Asia-Pacific updates, as they break.
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Nick McKenzie writes IndoPac briefs on security policy, defense institutions, and strategic competition across the region.
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A new wave of US tariffs that hit seven Southeast Asian countries is set to reinforce perceptions of Washington as an unreliable partner to the region, according to analysts. Citing what it said were forced labour practices uncovered in its latest investigations, the US on Thursday imposed levies ranging from 10 to 12.5 per cent on 60 economies – with the…
Diplomacy & Statecraft / Southeast AsiaNippon Ishin has, through its alliance with Takaichi, exerted an influence on the Japanese government that far exceeds its parliamentary strength.
Diplomacy & Statecraft / Northeast AsiaNorth Korea is pushing its navy higher in the defense hierarchy, signaling that sea-based nuclear forces are becoming a more central part of Pyongyang’s deterrence strategy.
Maritime Security / Northeast AsiaShares of Chinese chip makers tumbled on Thursday after state fund support that had briefly steadied broader tech stocks earlier in the week failed to hold back a sector that analysts say has long been overvalued. Among the hardest hit, Hua Hong Grace Semiconductor plunged 12.58%, Beijing YanDong Micro Electronic fell 10.55%, Ningbo Silicon Electronics […]…
Technology & Chips / Northeast AsiaVanuatu's government has condemned the country's customary leaders who have reportedly called for revoking the appointment of the first woman to lead the Melanesian Spearhead Group.
Pacific Islands / Pacific IslandsTaiwan President Lai Ching-te reviewed domestic drone industrial efforts last week ahead of his administration’s push for a $6.6 billion attack drone plan to enhance the island’s defense against Chinese aggression. On Friday, Lai and members of the Taiwan Cabinet visited the National Chung-Shan Institute of Science and Technology’s (NCSIST) Taichung…
Politics & Governance / Northeast AsiaA line in a draft of the blueprint that had suggested a weakening of central bank autonomy has been rewritten in the final version.
Politics & Governance / Northeast AsiaThe annual economic policy guidelines referenced goals announced by NATO and two U.S. allies and pledged to "transform the country's defense capabilities within five years."
Economy & Markets / Northeast AsiaQuestions surrounding South Korean Defence Minister Ahn Gyu-back’s military service have resurfaced, with the government and his accuser offering conflicting accounts of what happened more than four decades ago. At the centre of the dispute is a gap in Ahn’s military record. His record shows he began mandatory service on November 5, 1983, and was discharged…
Diplomacy & Statecraft / Northeast AsiaSri Lanka’s public health services and hospitals are battling the worst outbreak of mosquito-borne dengue in nearly a decade, and turning to the island nation’s armed forces to help curb the spread of the disease. The efforts range from air force drones tracking stagnating rooftop pools of water after monsoon rains to military and police officers helping…
Diplomacy & Statecraft / South AsiaIoane Naivalarua has explained is recent parliamentary statement about FJ$4 billion worth of illicit drugs being circulated within local communities, clarifying it was "misleading".
Diplomacy & Statecraft / Politics & Governance / Pacific IslandsChina is telling us what to do and, for once, our complying would be rather helpful. In fact, China is telling us to do what it does. With its new tariff on Australian beef, which ...
Trade & Supply Chains / Law, Sanctions & Policy / Northeast Asia / Australia & New ZealandThese disputes could reshape the geopolitical order in East Asia – or even spark a war.
Maritime Security / Northeast Asia / Southeast AsiaAmid a rise in smuggling, Anutin Charnvirakul has recently come out against the policy he once championed: the decriminalization of marijuana.
Law, Sanctions & Policy / Southeast AsiaThe Hong Kong government has indicated that it is unlikely to hold a by-election to fill the vacancy left by former lawmaker William Wong Kam-fai’s resignation over his drink-driving and hit-and-run case, citing time constraints and concerns about cost-effectiveness. Secretary for Constitutional and Mainland Affairs Janice Tse Siu-wa also said on Saturday…
Politics & Governance / Northeast AsiaTaiwan’s diplomatic space is shrinking along a vital Pacific energy route.
Pacific Islands / Northeast Asia / Pacific IslandsFour months out from the critical November midterms, President Donald Trump delivered a primetime address on Thursday night (July 16) attempting to sow doubt about the integrity of US elections, repeating well-worn lies about the 2020 contest that he lost and claiming to have uncovered a sprawling Chinese plot to meddle in the voting process. Trump, who […]…
Politics & Governance / Northeast AsiaThe Department of Foreign Affairs demanded the "immediate takedown” of the AI-generated video, in which the Philippines was depicted as a monkey.
Politics & Governance / Northeast Asia / Southeast AsiaThe revised code will prohibit prosecutors from appealing court orders to initiate retrials in principle, while some exceptions will be allowed on sufficient grounds.
Politics & Governance / Northeast AsiaRatu Tevita Mara, who submitted a proposal to the Constitutional Review Commission this week, also wants a return to the civic name "Fiji Islander".
Diplomacy & Statecraft / Pacific IslandsBeijing is now looking to jostle with the U.S. — the leading AI power — for influence through a new group of nearly 30 countries.
Diplomacy & Statecraft / Northeast AsiaThe Papua New Guinea prime minsiter has announced a cabinet reshuffle, which sees him personally take up the important Correctional Services portfolio.
Politics & Governance / Pacific Islands / Pacific IslandsA recent prison riot at Negombo underscores the need for the government to dismantle drug trafficking networks, contain criminal activity and carry out prison reforms.
Politics & Governance / South AsiaThe visit comes amid a campaign by Naypyidaw to normalize its relations with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and its member states.
Diplomacy & Statecraft / Southeast AsiaIndonesia’s central government risks incurring public dissatisfaction with its cuts to regional budgets. If left unchecked, the president’s re-election prospects might dim in time.
Economy & Markets / Southeast AsiaNew Zealand’s interest in joining a newly signed defence pact between Australia and Fiji may mark the start of a broader hard security alliance covering the South Pacific, but analysts warn smaller states’ concerns are likely to go unaddressed. The Ocean of Peace Alliance, signed by Australia and Fiji on July 6, binds Canberra and Suva to come to each…
Diplomacy & Statecraft / Pacific Islands / Australia & New Zealand / Pacific Islands