Asia Times
Articles about Asia Times
How Yemen’s renewed civil war could set the whole region ablaze
The Middle East has seen many explosions of violence in recent years. But while the US-Iran war has grabbed the headlines this year, the rapidly escalating conflict between the Houthis and Yemen’s internationally recognized government and Saudi Arabia risks becoming just a
Indonesia’s bourse rebuild is really a monetary policy story
For decades, the Indonesia Stock Exchange has run like a members’ club, where the brokers who trade on the IDX also own it. But that cozy arrangement is about to end under an amended financial sector law that requires the
US-Australia hypersonic push no silver bullet against China
The inaugural flight-test release of a US air-launched hypersonic weapon over an Australian weapons range demonstrates both nations’ push for standoff hypersonic strike, yet the weapon’s true combat value hinges on whether allied airbases and kill chains can survive China’
Trump finds it’s funny to joke about Iran bombing California
In a stemwinder of a speech in Nebraska, our mentally ill president joked around that if Iran took out Los Angeles and San Diego, it would be a small price to pay for keeping the rest of the country safe. Or at least that is what he appeared to say. What his slurred free association […] The post
When Asia’s central banks turn bond vigilante on Trump
TOKYO – For decades, the US enjoyed a remarkable luxury: its two biggest creditors, Japan and China, kept showing up at Treasury auctions with checkbooks open. Now, Donald Trump’s trade wars, tariff threats and widening geopolitical confrontations raise an uncomfortable quest
How China deploys wartime history against Japan
Beyond all the pageantry, the Chinese leader Xi Jinping had a strategic goal for his Washington visit – to undermine the American relationship with Japan.
How geopolitical tensions tainted the 2026 Asian Games
The 2026 Asian Games in Japan drew to a close on October 4 following two weeks of competition between 45 countries and territories across 43 sports.
Did he really invite Iran to take out California cities?
“Keep our city out of your reckless war talk,” said San Diego’s mayor, Todd Gloria, Monday night after President Donald Trump’s rambling speech at a rally
Asia’s growth now belongs to Silicon Valley
Southeast Asia’s growth next year will be decided at meetings its finance ministers won’t attend. A few executives in California will soon settle next
CPEC 2.0 will be won or lost on keeping China’s investors safe
CPEC 2.0 aims to move past the infrastructure-heavy first phase toward industry, agriculture, mining, technology, green development and business-to-business investment. That shift could deepen economic ties between Pakistan and China, but it also changes the nature of the security challenge. Big infrastructure projects can be guarded behind fixed perimeters. Industrial zones, mines, private businesses and […] The post CPEC 2.0 will be won or lost on keeping Ch
The illusion of America’s withdrawal from Iraq
The American withdrawal from Iraq is not an end but a strategic pivot, a calculated transition from direct occupation to remote containment. By pressuring Iraq to di
US enshittification vs Chinese involution
It’s getting better all the time (Better, better, better) It’s getting better all the time I admit it’s getting better –The Beatles In an X post, Marko
Brazil on the brink: Why Lula is down against Bolsonaro Jr
With the Brazilian presidential election headed to a runoff, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva is down 47% to 45% and faces a massive fight ahead. I wanted to give a quick analysis of what happened and where things are going next. Lula could still win if he can consolidate support
Logistics test: sustaining Northeast Asia trilateral deterrence
Originally published by Pacific Forum, this article is republished with permission. While operational planners in the United States, the Republic of Korea and Japan have made historic strides institutiona
For rare earth leverage, US caps aircraft parts licenses to China
Washington is limiting the parts it licenses to the Commercial Aircraft Corp of China (Comac), the maker of the C919 passenger jet, triggering fears among Chinese pundits that it could ban the US-made engines the jet relies on. The Trump administration has been using China’s reliance on US aviation suppliers as leverage in trade talks, […] The post
Indian Supreme Court demands government answers on voter purge
As one advocate warned India’s Supreme Court on Monday that “this country will burn” unless action is taken to stop what thousands of protesters have denounced as an illegal purge of voters by the head of the Election Commission of India, the cou
