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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: 5 days 14 hours ago

Australia-Japan Frigate Deal Faces 3 Critical Challenges 

Mon, 20/04/2026 - 16:34
Australia’s frigate purchase will likely end up being more complicated than the “zero-change” framing suggests.

North Korea Fires 5 Tactical Ballistic Missiles

Mon, 20/04/2026 - 15:40
Pyongyang fired “surface-to-surface” missile launches roughly one month before U.S. President Donald Trump’s visit to Beijing. 

China Needs to Exercise Caution With Economic Penalties

Mon, 20/04/2026 - 15:34
China should avoid treating long-established external economic ties as instruments that can be readily deployed or withdrawn.

Setting Realistic Expectations for Kazakhstan’s Regional Ecological Summit

Mon, 20/04/2026 - 15:32
The Regional Ecological Summit could kickstart a wider climate activism campaign in the greater Central Asian region, or it could just be a short-term, pro-green mirage.

Why China Wants to Host the New BBNJ Secretariat 

Mon, 20/04/2026 - 14:29
China’s Xiamen bid ups the stakes in the the battle over the secretariat host.

Australia-Japan Ink Deal for Mogami-class Frigates

Mon, 20/04/2026 - 14:17
Canberra and Tokyo continue to build closer links with each other, with a shared understanding of the strategic environment, and a high degree of trust

Lakshadweep’s Fishermen Are India’s First Line of Maritime Intelligence

Mon, 20/04/2026 - 11:58
Fishing communities notice everything. But alienation from Delhi means India is losing intelligence input it can’t afford to lose.

The 500th Anniversary of the First Battle of Panipat

Mon, 20/04/2026 - 11:50
Contrary to popular belief, the Mughals did not bring Islamic rule to India — but their rule did shape India’s military, administrative, and geopolitical landscape in ways that endure to this day.

How Vietnam’s ‘Four Nos’ Can Help a Region Manage the U.S. Rogue Use of Force

Mon, 20/04/2026 - 07:52
The country's preference for an open and predicable international order is shared by most of its Asian neighbors.

South Korea’s President Set to Pay 4-Day State Visit To Vietnam

Mon, 20/04/2026 - 07:44
Lee Jae Myung is the first foreign leader to visit Vietnam since the confirmation of the country's new leadership earlier this month.

New Myanmar Administration Releases Ousted President Win Myint in Mass Amnesty

Mon, 20/04/2026 - 03:37
Newly inaugurated President Min Aung Hlaing also announced a reduction in the 27-year prison sentence of ousted former leader Aung San Suu Kyi.

From Malaysia to the World: The Asian Legacy of Pope Francis 

Sun, 19/04/2026 - 21:16
The canonization process for Sybil Kathigasu underscores how Pope Francis’s legacy continues to shift the lines of Catholicism, in subtle and surprising ways.

South Korea’s Renewed Strategic Pivot to India

Fri, 17/04/2026 - 19:21
For the past decade, India-South Korea interactions have been limited. President Lee’s upcoming visit is set to change that.

The Deepening Deterioration of Public Sentiment Between Japan and China

Fri, 17/04/2026 - 18:55
What do Japanese and Chinese think about each other’s countries? Let’s look at the numbers.  

BRICS: Can India Lead a Bloc Without a Cause?

Fri, 17/04/2026 - 18:48
BRICS appears to be more riddled with internal conflicts than most multilateral groups.

Japan’s Constitutional Theater: Revising Article 9 Would Be a Mistake

Fri, 17/04/2026 - 16:40
A constitutional revision solves the wrong problem – and creates new complications.

The Geopolitical Importance of India’s Shrinking ‘Red Corridor’

Fri, 17/04/2026 - 16:17
India has turned the corner in its battle against Naxalism – and effectively governing its own margins is an essential step toward global power status.

China Was Once Buying Up Sri Lankan Ports. Now It’s India’s Turn.

Fri, 17/04/2026 - 15:27
The Indian Ocean has no shortage of distressed strategic assets: financially stressed yards, ports, and logistics infrastructure in small states that cannot sustain them independently.

Move Over, Hungary: Spain Is China’s New Best Friend in the EU

Fri, 17/04/2026 - 15:20
With Viktor Orban’s election loss, Pedro Sanchez is now Beijing’s most useful European leader.

Japan’s Takaichi to Forge Closer Cooperation With Australia in Rare Earths

Fri, 17/04/2026 - 14:48
In an era defined by geopolitical fragmentation, the Australia-Japan partnership shows how middle powers can cooperate to mitigate risk and enhance resilience. 

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