Category: Asia-Pacific
Coverage of geopolitics, international relations, and current affairs from across Asia-Pacific, including China, India, Southeast Asia, and Pacific nations, with a focus on security, trade, and regional diplomacy.
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Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Mohammad Asif said early Friday (27 February) that Islamabad now considers itself in “open war” with Afghanistan following cross-border strikes. In his post on X, Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Mohammad Asif said that after the NATO withdrawal “it was expected that there would be peace in Afghanistan,” but alleged the Taliban…
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North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has pledged to expand the country’s nuclear arsenal and operational range, urging the United States to recognise North Korea as a permanent nuclear state. Speaking at the Ninth Congress of the Workers’ Party of Korea in Pyongyang, Kim said: If Washington “respects our present [nuclear] position as stipulated in…
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South Korea recorded 254,500 births in 2025, the largest annual increase in 15 years, according to provisional data from the Statistics Korea population trends division. The country’s fertility rate rose to 0.80, up from 0.75 in 2024 — the first return to the 0.8 range since 2021. Despite the rise, deaths exceeded births by 108,900,…
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Tens of thousands of Afghan citizens are returning from Pakistan each month, with many arriving in Jalalabad, where the population has doubled to 600,000 in two years. Rising demand has pushed monthly rents for a two-room house to 4,000 afghanis ($60). According to the UN, Iran and Pakistan have returned roughly 3 million Afghans over…
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China’s Ministry of Commerce has imposed export restrictions on 20 Japanese entities, including Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, JAXA, and the National Defense Academy of Japan, citing their role in strengthening Japan’s military capabilities. The measures block exports of “dual-use” goods — items with civilian and military applications — and add a further 20 firms, including Subaru,…
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North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has been re-elected secretary-general of the ruling Workers’ Party of Korea, extending his leadership at the 2026 Party Congress, according to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA). The congress, held every five years in Pyongyang, also elected new Central Committee members and amended party rules, though no details were…
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South Korea has formally protested a Japanese government-linked event marking “Takeshima Day”, calling it an unjust claim over territory it administers. In a statement, South Korea’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said it “strongly objected” to the ceremony hosted by Shimane Prefecture and criticised the attendance of a senior Japanese government official. Seoul urged Tokyo to…
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Pakistan said it carried out early-morning cross-border strikes into eastern Afghanistan on Sunday (22 February), targeting alleged hideouts of the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and affiliated militants. Information Minister Attaullah Tarar described the action as “intelligence-based, selective operations” against seven militant camps. He said an affiliate of Islamic State was also targeted. Afghan authorities reported civilian…
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Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi has warned of growing Chinese “coercion” and pledged a major overhaul of Japan’s defence strategy following her landslide lower house election victory last week. Addressing parliament, Takaichi said Japan faces its “most severe and complex security environment since World War Two”, citing China’s military activity, closer China–Russia ties, and North…
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North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has pledged to improve living standards as he opened the Ninth Congress of the Workers’ Party of Korea (WPK) in Pyongyang, a five-yearly meeting that sets policy direction on defence, diplomacy and the economy. “Today, our party is faced with heavy and urgent historic tasks of boosting economic construction…
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