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The China Coast Guard vessel Dong’an patrolling in the South China Sea on June 22. Photo: Xinhua
South China Sea

Opinion | Path to South China Sea stability doesn’t run through US, UK or the EU

The statement by 14 countries is a geopolitical exercise, amplifying the flawed 2016 Hague arbitral ruling to try to drive a wedge between China and its neighbours.

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Asean

Opinion | Cambodia aspires to shed its dependencies while staying connected

China-Asean relations

Asian Angle | Why a second ‘China shock’ is good for Southeast Asia

Pacific nations

Opinion | Panic over China’s missile test is born of Western bias

Every nuclear power routinely tests its arsenal. The outcry over Beijing’s launch reveals a glaring double standard.

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A long-range ballistic missile bursts out of the sea during a test launched from a Chinese nuclear-powered submarine in the South Pacific on Monday. Photo: Xinhua/AP
A long-range ballistic missile bursts out of the sea during a test launched from a Chinese nuclear-powered submarine in the South Pacific on Monday. Photo: Xinhua/AP
War and conflict

Outside In | How AI is changing the nature of war and conflict

Latest Global Peace Index reflects a world progressively less peaceful as AI enables armies to kill more people more quickly and more cheaply.

Japan

Macroscope | 3 reasons behind the Japanese yen’s persistent decline

The continued slide in the yen has raised concern, but what happens in the bond market will determine whether the bearishness extends far beyond Japan.

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India

Opinion | To boost manufacturing, India need not choose between Japan and China

Without Chinese suppliers on the ground, potential Japanese investments will struggle to reach the scale or speed the moment demands.

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A worker stands in front of a fan on a hot day at a plant near Surat, India, on May 26. Photo: AP
A worker stands in front of a fan on a hot day at a plant near Surat, India, on May 26. Photo: AP
Middle East

Opinion | How bitter Persian Gulf rivals can make peace the Asean way

Promoting de-escalation and shared prosperity in the Persian Gulf may seem arduous now. It once looked that way in Southeast Asia, too.

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Singapore

Asian Angle | Singapore’s trade pacts prove small states can shape global rules

While major powers employ coercion, Singapore is using flexible, legally binding templates to keep trade open.

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Central Asia

Opinion | In today’s ‘great game’, Central Asian nations are no longer prizes to be won

Instead of being caught between great powers, the five Central Asian nations are using hegemonic rivalries to advance their own interests.

People walk past the Nur-Astana Mosque, the third largest mosque in Central Asia, in Astana, Kazakhstan, on May 25. Photo: AFP
Artificial intelligence

Opinion | Why the AI future won’t be decided by algorithms and chatbots

Just as geopolitical influence in the 20th century often rested on energy markets, so may the 21st century be dominated by infrastructure.

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Visitors crowd around Huawei’s Ascend AI chip-based CloudMatrix 384 at the 2025 World AI Conference in Shanghai on July 27, 2025. Photo: Xinhua
Visitors crowd around Huawei’s Ascend AI chip-based CloudMatrix 384 at the 2025 World AI Conference in Shanghai on July 27, 2025. Photo: Xinhua
Asia housing and property

The View | Concern over AI’s impact on Asia’s real estate sector is misplaced

Even if the current AI boom falters, demand for digital infrastructure in Asia – especially in developing countries – will remain strong.

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Indonesia

Asian Angle | Liberal Islam in Indonesia is sliding into irrelevance

Political entanglements and ideological schisms have left the pioneering Liberal Islam Network in disarray.

Asean

Asian Angle | Asean’s side deals in Myanmar risk missing where the power truly lies

Trading collective leverage for isolated bargains blinds the bloc to changing realities on the ground.

Myanmar’s Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs U Hau Khan Sum (left) with other Southeast Asian leaders at the Asean summit in Cebu, the Philippines, on May 8. Photo: Pool via Reuters
Chinese culture

Opinion | For many outside China, Dear You reflects family history, not politics

Some call the film soft power, but for many in the Chinese diaspora, it’s simply family history.

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A woman attends a screening of Dear You in Kuala Lumpur on June 15. Photo: Xinhua
A woman attends a screening of Dear You in Kuala Lumpur on June 15. Photo: Xinhua
India

Macroscope | Is investors’ love affair with India ending?

Investors have flocked to tech-heavy markets, but looming US interest rate rises and volatility fears could see India’s star shine again.

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War and conflict

Opinion | 8 takeaways from the US-Iran war

From the rise of devastating asymmetric warfare to the crumbling of the US maritime hegemony and alliances, the war offers food for thought.

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Diplomacy

Opinion | What does US Pacific Command name change mean for China and India?

Reverting to the long-used name reflects a more traditional maritime focus while prioritising deterring China, as the Quad loses relevance.

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From the left, a Royal Australian Air Force F-35A, a US Air Force F-35A Lightning II, a Japan Air Self-Defence Force F-35A, and a US Marine Corps F-35B Lightning II fly over the US Pacific Command area of responsibility during exercise Cope North on February 7. Photo: US Air Force
From the left, a Royal Australian Air Force F-35A, a US Air Force F-35A Lightning II, a Japan Air Self-Defence Force F-35A, and a US Marine Corps F-35B Lightning II fly over the US Pacific Command area of responsibility during exercise Cope North on February 7. Photo: US Air Force
Retailing

The View | What retail apocalypse? Southeast Asia’s malls are sitting pretty

Unlike in other markets, Southeast Asia’s malls are in a good situation as they embrace experiential retail and adapt to consumer tastes.

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Asean

Opinion | Beyond geopolitics: for Asean, China is a structural reality

Faced with the structural reality of China, Southeast Asia is trying to turn it into an advantage without losing control of its choices.

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Diplomacy

Opinion | China’s Iran strategy an exercise in power without projection

The Iran war may be remembered not just for who won or lost, but for how Beijing quietly altered the terms of great-power conduct.

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Illustration: Craig Stephens
South Korea

Asian Angle | Korean drama Teach You a Lesson serves up a reality check on education

The hit Netflix series uses a vigilante classroom fantasy to expose deep, real-world anxieties about school violence.

Kim Mu-yeol stars as Na Hwa-jin in “Teach You a Lesson”, the K-drama making waves across Asia. Photo: Handout
Kim Mu-yeol stars as Na Hwa-jin in “Teach You a Lesson”, the K-drama making waves across Asia. Photo: Handout
Human rights

Opinion | Asia excels at tracking fishing vessels but fails those on board

As demand for sustainable seafood grows, the gap between the ability to monitor vessels and protect workers in the fishing industry must be addressed.

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Japan

Macroscope | Why Japan’s proposal for G7 critical mineral stockpiles is a bad idea

Tokyo’s overtures towards the G7 assume that China is a threat to be countered with economic or security measures.

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Vietnam

Asian Angle | When the US comes for Cuba, what can Vietnam do?

Vietnam has stood by Cuba for 60 years. Now Washington is raising the price of that friendship – and Hanoi must decide what it’s worth.

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Vietnam’s To Lam (left) and Cuba’s President Miguel Diaz-Canel review a guard of honour during a welcoming ceremony in Hanoi on September 1, 2025. Photo: AFP
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