in the terror cockpit.

The U.S. president’s surprise statement could deter China—or increase the risk of war.

At a leaders’ meeting in Tokyo, the group widened its strategic focus to include the Indian Ocean region.

To solve a global economic unwinding, the world must learn to focus on more than one crisis at a time.

“China ultimately respects strength and is contemptuous of weakness,” the former Australian prime minister said.

The new Yoon administration will stick to the same line Seoul always follows.

With protesters crushed and memorials removed, there’s no room for campus dissent.

Decades of Western support for dictators have caused a crisis of democracy.

The decision recalls New Delhi’s COVID-19 vaccine export ban last year, with some key differences.

China’s expansion into the South Pacific caught Australia and the United States off guard.

In New Delhi, the BJP-controlled local government razes a market run by Muslim women.

Despite two months of anti-government protests, Gotabaya Rajapaksa doesn’t seem like a leader preparing to relinquish power.

The Taliban didn’t have to take over. But Washington made sure they would.

Beijing has long lived with U.S. alliances in Asia, but a realigned India would change the game.

As COVID-19 sweeps through the country, outside help is desperately needed.

Whether it’s Iran, China, Cuba, or immigration, U.S. President Joe Biden often finds himself stymied by his predecessor’s foreign policy.

The turmoil driving unrest in Colombo and beyond has roots in the economic missteps of the last 20 years.

But without unity, arms, or a safe haven, it’s an uphill fight against the Islamists in Kabul.

Two wealthy men with opposing political views are riding a wave of discontent with the major parties.

What do the two superpowers have in common as they woo the region? Flawed strategies.

Monday’s victor intends to defend sovereignty against China and prioritize the U.S. alliance.

The war in Ukraine is prompting countries from Kazakhstan to Moldova to reexamine their colonial past and seek diplomatic allies beyond the Kremlin.

There’s no need to empower hard-liners by a potentially provocative upgrade.

Hunger and poverty stalk the nation, but the Islamists want to disappear women from public life.

Hindu nationalist ideologues in New Delhi are flirting with a dangerous revisionist history of South Asia.

The Indian prime minister’s trip to Europe this week shows there is still room for deepening ties with the West.

Since the Taliban takeover last August, members of the Afghan LGBTQ community have faced electrocution, torture, killings, and fear.

As the World Health Organization seeks to revise global figures, politics in New Delhi stand in the way.

Beijing could profit handsomely from Afghan resources and exports, but new ventures risk exposing Chinese nationals to violence.

A complicated conflict was reduced to an easy narrative of riots and chaos.

Trauma and fears of espionage run deep in Pyongyang.

The return of major conflict is leading Asian countries to boost their militaries.

A deliberately ambiguous refugee policy allows the government to deny shelter to Muslims fleeing persecution.

The extreme weather in India and Pakistan is a sign of what’s to come for climate-vulnerable countries.

Crony capitalism, protectionism, and corruption have caused havoc—uniting various ethnic groups, including Sinhalese Buddhists, in protest against the regime.

Lowering the threshold for usage makes conflict even more likely.

Hard-line approaches to North Korea keep backfiring.

Demonstrators have already made an impact but lack a unified agenda—and face a state notorious for crushing dissent.

U.S. security cooperation is a more powerful demonstration of commitment than any declaration of intent.

Prime Minister Imran Khan’s ouster goes down as a failure for the generals’ intervention in domestic politics.

After decades of fighting deflation, global price rises are causing political worries.

A Marcos might soon be back in power in Manila. That’s because political dynasties are more powerful than parties.

“The first living being to know that I am a gay was my pet parakeet.”

Investing in global health security can provide critical insurance against disaster.

The Taliban’s jihadi friends are back to threaten global security.

Khan’s nationalist politics have already polarized Pakistan. Now he’s emerged as an even more dangerous loser.

As the brothers helming the government struggle with a spiraling economic crisis, they still have legislators and generals behind them—for now.

In the absence of Western support, their lives are in danger as they struggle to flee. 

Russian mistakes offer some warnings for Beijing’s ambitions.

The invasion of Ukraine is offering useful lessons for the PLA.

As New Delhi avoids condemning Moscow’s war, Washington has hardened its rhetoric.

A low-cost program designed to promote economic development has shut out two key partners in Asia.

But internal divisions and the Taliban get a vote, too.

