Hong Kong’s National Security Law Comes for the Bookstores
The reorientation – and restriction – of the city's once-vibrant civil society continues.
Law, Sanctions & Policy / Northeast Asia
Shirley Leung
Staff Writer
Shirley Leung writes IndoPac briefs on political economy, public institutions, and the regional consequences of domestic policy.
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ChinaThe Diplomat
Why China Is Investing in Planetary Defense
For China, planetary defense is about building its international image and strengthening national security. However, the same factors also constrain China's global contribution.
Diplomacy & Statecraft / Northeast AsiaAustraliaDefense News — Asia Pacific
Australia whips together a hybrid air defense weapon
Australia successfully tested a “Frankenstein” medium-range air defense system last month harnessing existing and new capabilities in a novel way.
Defense Industry / Australia & New ZealandJapanThe Diplomat
The First Japan-Brazil Foreign Ministers’ Strategic Dialogue
An important first step, with much work still ahead.
Diplomacy & Statecraft / Northeast AsiaHong KongSouth China Morning Post
Hong Kong clerk says normal life ‘ended’ after taxi hit her during 2019 protest
A Hong Kong kindergarten clerk who was seriously injured by a taxi during the 2019 anti-government protests has told the High Court she has been unable to resume a normal life, citing ongoing mobility limitations, extensive leg scarring and the likelihood of future knee replacement surgery. Park Hoi-lam’s lawyers on Tuesday urged the court to find taxi…
Politics & Governance / Northeast AsiaHong KongSouth China Morning Post
Landmark insurance policy clears Shenzhen’s flying vehicle for Hong Kong lift-off
A groundbreaking cross-border insurance policy covering a piloted aircraft has cleared a key regulatory obstacle, allowing the Shenzhen vehicle to take to the sky in Hong Kong. Shenzhen-based aircraft developer Yivtol recently obtained a policy for an electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft, underwritten in its home city but issued in…
Law, Sanctions & Policy / Northeast AsiaAsia-PacificSouth China Morning Post
China lodges protest with Philippines after latest clash near Second Thomas Shoal
China has lodged a formal protest with the Philippines, accusing it of initiating an attack on its coastguards following the latest clash between the two sides in the South China Sea. Monday’s clash near the disputed Second Thomas Shoal involved a Chinese coastguard vessel and two Philippine Navy rubber dinghies. The China Coast Guard said the Philippines…
Politics & Governance / Northeast Asia / Southeast AsiaAsia-PacificAsia Times
South Korea military buildup is for the alliance – and for itself
The United States and South Korea describe the latter’s defense buildup with the same enthusiasm but mean two different things. American officials call it “alliance modernization,” while South Korean officials increasingly call it “autonomous defense.” Neither side has much incentive to dwell on the difference, but it is getting harder to avoid. As the…
Diplomacy & Statecraft / Northeast AsiaSoutheast AsiaThe Diplomat
Philippine Marine Injured in Clash With China Coast Guard at Disputed South China Sea Shoal
The two sides traded accusations over the confrontation at Second Thomas Shoal, a long-standing focus of maritime tensions between Manila and Beijing.
Maritime Security / Northeast Asia / Southeast AsiaFijiRNZ Pacific
Fiji finalising diaspora policy to ensure citizens abroad 'keep coming back'
Fiji's government is finalising a comprehensive policy to smooth paths for overseas citizens whose soaring investments and remittances drive the national economy, the country's trade minister says.
Pacific Islands / Law, Sanctions & Policy / Pacific IslandsChinaThe Diplomat
China’s New AI Club: The World Artificial Intelligence Cooperation Organization
Global tech governance is taking an institutional turn as a bloc-based system continues to solidify.
Technology & Chips / Northeast AsiaAsia-PacificThe Diplomat
Australia’s Tuvalu Migration Deal Tests the Limits of Climate Mobility
The Falepili Union offers Tuvaluans “mobility with dignity.” But unless Australia also protects Tuvalu’s workforce, the landmark agreement could weaken the country years before rising seas make it uninhabitable.
