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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: 17 hours 11 min ago

What the 1980s ‘Japan Panic’ Tells Us About Today’s ‘China Threat’

Fri, 29/05/2026 - 15:13
It’s almost eerie how easily contemporary China discourse parallels U.S. rhetoric about Japan in the 1980s – especially given the huge differences between the two countries.

South Korea’s Matchmaking Boom Is Turning Inequality Into Compatibility

Fri, 29/05/2026 - 15:12
South Korea’s demographic crisis is exposing a deeper problem: how class, gender, education, housing, and family background shape who is considered marriageable.

Penpa Tsering’s Re-election and the Institutional Future of the Tibetan Movement

Fri, 29/05/2026 - 15:03
The Tibetan movement has long been dependent on the personal moral authority of the Dalai Lama. In a post-Dalai Lama world, the Central Tibetan Administration will need to step up. 

China and Maritime Chokepoints: Hormuz, Malacca, and Indo-Pacific Vulnerability

Fri, 29/05/2026 - 14:48
Disruptions in Hormuz immediately generate concern regarding Malacca, another vital maritime chokepoint.

How the China-US Reset Recasts the Quad

Fri, 29/05/2026 - 14:33
With the shift in China-U.S. relations, India is emerging as the strategic cog in the U.S. wheel, Pakistan as a tactical partner, NATO as the anchor of the Atlantic alliance, and the Quad as a tool to serve the Indo‑Pacific.

Strategic Implications of Myanmar’s Offensive in Chin State

Fri, 29/05/2026 - 14:17
The Tatmadaw’s advances will have implications not only for Myanmar’s internal conflict, but for neighboring India and Bangladesh.

Anti-War Orthodox Priest Arrested in Kazakhstan to Face Forced Psychiatric Treatment

Fri, 29/05/2026 - 13:57
Hieromonk Iakov Vorontsov, arrested on drug-related charges after attempting to establish a non-Moscow aligned Orthodox church in Kazakhstan, now faces forced psychological treatment reminiscent of Soviet-era repression.

Are China and Pakistan Rebranding CPEC Through B2B Conferences?

Fri, 29/05/2026 - 10:49
Unlike Chinese investments in the past, which were state-backed and focused on infrastructure, the B2B model is more commercial and a business-driven partnership.

Indonesia’s Aceh Province Continues Caning as a Form of Punishment

Fri, 29/05/2026 - 10:20
But the ultra-conservative Indonesian province is not the only place in Southeast Asia where the punishment is used.

Why Southeast Asia’s Just Energy Transition Partnerships Have Stalled

Fri, 29/05/2026 - 10:03
Despite high hopes and billions in funding pledges, the scheme has paid insufficient attention to the political and economic realities of the recipient countries.

The United States’ Rare Earth Strategy Faces a Durability Test

Thu, 28/05/2026 - 18:45
Rare earth projects require a solid commitment across political cycles, a challenge that the United States has not yet been able to overcome.

What the Latest China-Russia Summit Means for Ukraine

Thu, 28/05/2026 - 18:27
The Putin-Xi joint statement is not merely a statement of bilateral friendship. It is a war-era manifesto.

When Buddhist Robes Meet Sri Lankan Law

Thu, 28/05/2026 - 18:22
Recently, the chief prelate or custodian of eight sacred sites in Sri Lanka was arrested on charges of sexually assaulting and raping a child. He is out on bail.

The Double China Shock: How Beijing Is Disrupting Both Developing and Advanced Economies

Thu, 28/05/2026 - 17:53
China intends to keep making low-tech goods alongside its push into advanced technology. That's bad news for advanced and developing economies alike.

Rethinking the ‘Absolute Bar’ on Scheduled Caste Status in India

Thu, 28/05/2026 - 16:54
By tying caste recognition to religion, the law risks excluding those who continue to face the same discrimination it seeks to remedy.

Transporting Oil to China by Rail Will Not Solve Iran’s Export Headache 

Thu, 28/05/2026 - 16:02
The overland route presents a limited lifeline for Tehran, but cannot substitute for sea-based oil trade. 

The Manus Fallout Highlights Structural Problems in China’s Industrial Policy Ecosystem

Thu, 28/05/2026 - 15:55
China wants to welcome foreign investment, but its red lines are shifting. That’s not an attractive proposition for many companies.

Australia’s View of the Evolving Quad

Thu, 28/05/2026 - 15:30
Canberra’s position – that Indo-Pacific stability depends not only on military deterrence, but also on the protection of trade flows, energy supplies, critical technologies, and economic sovereignty – has moved to the fore.

China’s Navy Is Shifting Pressure Beyond the Taiwan Strait

Thu, 28/05/2026 - 15:29
China did not launch a large-scale, Taiwan-specific military exercise after the Trump-Xi meeting. But that doesn’t mean the PLAN has been inactive.

The Putin-Xi Summit and the Asymmetry of the China-Russia Partnership

Thu, 28/05/2026 - 14:47
While both states share dissatisfaction with the Western-led international order and seek a more multipolar system, the summit revealed important differences.

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