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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: 1 day 15 hours ago

Japan-Philippines Comprehensive Strategic Partnership

Tue, 30/06/2026 - 10:22
Will the rules-based order be a beacon in troubled waters?

Sri Lanka’s Easter Blasts Probe Enters the Intelligence Architecture

Tue, 30/06/2026 - 06:10
While not every arrest will lead to a conviction, the old assumption that power could delay accountability indefinitely has begun to shake.

In Photos: Northeast Thailand’s Rocket Festival

Tue, 30/06/2026 - 05:26
The annual bung bang fai festival calls on the god Phaya Thaen to bring rain at the start of the agricultural season.

Arrests Spike as Vietnam Sees New ‘Wave of Repression,’ Rights Group Says

Tue, 30/06/2026 - 04:56
The Bangkok-based advocacy group Project88 documented 56 political arrests last year, the most in any year since 2018.

How the Kem Ley Assassination Changed Cambodian Politics

Tue, 30/06/2026 - 02:40
A decade on from one of the country's highest-profile political killings, democracy remains a dream rather than reality.

Malaysia Extends Search for Missing Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370

Tue, 30/06/2026 - 02:32
The maritime exploration firm Ocean Infinity will have an additional year to locate the wreckage of the Boeing 777 airliner, which vanished without trace in 2014.

What If Russia Asks Kazakhstan for Fuel?

Mon, 29/06/2026 - 19:48
Kazakhstan could plug Russia's current gasoline deficit, but it's a risk. Astana struggles already with self-sufficiency.

Southeast Asia’s Toxic Rivers: No Easy Solutions

Mon, 29/06/2026 - 19:23
Scientists warn of a regional disaster if pollution from rare earth and gold mining in Myanmar continues to spread toxins further along the Mekong River.

Months After Attacks, Chinese Work Resumes on the Dushanbe-Kulma Highway

Mon, 29/06/2026 - 17:29
Chinese workers have reportedly resumed construction on a critical highway along the Afghanistan-Tajikistan border where two such workers were killed in November 2025.

‘Subversive Carrots’ and China’s Economic Influence Over the World

Mon, 29/06/2026 - 16:48
“Economic statecraft is not as simple or easy as Chinese decisionmakers think or as U.S. policymakers and external observers might fear,” argues Audrye Wong, author of a new book on the topic.

The 2016 South China Sea Arbitration Award at 10: Its Lasting Significance

Mon, 29/06/2026 - 16:04
The award did not settle maritime disputes in the region. But it did fundamentally clarify the interpretation of maritime entitlements under UNCLOS – and forced countries to clarify their claims in turn.

To Compete in the Pacific, the US Needs to Move Past Zero-Sum Alignment 

Mon, 29/06/2026 - 15:23
The U.S. wants explicit alignment, but China’s more flexible approach to strategic competition resonates with Pacific Island states.

A Mid-Year Check on US Asia Policy

Mon, 29/06/2026 - 15:12
Goodbye INDOPACOM and hello (again) Middle Eastern distractions.

China’s New Investment Regulations Block Strategic Technology Transfer 

Mon, 29/06/2026 - 14:57
By adding legal backup to state control of Chinese private companies, Decree No. 837 affects any country receiving their investments. This regulation matters well beyond China itself. 

How Land Swaps Are Reshaping Border Politics Between Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan

Mon, 29/06/2026 - 14:31
A region once associated with security crises, mined frontiers, and closed border crossings is increasingly characterized by negotiation, pragmatic compromise, and regional connectivity.

Why Central Asia Is Turning to Putin for Nuclear Power

Mon, 29/06/2026 - 14:29
Will Central Asia’s fix for its energy crisis merely trigger another?

3 Governments, 1 China Policy? Dhaka’s Evolving Engagement With Beijing

Mon, 29/06/2026 - 11:31
While Bangladesh's domestic politics have undergone huge change over the past two years, its relations with China have displayed greater continuity than rupture.

Why the Heart of India’s Indigenous Fighter Ecosystem Will be American for Several Decades to Come

Mon, 29/06/2026 - 11:20
While negotiations for the licensed manufacture of F414 jet engines in India continue, the off-the-shelf procurement cost of some F414 engines for the AMCA prototype has tripled.

Bangkok’s Voters Hand Chadchart Second Term as Governor By Decisive Margin

Mon, 29/06/2026 - 05:10
Chadchart Sittipunt, an independent, has replicated the landslide victory that delivered him to the governor's office in 2022.

Why Pakistan Struggles With Violence Against Women

Mon, 29/06/2026 - 05:07
There are no official statistics on acid attacks on women in Pakistan. But an estimated 200 cases are reported each year.

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