The world’s largest democracy is under pressure to join the West in sanctioning Moscow. But New Delhi wants to keep its options open.

Faced with a no-confidence vote, Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan accused Washington of meddling—reflecting long-standing mistrust.

Beijing’s strategic initiatives on the subcontinent are sputtering.

Russia’s war in Ukraine has shown the “shrimp among whales” that hedging is no longer a viable foreign policy.

With Beijing and Moscow working so closely together, countries find it risky to support the West on Ukraine.

Promised changes after January’s chaos are unpromising so far.

What military planners learn when they simulate a Chinese attack.

Upstream dams are destroying the Mekong Basin.

The knock-on effects of Russia’s war on Ukraine are hammering wheat-dependent countries such as Afghanistan.

Amid Taliban crackdowns, the country continues to be locked out of billions of dollars in crucial international funds, with little resolution in sight.

Multilateral talks in China this week shied from recognizing the Taliban, but Beijing is still playing ball.

Draconian steps on girls’ education and press freedom are taking Afghanistan back to the 1990s.

Afghanistan’s narcotics trade is booming under fresh leadership.

Africa and Asia’s long-standing ties to Russia and resentments against Washington keep them on the fence—for now.

From cheap Russian oil to sudden overtures from China, India’s neutral stance on Ukraine has many benefits.

The sudden about-face could undercut the Taliban’s hopes for international recognition.

The Japanese film is up for an Academy Award at this year’s Oscars.

Political instability looms as the opposition brings a no-confidence vote against the prime minister.

Ruling party defectors could doom the Pakistani prime minister in a no-confidence vote.

Rohingya activists and human rights defenders plead for more action against Myanmar’s military junta government.

The Taliban are using detentions, repression, censorship, and killings to tighten their grip on power.

What today’s India can learn from the foreigners who once fought for its cause.

Surviving in the impossible city is still worth the price.

Yoon Suk-yeol’s victory tightens the alliance with Washington.

India and Pakistan narrowly averted a security crisis while the world wasn’t looking, highlighting the risks of escalation in the region.

Until the Tokayev regime shows remorse for its brutal crackdown, the country’s reforms won’t bring progress.

With a rare reelection in India’s most populous state, Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s party may have found its winning formula.

Afghan diplomats wanted to keep the flag raised but were running out of cash.

Persecuted Chinese Christians deserve asylum from Seoul.

Devastating floods have yet again revealed the country is at the sharp end of climate change.

Five years after Park Geun-hye’s expulsion, a narrow win for the Korean right.

As net importers, the region’s countries are particularly vulnerable to shocks from sanctions against Russia.

A recent sale to the Philippines is a major win, but India faces obstacles to its big ambitions.

Central Asia is about to receive its first dynastic family.

In one of the worst places to be a woman, politicians are doubling down.

With elections close, a rising country considers its place in the world.

A nationwide experiment is abandoned after producing only misery.

The ruling party is expected to win, but its future is also on the ballot in India’s most populous state.

New Delhi’s fence-sitting no longer serves its diplomatic or security interests.

Chandrashekhar Azad has rebranded his marginalized caste identity as something to be proud of.

Manzoor Pashteen is a rising political star willing to speak out on taboo subjects.

Tokyo is moving slower than Europe but is ready to act.

Afghanistan’s new government is imposing discriminatory restrictions on the health care system.

“People don’t trust us yet, but we’re working on it,” one Taliban commander said.

Western support for endangered democracies can only go so far.

The army and the powerful Inter-Services Intelligence agency want to eradicate any criticism.

The new U.S. Indo-Pacific Strategy shows the White House is keeping its focus on the region even as it grapples with Russian aggression in Ukraine.

Putin’s invasion puts some countries in a diplomatic and economic bind.

A successful strategy to counter Beijing’s influence is falling prey to politics.

A warming relationship adds a new twist to South Asian geopolitics.

After 20 years of supporting the Taliban in Afghanistan, Pakistan finds the tables are turning as militancy comes home.

Armed groups in Chin state are outgunned and underfunded, but they are defiantly standing their ground against the junta.

The Ukraine crisis should refocus thinking on China’s threats.

The reserves belong to the Afghan people, not the United States or the Taliban.

The impact of a zero-tolerance COVID-19 policy goes beyond rotting fruits.