Headlines

Hard and psychological power shown in South China Sea exercise

In the Balikatan military exercise, taking place in the Philippines, troops from the Philippines, US, Japan, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, and France have been getting real combat training – and a lot of it. It’s conducted with China in mind – even if nobody will say so.

Asia

Designed to hurt Asia, Trump’s tariffs did the opposite

When the Trump administration announced sweeping tariffs on Asian economies on April 2, 2025, the political framing was simple. The tariffs would punish Asian exporters, shrink the US trade deficit and force capital home. Asia was cast as the vulnerable party in a contest the

Asia

What's at stake at the Trump-Xi summit

BEIJING, May 7 - U.S. President Donald Trump is scheduled to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping during his visit to Beijing next week, as both countries seek to stabilise a relationship strained by tensions over trade, Taiwan and the Iran war.

Asia

Hormuz crisis heats up Asia’s Arctic scramble

The Strait of Hormuz crisis will be remembered for many things, but its most consequential legacy may be one that has barely entered the public debate. It has accelerated Asia’s geographic pivot away from the Middle East and toward a region most Asian capitals have until now

Asia

Crunch time for Japan-Russia as energy and security collide

An oil tanker from the Sakhalin-2 oil and gas extraction project arrived at Taiyo Oil’s refinery at Imabari, Ehime Prefecture, on May 5, signaling that Japan’s efforts to diversify away from the Persian Gulf have gone as far as to include some improvement in relations with

Asia

Why the world needs a China Shock 2.0

The global economic discourse in this spring of 2026 is dominated by a single, apprehensive phrase: China Shock 2.0. From the halls of the European Commission to the campaign trails in the United States, the narrative is remarkably consistent. It suggests that a second wave of

Asia