Russia courts the Taliban without dropping Pakistan
I have watched Pakistan-Afghanistan relations long enough to distrust easy headlines, and last week’s news produced a few of them. At the Center-2026 (Tsentr-2026) war games in Russia
What the AI boom is actually doing for Americans
Paul Krugman is the greatest econ writer in the world, and also a legendary economist. But I sometimes feel that he has a blind spot when it comes to the value of new technologies. In 1998 he famously wrote: The growth of the Internet will slow drastically, as the flaw in ‘Metcalfe’s law’—which states that […] The post
Behind in EVs, Toyota powering ahead with hydrogen vehicles
Hydrogen-powered passenger cars have been left far behind by electric vehicles and hybrids, but the hydrogen truck market is growing and new technology developed for auto racing is keeping hopes for hydrogen cars alive. Toyota and its European partners are in the vanguard of these
Indonesia’s arms spree only the start of a modern military
Indonesia is buying the weapons of a modern military at a pace rarely seen in its recent history. Rafale fighter jets are entering service, and the country has contracted for 48 KAAN fighters from Turkey. The navy has taken deli
China buys time for its young scientists as US rations it
On September 19, Dou Xiankang, who heads the National Natural Science Foundation of China, described a grant that most young scientists anywhere would envy. Researchers under 35 will get 15 years of support. The money doubles after five years and doubles again after ten, and there are no sh
US backs major offensive as Yemen slides back toward all-out war
Yemen is spiraling back toward full-scale war after its Saudi-backed government launched a major offensive on Sunday to retake territory captured by the
A tech glossary to thrive and survive in the AI era
Certain ideas define us. Some earned names of our own along the way. Others have run through nearly 240 pieces without ever being formally christened. Put together, they amount to a worldview. That worldview has been assembled one essay at
Russia’s new strategy aims to make Ukrainian cities unlivable
The Russians are struggling on land and at sea, and are having real difficulty protecting themselves from Ukrainian long-range attack. That has left them
Flydubai attack feeds Netanyahu’s ‘protector’ line as polls near
The apparent attempted hijacking of a Flydubai flight carrying 170 mostly Israeli passengers was another reminder to Israelis of the constant threat of terror and war. Only the bravery of the chief pilot and passengers prevented
Big Oil fears the evidence of its deliberate climate lies
No one knows how the US Supreme Court will rule in Suncor v. Boulder, the case that will kick off the court’s fall term next week and will likely decide
Cambodia’s Japan security aid is a hedge, not a pivot from China
In February 2026, weeks after Cambodia’s National Assembly approved a draft law to ratify the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), a convention Phnom Penh signed in 1983 but never ratified, Japan unveiled pla
New F-16s buy Taiwan time and space against China’s air coercion
Taiwan’s new American-made F-16V Block 70 jets deliver much-needed breathing room against daily Chinese gray-zone coercion, yet surging Chinese stealth numbers and cratered runway risks mean their wartime utility would be sharply contested. Taiwan received its first two new-build Lockheed Martin F-16V Block 70 fighter jets, touching down
India’s missile shield invites a false sense of security
In July, India tested two new interceptors meant to destroy missiles at ranges up to 5,000 kilometers, the latest step toward one of the few layered missile shields in the world. New Delhi calls the program defensive. But a neighboring rival rarely sees a shield that way.
Takaichi bends to Washington as Japan’s yields rise
Subscribe now with a one-month trial for only $1, then enjoy the first year at an exclusive rate of just $99. Takaichi’s economic agenda runs into the
Why China is missing the big AI rally
China gave global investors one of 2026’s biggest AI thrills. Yet the country that helped ignite excitement about artificial intelligence is home to one of the worst-performing major stock markets. While AI fever has propelled Seoul, Taipei and Tokyo higher, Chinese shares are stuck in reverse. So what gives? Several forces, actually. Weak household demand, for one. Consumer spending continues to disappoint, weighing on the earnings potential of mainland internet companies, automakers, and retailers.
