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The Diplomat is a current-affairs magazine for the Asia-Pacific, with news and analysis on politics, security, business, technology and life across the region.
Updated: 3 days 5 hours ago

Wang Yi’s Visit and Mongolia’s Foreign Policy Balancing Act

Thu, 18/06/2026 - 16:36
How does the Chinese foreign minister’s trip intersect with Mongolia’s hosting of the U.N. desertification conference and its broader “third neighbor” policy?

The USMCA Review Will Be a China (and Asia) Policy Test for Mexico

Thu, 18/06/2026 - 15:26
Washington wants Mexico to prove it is not a backdoor for China. But Mexico’s factories still depend on Asian inputs.

Why the 4-Inch ‘Dancing Girl’ Figurine Rattles South Asia’s Puritans

Thu, 18/06/2026 - 15:08
The image of the nude torso of a millennia-old iconic figurine of a young woman was shaded in Indian school textbooks to make her appear clothed.  

Nice: France’s Mediterranean Gateway to the Indo-Pacific

Thu, 18/06/2026 - 14:54
France’s fifth-largest city is increasingly serving as a showcase for Indo-Pacific diplomacy -- including the Indian PM's latest visit.

On the Bangladesh-India Border, BJP Victories Spike Anxieties

Thu, 18/06/2026 - 14:47
Since the BJP takeover of West Bengal, Muslims and Rohingyas in the region talk among themselves in hushed tones and try not to attract attention, worried about their fate.

Central Asia’s Relations With Taliban-ruled Afghanistan Continue to Deepen

Thu, 18/06/2026 - 14:17
In April, the first Afghanistan-Central Asia Consultative Dialogue was held in Kabul, highlighting the considerable development of relations over the last five years.

Fragmented Trade and the Failure of Sanctioned Oil Isolation

Thu, 18/06/2026 - 12:21
The geopolitics behind how sanctioned oil continues moving through parallel trading networks despite efforts to curb its flow and what this means for global trading hubs like Singapore

Philippines Confirms Removal of Floating Platform at Scarborough Shoal

Thu, 18/06/2026 - 08:22
China deployed the platform at the disputed atoll late last month, for what it described as a program of "comprehensive research" in the South China Sea.

A Diplomatic Row Roils India-Bangladesh Relations Yet Again

Thu, 18/06/2026 - 07:33
While Delhi’s ties with Dhaka are hit by one hiccup after another, Bangladesh's PM Tarique Rahman is set to visit China next week.

India’s 5G Fighter Aircraft Dilemma

Thu, 18/06/2026 - 07:13
Russia’s recent offer to India for joint production of the SU-57 fifth-generation fighter comes amid India’s own AMCA project taking some definitive steps forward.

Brunei Pumps More Oil

Thu, 18/06/2026 - 06:46
Brunei exported 105,000 barrels per day in April, the highest level in five years. The vast majority of its oil went to Thailand.

Philippine Senate Votes to Remove Duterte Ally From Chamber’s Presidency

Thu, 18/06/2026 - 03:23
The elevation of Senator Sherwin Gatchalian comes just weeks before the chamber is set to begin the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte.

China Is Indispensable, But Not Dominant

Wed, 17/06/2026 - 20:01
China has drawn the great powers into its orbit without controlling their strategic choices.

Asia Is Sprinting on AI. Europe Is Still Tying Its Laces.

Wed, 17/06/2026 - 17:56
China, South Korea, Japan, India, and Singapore are all setting ambitious AI goals while the EU falls farther behind.

When Neutrality Fails: ASEAN in a Malacca Disruption Scenario

Wed, 17/06/2026 - 17:07
Insights from Looi Teck Kheong.

Now Open, Tashiev Trial Proceeds in Kyrgyzstan 

Wed, 17/06/2026 - 16:35
The first hearings featured a verbal argument between Tashiev and a witness and were followed by a leak of interrogation videos.

India-US Relations: Too Important to Fail, Too Complicated to Trust

Wed, 17/06/2026 - 16:10
The killing of Indian sailors by the U.S. military adds to the web of complications, but the structural foundations haven't changed.

Japan Is Re-engineering Its Intelligence Apparatus

Wed, 17/06/2026 - 15:44
The establishment of a National Intelligence Council and a National Intelligence Bureau is part of a long series of reforms and restructuring dating back to the end of World War II.

Chinese Surveillance Cameras Have Become a Huge Problem for India

Wed, 17/06/2026 - 15:17
The Ghaziabad CCTV espionage case is the logical outcome of a decade of unregulated Chinese surveillance hardware infiltrating India’s most sensitive locations.

Lee Jae-myung Caps First European Tour with G7 Appearance

Wed, 17/06/2026 - 14:48
South Korean President Lee Jae-myung made Korean Peninsula peace a central theme of his first trip to Europe. 

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