TheDiplomat

Insights from Steve Tsang.

Beyond the immediate devastation, the abrupt closure of the China-Nepal trade corridor – again – will reshape the local economy for years to come. 

“The Asian theater was never just about defeating Japan – it was also about dismantling European imperialism and creating new national futures.”

Taiwan's Patriot missiles, and Japan's Tomahawks are competing in the same queue as Ukraine and the Iran replenishment. But there are solutions.

Pro-American candidates are winning elections, but deep economic ties with China will continue to constrain any significant strategic realignment.

Analysts warn a disruption in Chinese sources of common antibiotics or blood thinners could leave American patients with no reliable alternative.

For Mongolia, the highlights were the bilateral meetings held on the sidelines with Kyrgyzstan, China, and Russia.

The promise of deeper economic cooperation is undermined by punitive measures that could torpedo the India-U.S. pact even before it is signed.

Uzbekistan’s new national development programs prioritize socio-economic developments over democratic reforms.

New Delhi aims to keep BRICS relevant to the Global South while preventing its transformation into a Chinese bandwagon or an explicitly anti-Western coalition. 

More and more Vietnamese are being forcibly displaced to make way for development. Many are reluctant to speak out, because “between a victim and a criminal lies only a fragile line.”

A Pakistani statement signals to Tehran that Islamabad will not undermine a relationship or existing trade ties that have long faced pressure from U.S. sanctions.

The territory's curious status is the result of an unresolved border dispute between Malaysia and Brunei that dates back to the British colonial era.

The opening of the games coincided with Kyrgyzstan's 35th independence anniversary and a major Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit.

Maritime security is one of Indonesia’s most demanding defense domains. And at its current stage, Indonesia needs significant help. 

The two neighbors are reshaping the nuclear politics of Northeast Asia – and doing so increasingly in concert with Washington.

Siddiqa argues that Pakistan is not a hybrid regime but a case of constitutional militarism, sanctioned by a parliament that has legislated away its own relevance.

China’s pressure campaign against Taiwan doesn’t end when a country switches recognition to Beijing.

The new rules would hit Tajikistan’s tourism companies while benefiting an affiliated state body.

A new biography of Japan's longest-serving prime minister reevaluates his realist legacy.