The China factor behind the Iran war
The war between the United States and Iran is no longer just a confrontation between Washington and Tehran. A second contest is taking shape alongside and
US blast simulation targets China’s alleged secret nuke testing
Faced with rising great-power suspicions and the challenge of verifying clandestine, cavity-muffled detonations, the US is turning to high-precision subterranean blast experiments in the Nevada desert to strip covert nuclear testing of its technical cover. Last month, the US Department of E
Why Americans pay 41% more for SK Hynix shares than Koreans
On September 30, SK Hynix’s American depositary shares closed at US$184.15 on the Nasdaq. Earlier that day in Seoul, one ordinary share closed at
US bans Chinese data center gear as Beijing grounds its AI talent
The artificial intelligence (AI) race between the United States and China has accelerated in model protection, supply chains and talent controls, even as the two nat
Computer science has long understood how to keep AI under control
AI agents don’t go rogue. That’s something only humans do. Nevertheless, a New York Times article – representative of much news coverage of AI – described
Hegseth taps three to lead ‘Future of Warfare’ project
US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced Wednesday that three men will help lead a new Pentagon project on the “future of warfare,” even as he moves to
‘Forgotten Island’: joyous, painful love note to Filipino diaspora
It is fitting that DreamWorks’ “Forgotten Island” carries a title that evokes memory and loss. The film, released globally in September, is on the surface
Afghanistan’s TTP sanctuary is becoming harder to deny
For years, Pakistan’s claim that the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan operates from sanctuaries inside Afghanistan produced a familiar exchange: Islamabad accused, Kabul denied, and each new militant attack triggered another round of recrimination. Tha
Leaving Iraq while bombing Iran
On September 30, the last American and coalition troops flew out of Erbil Air Base, and the Pentagon declared an “orderly departure.” The White House called it a victory. President Trump, never one for understatement, described the whole enterprise as “a very expensive exc
Russia’s jet-powered drones mark a deadly evolution in Ukraine war
The air war between Russia and Ukraine has evolved constantly since the start of the conflict. The latest example is Russia’s deployment of a new type of long-rang
AI’s apparent danger is its best selling point
Just weeks before its scheduled November IPO, Anthropic is facing growing attention over the potential dangers of its technology. The resignation of former Anthropic researcher Jacob Coxon on September 8, who wrote on X that AI could “kill us all by the e
To keep the peace, South Korea’s Lee must prepare for war
When a South Korean soldier stepped on a land mine in the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) on September 21, it might have been taken as a grim reminder of a war that never formally ended. Instead, the explosion has revealed something more unsett
Blame AI for global bond market tremors
The global bond markets are a sensitive lot. And they’ve been having a particularly tricky time lately. Spooked by high inflation, high interest rates and high levels of government debt across the worl
US diesel crisis about to become Asia’s interest rate problem
Diesel in the US has climbed to more than US$6.50 a gallon, up about 75% from a year ago, and Asia is likely to pay for it in the form of higher interest rates. Expensive diesel keeps American inflation elevated, which gives the Federal Reserve reason to keep raising inter
Oil and gas industry expected surplus – but war brought shortage
In 2023, the International Energy Agency predicted that by 2028 the world’s oil companies would produce more oil than people wanted to buy. Prices
African Red Sea states’s risks grow as Houthi rebels expand reach
The Houthi takeover of parts of the Red Sea gives the armed group a new platform to challenge global shipping. The group has taken over the port of Mocha,
A rickety Europe tries to stand up to China
The European Union is embarking on diplomatic hand-to-hand combat with China in an effort to rework its trade with Beijing and show it is not a geopolitical weakling. Using unusually direct terms
What does it mean to win the AI race?