Pacific Islands / Climate & Resilience / Pacific Islands / Australia & New ZealandAsia-PacificAsia Times
Australia-India partnership deep on security, shallow on trade
The third India-Australia Annual Summit in Melbourne on July 9 produced outcomes across defense, energy, critical minerals, technology and education — 18 in all. But by far the most significant deliverable centered on Australian uranium exports to India. After nearly 12 years of a civil nuclear agreement on paper, Australia and India finalized the…
Trade & Supply Chains / South Asia / Australia & New ZealandSoutheast AsiaSouth China Morning Post
Chinese leader urges Thailand and Cambodia to settle long-running border dispute
Chinese President Xi Jinping has urged Thailand and Cambodia to resolve their border dispute after meeting both countries’ leaders on the same day. The dispute escalated into the deadliest fighting between the neighbours in more than a decade last year, resulting in more than 100 military and civilian deaths and hundreds of injuries. A ceasefire reached in…
Diplomacy & Statecraft / Southeast Asia / Northeast AsiaTaiwanSouth China Morning Post
Will Taiwan’s food safety scandal wreck the ruling DPP’s local election hopes?
Taiwan’s biggest food safety scandal in years has become a political liability for the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), giving the opposition valuable ammunition ahead of November’s local elections. The latest controversy centres on soybean salad oil produced by Central Union Oil Corporation and found to contain excessive levels of benzo[a]pyrene…
Politics & Governance / Northeast AsiaTongaRNZ Pacific
Tonga launches first national policy to support and reintegrate deportees
Advocates hope the new policy will help deportees rebuild their lives upon returning to the kingdom.
Pacific Islands / Law, Sanctions & Policy / Pacific IslandsNew ZealandThe Diplomat
New Zealand’s Trade Agreement With India Reflects a Foreign Policy Shift
The nation is looking to expand and balance its economic and security relationships – and India is at the top of the list.
Diplomacy & Statecraft / Trade & Supply Chains / South Asia / Australia & New ZealandNew CaledoniaThe Diplomat
The New Caledonia Congress Has a New, Pro-France President. What Now?
New Caledonia has a new Congress, but the Pacific territory remains deeply divided between pro-independence and loyalist factions.
Politics & Governance / Pacific IslandsUnited StatesThe Japan Times
Trump’s aides see China cheating on trade, but shun retaliation
Some officials believe Trump is particularly disinclined toward registering any objection that could endanger his plans to host Xi for a lavish state visit in September.
Trade & Supply Chains / Northeast AsiaTaiwanUSNI News
Taiwan Mobilizes HIMARS, Anti-ship Missiles For Major Defense Drill
Taiwan’s most capable missile launchers are being deployed across the island for a five-day defense drill designed to enhance joint operations and develop concepts for targeting enemy aircraft and vessels. Newly procured American M142 High Mobility Rocket Artillery Systems (HIMARS) and domestically-produced Hsiung Feng anti-ship missile launchers will be…
Diplomacy & Statecraft / Northeast AsiaJapanUSNI News
Report to Congress on Japan’s Evolving Defense Policy and the U.S.-Japan Alliance
The following is the July 14, 2026, Congressional Research Service report, Japan’s Evolving Defense Policy and the U.S.-Japan Alliance. From the Report In 2026, Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi has been implementing major changes to Japan’s security policies, with important implications for the U.S.-Japan alliance and the Indo-Pacific region. Forged…
Diplomacy & Statecraft / Law, Sanctions & Policy / Northeast AsiaAustraliaASPI Strategist
ASPI Defence Conference tackles Australia’s space security risks
There is growing debate within the global space policy community about whether space is becoming a ‘warfighting domain’. As adversaries develop increasingly sophisticated counterspace capabilities, Australia should consider how to strengthen resilience and assure access ...
Technology & Chips / Australia & New ZealandIndiaThe Diplomat
E20 Debate Reveals India’s Uneven Energy Transition Trade-offs
India’s ethanol push boosts energy security and farm incomes, but consumers remain unconvinced amid mileage and price concerns.
Energy & Infrastructure / Trade & Supply Chains / South AsiaPhilippinesThe Diplomat
10 Years Ago, the Philippines Won a Major Victory in the South China Sea. Did It Matter?
What did the arbitral tribunal's award actually achieve?
Maritime Security / Southeast Asia / Northeast AsiaHong KongSouth China Morning Post
Hong Kong police arrest 5 over national security after raiding 2 bookstores
Hong Kong police have arrested five people and seized books during a raid on two independent bookshops, the South China Morning Post has learned. A source told the SCMP that national security police searched Have a Nice Stay bookshop in Prince Edward and Greenfield Book Store in Mong Kok on Wednesday. Officers seized books and made multiple arrests during…
Politics & Governance / Law, Sanctions & Policy / Northeast AsiaOriginal analysis
The IndoPac Weekly
Jul 18, 2026 · 7 stories reviewed
Hard lines, wider nets: the Asia-Pacific week
Taiwan moved missiles, ASEAN reopened a door to Myanmar, Beijing built an AI institution, and the South China Sea argument turned ten without getting any safer.