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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Vietnam’s ruling Communist Party of Vietnam has opened its five-yearly national congress, where senior leaders are selected and economic priorities set for the next term. To Lam, appointed general secretary in August 2024 following the death of his predecessor, is widely expected to retain the party’s most powerful post following a closed selection process. The…
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Sanae Takaichi, Japan’s Prime Minister, announced on Monday (19 January) that she will dissolve parliament this week and call snap general elections for 8 February 2026, accelerating a vote previously due by October 2028. Speaking in Tokyo, Takaichi confirmed the lower house will be dissolved on Friday, with the official campaign beginning 27 January. She…
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China recorded its lowest number of births since records began, extending a fourth consecutive year of population decline as policymakers confront deepening demographic pressures. Official data released on Monday (19 January) showed 7.92 million births in 2025, down from 9.54 million a year earlier, while 11.31 million deaths were registered. The population fell by 3.39…
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Japan and the US have agreed to expand joint defence production and military activity in Japan’s southwest, amid heightened regional tensions with China. The agreement followed talks in Washington between Shinjiro Koizumi and Pete Hegseth, reaffirming the strength of the Japan–US alliance in an increasingly severe security environment. Key developments • Joint production to increase…
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A South Korean court on Friday (Jan. 16) sentenced former president Yoon Suk Yeol to five years in prison, marking the first criminal ruling linked to his failed attempt to impose martial law in December 2024. The Seoul Central District Court found Yoon Suk Yeol guilty of obstructing justice by directing the presidential security service…
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Japan and the Philippines have signed a new defence logistics agreement to strengthen security cooperation and improve joint preparedness in the Indo-Pacific. The Acquisition and Cross-Servicing Agreement was signed in Manila by Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi and Philippine Foreign Secretary Theresa Lazaro. It allows both countries to provide each other with tax-free fuel, food,…
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China has reported a record $1.2 trillion trade surplus in 2025, the largest ever recorded globally, underscoring Beijing’s continued export strength despite geopolitical and economic headwinds. Wang Jun, Deputy Director of China’s General Administration of Customs, described the results as “extraordinary and hard-won” amid profound shifts in global trade. Key developments: • The surplus surpassed…
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India and China are seeking to stabilise their disputed Himalayan border and rebuild military-to-military trust, according to General Upendra Dwivedi, India’s Chief of the Army Staff. “We are trying to increase trust between the military,” India’s army chief Upendra Dwivedi told reporters in New Delhi. “The top leadership including prime minister, defence and foreign ministers…
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Japan and South Korea have agreed to deepen security and economic cooperation, citing rising geopolitical and trade uncertainty in East Asia. Following a summit in Nara, Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi and South Korean President Lee Jae Myung said bilateral and trilateral coordination with the United States was becoming increasingly important. Key developments • Focus…
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President Xi Jinping has reaffirmed that China’s anti-corruption campaign remains a central political priority, warning the fight is “severe and complex” and must not be lost. Speaking at the opening of a three-day plenary of the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI), China’s top watchdog, Xi called for an “unwavering high-pressure stance” against graft across…
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