When Donald Trump and Xi Jinping met in Washington last week, artificial intelligence was among the issues dividing their countries. Days earlier, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the two sides had agreed to establish a formal AI dialogue, including an incide
Sir Jackie Stewart brings his race against dementia to Japan
Two races were held at Fuji Speedway last weekend: the six-hour FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) and the Race Against Dementia led by champion driver Sir Jackie Stewart OBE, who returned to Japan 60 years after winning the Fuji 200 race to campaign for his charitable foundati
Bond markets aren’t buying the inflation-is-tamed fairy tale
TOKYO — Anyone betting that inflation risks are fading should look at the US Treasury market. The sharp selloff in Treasury Inflation-Protected Securities (TIPS) suggests the world’s biggest bond market i
Trump-Xi summit’s real test will come in the months ahead
For years, relations between Washington and Beijing seemed stuck on an escalation treadmill. Every quarter brought new semiconductor restrictions, naval jockeying in the Sout
Baptism of Houthi fire for Mecca mutual defense pact
When Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan agreed to a mutual defense pact in August, it was principally seen as a political commitment. The “Mecca alliance,”
A spark for dialogue toward halting North Korea’s nuclear buildup
The prevailing criticism of the US-China summit in Washington is that it amounted to little more than diplomatic pageantry. But one outcome deserves
Asia can’t just pipeline its way around Hormuz
When governments talk about reducing dependence on the Strait of Hormuz, the discussion usually turns to pipelines in Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. For Asian importers, t
Final US military withdrawal from Iraq is a major bonus for Iran
The last of the US-led coalition forces are leaving Iraq. It’s a significant bonus for Iran. The withdrawal date, September 30, was also the date by which
As US tech leaders call for rules on AI, China already has them
Recent warnings from American AI leaders have created the impression that the world is only beginning to confront the dangers of advanced artificial
US House speaker sees AI data center worries as ‘Chinese psyop’
They’ve been shown to raise electricity bills, pollute drinking water, do little to boost local
Bangladesh energy crisis calls for pragmatism, not political purity
For more than three decades, the Bangladeshi political left has maintained an unyielding stance on natural resources like gas, coal, and minerals,
Indonesia should have a seat at new forest firefighting fund
Two American charities recently announced a new fund to fight forest fires. They want to raise US$100 million to help countries find fires faster and put them out sooner. But the fund, announced at the UN General Assembly, is limited to South America, home to the
Trump’s bid to stop Ukraine’s Russia strikes a strategic disconnect
In a recent phone call, Donald Trump urged Volodymyr Zelensky to stop Ukrainian attacks on Russian oil refineries. Whether a request or a demand, this
China’s disputed satellite refueling heralds new space war era
Recent disclosures about China’s purported in-orbit servicing operations have intensified a quiet revolution in space, where the mechanics of satellite sustainment are swiftly becoming the frontline of great-power counters
Volkswagen-Gotion deal shows hard limits of China de-risking
Volkswagen has spent years trying to build a European battery business strong enough to carry its electric-car ambitions. Its latest deal pulls a Chinese partner deeper into that effort. On September 28, Germany’s Volkswagen and China’s Gotion High-Tech agreed to deepen a partnership that began in 2020. Gotion plans to inv
RAF Fairford big-scale attack try represents serious threat to US
The British Police say that the five men arrested in connection with a suspected bomb plot targeting RAF Fairford are all British nationals. Nothing has
In BRICS open-source AI, China and India will make a good team
At the 18th BRICS Summit in New Delhi, Chinese President Xi Jinping proposed that China take the lead in establishing a BRICS AI open-source community.
The real loops of innovation
A note before we start. What follows works through the innovation loops of the semiconductor world, sub-sector by sub-sector, with eight diagrams along
After Trump-Xi summit, Nvidia RTX PRO 5500 gains export prospects
Beijing may let its technology giants buy more Nvidia high-end chips, giving the US chip designer a fresh foothold in China and keeping Chinese artificial intelligence (AI) developers tied to its software after months of stalled trade. China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) has asked major domestic companies, including ByteDance, Alibaba and T
Erdogan playing East and West, winning room to maneuver
Less than two months after his government hosted the NATO summit — which was framed as proof of Turkey’s pivotal role in transatlantic security — President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has proposed full Turkish membership in the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, an entity that has been de
Trump-Xi summit bade farewell to ‘China plus one’
President Donald Trump rolled out the red carpet for Chinese President Xi Jinping’s state visit to Washington, greeting him in person at Joint Base Andrews, a rare gest
So where’s the ‘intelligence explosion?’
One of my fundamental beliefs about the world is that Ramez Naam ought to blog more. Ramez is one of the world’s greatest futurists — he predicted the solar and battery revolutions long before these were widely understood. If you were reading Ramez in 2011, you were able to understand the future of both en
Trump family-tied drone maker woos Pakistan at India’s expense
Powerus, a US defense company with ties to President Donald Trump’s sons, drew scrutiny after signing a memorandum of understanding this month with the Pakistani Army and offeri
US nuclear pact puts Saudi Arabia on path to the bomb
A contentious civilian nuclear agreement between the US and Saudi Arabia has ignited a sharp debate over Middle Eastern security, laying bare the
Struggle over Hormuz and Bab el‑Mandeb straits is centuries old
Over recent months, the straits of Hormuz and Bab el-Mandeb have become synonymous with geopolitical jostling. Whoever controls these narrow waterways
Trump rejects deal, Iran diplomat calls for ‘negotiated solution’
As US President Donald Trump publicly rejected Iran’s proposal for a ceasefire and reopening the Strait of Hormuz this weekend, the Iranian
For Ukraine, some good news but also some bad news
If you do not follow the Twitter feed of the Ukrainian Third Army Corps, you should. It does not tweet a great deal, but when it does, especially
US, China should treat AI risk like a pathogen, not a missile
Donald Trump and Xi Jinping wrapped up their Washington summit on September 25 with a two-month extension of the trade truce and warm words about friendship. On artificial intelligence, the leaders mostly ratified what their deputies had sketched in New York days
US challenges China on secret nuclear tests as arms race looms
A mounting standoff over allegations of covert Chinese nuclear testing and rapid arsenal expansion has collided with an intensifying domestic debate within the US over whether it must abandon its decades-long test moratorium. US officials are pressing China in confidential diplomat
Floods, fury and new calls for independence in Aceh
Thousands gathered at Baiturrahman Grand Mosque in Banda Aceh on August 15, 2026, to commemorate 21 years of peace between Indonesia and the separatist Free Aceh Movement, or GAM. Some participants raised GAM’s red, black and white crescent-star flag and chanted “Free Aceh,” while others lowered Indonesia’s national flag and replaced it with the former […] The post
Are the Americans returning to Myanmar? They never really left
Adam Castillo, a former president of the American Chamber of Commerce in Myanmar who had lobbied for sanctions relief in exchange for US, was released in
Time’s no longer on Israel’s side in America
For eight decades, the Israeli political and security establishment has operated on a premise so deeply embedded that it is rarely stated as a premise at all: that American support is not a policy but a condition of nature, as f
The politics limiting US arms deliveries to Taiwan
On March 28, 2025 a rollout ceremony took place at Lockheed Martin’s F-16 production facility in Greenville, South Carolina. Two F16V block 70 jets were ready for final testing, and the ceremony marked the formal handover to Taiwan. The Greenville ceremony was attended by Taiwan’s Defense Minister and by Taiwan’s US representative. Taiwan does not […] The post
How US and China can nimbly escape the Thucydides Trap
The most consequential sentence of Chinese President Xi Jinping’s visit to Washington may also be the simplest: “The Thucydides Trap can be overcome.” This line, delivered du
Merz clings on as Germany’s political center crumbles
Subscribe now with a one-month trial for only $1, then enjoy the first year at an exclusive rate of just $99.German state polls yield historic defeat,
Taiwan’s ‘silicon shield’ is in a race against time
When Donald Trump and Xi Jinping met in Washington on September 24, AI and Taiwan shared the agenda. Xi said AI should remain “under human control” and called for continued US-China dialogue on its risks and benefits. On Taiwan, he urged Washington to “oppose Taiwan indepe
Rahman’s UN debut carries family weight, high national stakes
When Bangladeshi Prime Minister Tarique Rahman addressed the United Nations General Assembly for the first time on Thursday (September 24), he became the
UK’s new Israel sanctions haven’t suspended any weapons transfers
Earlier this month, the UK government announced plans to cut off trade with Israel’s illegal settlements in the West Bank—including weapons shipments. But according to new disclosures made to Parliament, reported Thursday by Declassified UK, t
N Korea’s hypersonic test a check on Japan’s nuclear ambitions
North Korea’s recent hypersonic test signals an evasive theater nuclear strike capability aimed directly at Japan—a proxy warning backed by Russia and China as Japan rethinks its nuclear
Si vis pactum, para bellum: Trump’s war-first path to a deal
The Romans advised that to secure peace, you must prepare for war. The preparation was the point: weapons kept ready so they need not be used, readiness standing in for the fight. Their word for peace, pax, came from pacisci — to strike a bargain. Peace was a pactum, a deal, before it was anything
Japan’s new ambassador will test Manila’s China balancing act
As Manila and Tokyo mark the 70th anniversary of normalized diplomatic relations, elevate their ties to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, and face rising security tensions in the West Philippine Sea, the a
Bond vigilantes on a savage hunt as global yields run wild
TOKYO — The bond vigilantes are back — and now they’re patrolling every major debt market at once. As deficits balloon, spending runs unchecked and oil prices spike, investors are reasserting control over markets that once
Examining think tank proposal that US cut and run in Asia-Pacific
A recent report put out by a relatively obscure Washington think tank, Defense Priorities, is getting an unusual amount of attention. In simple terms, the
Xi backs AI safety with Trump, draws Taiwan line, urges Iran talks
Beijing has agreed to work with Washington to improve governance of artificial intelligence (AI) technologies and to enhance cooperation as Chinese President Xi Jinping and United States President Donald Trump met face-to-face at the White House on Thursday. Xi made the pledge in his speech at a morning welcoming ceremony, before the two leaders held […] The post
Drones could expand North Korea’s gray zone options
If the wars of 2026 have demonstrated anything, it is that drones have become a key element of modern warfare. In Eastern Europe, both Moscow and Kyiv
Asia pays the price as rich nations borrow like emerging markets
Global debt has passed US$365 trillion, and the cost of carrying it is now rising faster than any government can control. For investors with money anywhere in the world, few risks matter more over at least the next two years. As
Can prediction markets create the future they predict?
Prediction market platforms allow people to bet on real-world events like politics, culture, economics, war, and sports. Their defining feature is the buying and selling of contracts. They operate on a peer-to-peer model in which participants buy and sell contracts tied to
Cambodia an early warning of China’s AI surveillance exports
Chinese investment has long been a cornerstone of development policy for many Southeast Asian nations. From roads and buildings to green energy that helps
Ukraine war speeding lethal race toward fully autonomous drones
A battlefield dominated by fully autonomous drones capable of selecting and engaging targets without human intervention sounds like a dystopian sci-fi plot. And while that scenario has not yet arrived, the conflict between Russia and Ukr
Stop mad Donald’s Iran war: open letter to the US Congress
Dear Members of Congress, In truly deranged remarks to world leaders at the UN, Donald Trump declared that “I have a big decision to make,”
How US blindly ceded its rare earth dominance to China
Look around you, and you’ll see rare earth elements at work. A phone vibrates because a magnet moves a weight. Its screen was polished with cerium powder. Its connection to the rest of the world crosses oceans on cables amplified with erbium. If you drove to
Philippines bets on Luzon corridor to fix its jobless growth
The Philippines has a growth problem that GDP statistics miss. Although the economy has expanded rapidly for most of the past decade, many Filipinos still
Saddam Hussein used James Bond director to tell Iraq story
From the beginning of his brutal reign in Iraq, Saddam Hussein could claim an unusual credit: film producer. After Saddam became president in 1979, his
South Korea should not apply double standard to inherited political guilt
When South Korean actress Ha Young spoke on television in August about four generations of doctors in her family, she praised the medical accomplishments
New jihadist coalition pushes Pakistan-Afghanistan to crisis point
The suicide bombing and gun attack that killed dozens in northwest Pakistan on September 18, 2026, highlighted the fragile security situation in the South
Backed by US and Amazon, X-energy pushes small nuclear reactor
The federal government has thrown its weight into reviving America’s long-stagnant nuclear industry, and X-energy’s first-of-a-kind reactor project is among the biggest beneficiaries so far.
Judge Cambodia’s scam crackdown fairly on the evidence
September 22, 2026 Letter to the Editor: Cambodia’s campaign against online scams Mu Sochua’s September 22 op-ed, “Cambodia’s anti-scam summit can’t
Why China’s Silicon Valley won’t need American degrees
For nearly a century, American global power has rested on a three-legged tripod: unmatched military firepower, the ubiquitous sovereignty of the US dollar and the intellectual dominance of its higher-education system. While aircraft carriers project hard power and Wall Street manages global capital, the American university system has quietly manufactured th
Pakistan’s new Chengdu trade route shows CPEC can work
Earlier this month, more than 80 metric tons of dried chilies from Pakistan arrived at the Chengdu International Railway Port. Packed into eight containers, the cargo entered China through Qinzhou Port in Guangxi, then moved inland to Chengdu via a sea-rail interm
Time to recognize the Houthis as Yemen’s real government
The Trump administration came perilously close to launching another bombing campaign against Yemen this weekend. According to a September 20 New York Times report, US commanders had approved their targets, American troops were loading bombs onto warplanes, and an attack on
Trump, nukes, AI and civilizational suicide
As human beings we have always been sitting ducks to extinction’s cosmic whims. We are a few astronomical units away from a life-ending meteor or comet strike, the kind that wiped out the dinosaurs after they were their own animal kingdo
Trump again threatens to ‘annihilate’ Iran in genocidal UN speech
In a rambling, lie-laden speech Tuesday to world leaders gathered at the United Nations General Assembly in New York, US President Donald Trump again threatened to “annihilate” Iran if its leaders don’t agree to a deal to end the illegal war of choice he started nearly seven months ago in
AI is warping the time value of everything
Rising bond yields have put the time value of money back on the table. Investors are right to watch borrowing costs, distant cash flows and businesses that swallow capital by the billion. Across much of innovation, however, the price of taking too long deserves equal attention. We calculate the cost of capital to two decimal […] The post
The coming war with Russia: a European road to ruin
NATO, EU and E3 leaders are taking Europe down a path to be ready for war by 2030. In the light of European bellicosity, Russia could decide to start this sooner. If so, the US would be unwilling to fi
Pakistan’s US opening looks well beyond the next crisis
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif is expected to meet Secretary of State Marco Rubio in New York on September 22, on the sidelines of the United Nations
China neutralizes yuan tensions ahead of Trump-Xi talks
If US President Donald Trump plans to make a big issue of the yuan on Thursday, Xi Jinping’s team just complicated things for the White House. The yuan started the week at its strongest level since July 2022. The People’s Bank of China is guiding the currency of the second-biggest economy higher in the days ahead of Trump’s high-stakes faceoff with President Xi. It followed PBOC Governor Pan Gongsheng’s move to ratchet up the daily currency fixing for an eighth straight day, the streak unseen since 2023.
Cambodia’s anti-scam summit can’t whitewash its own record
This week, Cambodia welcomes foreign diplomats, law-enforcement officials and financial regulators to Phnom Penh for the “International Conference on Combating Online Scams.” Prime Minister Hun Manet’s administration is presenting the gatherin
Bangladesh’s new cyberlaw rebrands the same old censorship
Bangladesh has spent years trying to find the perfect name for a law governing what people say on the internet. It has had the Information and
Takaichi scrambles to reach Trump before he sees Xi
Japan’s Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi is heading into an unusually consequential meeting with Donald Trump. The two are expected to meet in New York on September 22, just two days before Trump is
Three Ts will dominate Trump-Xi summit
When Presidents Donald Trump and Xi Jinping last sat down in May 2026, talk was centered on three Ts: trade, technology and Taiwan. The latest summit, due to begin in the United States on Sept. 24, looks set to focus on the same set of issues again. The main difference will be that the technology
Bound by reality: forging an American strategy for China
This article first appeared on Pacific Forum and is republished with kind permission. Read the original here. The US-China relationship stands at a
The deal Trump and Xi should artfully make
In July 1971, Henry Kissinger, then American national security adviser, had arrived in Pakistan on an official trip but suddenly developed a convenient case of “Delhi belly.”
Houthis choking the life out of Asia’s gasping energy supplies
In late July, two tankers loaded with Saudi crude for Asia left the Red Sea port of Yanbu and headed south toward Bab al-Mandeb. Then they stopped and turned around. The Rodos and the Xin Long Yang were c
US-China open hotline to rein in runaway AI
The United States and China have agreed to open a formal channel to flag dangerous artificial intelligence (AI) activity, including runaway agents, cyberattacks and bioweapons development, marking the first such effort by the world’s two largest AI powers. US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent unveiled the plan after an eight-hour meeting
The Pacific Ocean of Peace – an idea whose time has not come
“Ocean of Peace”—an expression being bandied about by a handful of Pacific Island leaders — brings to mind the title of an early 1960s musical, “Stop the World, I
China, Korea ply Northern Sea Route as Arctic alternative to Suez
Chinese shipping company Sea Legend has launched a weekly service between China and Europe on the Northern Sea Route along the coast of Russia, opening a seasonal alternative to the Suez Canal. A South Korean vessel is following in its wake. The con
Mecca pact faces first trial by fire with Houthi escalation
Last Thursday, US President Donald Trump said he had a “big decision” coming up about Iran’s regime: Do I want to go in and annihilate them or do I not?
China’s J-36 may soon fly with lasers the US couldn’t master
Recent revelations from China’s defense industry suggest the long-sought goal of mounting combat lasers onto fighter aircraft may finally be moving from theory
India’s Tata Sons marks a reckoning for Asia’s private-control bargain
The Reserve Bank of India’s refusal to deregister Tata Sons has been cast as the prelude to a blockbuster initial public offering. That overstates what actually happened. No prospectus exists, no price has been set and no timetable announced. The RBI has simply closed the holding company’s clearest route around a listing rule. But the […] The po
ASEAN’s digital payment boom outrunning its scam defenses
Southeast Asia’s rapid economic integration has long been a celebrated success story, and nowhere is this more evident today than in its retail payment
Dangerous logic behind America’s emerging nuclear war strategy
Elbridge Colby, the US undersecretary of defense for policy, wants to make American nuclear threats more credible to make nuclear war less likely. However, achieving the first objective may undermine the second. In recent remarks to the US Strategic Command Deterrence Symposium, Colby outlined an emerging approach to deterrence built around providing the US president […] The post