Asia
From “poop diggers” to allies: Chinese social media reacts to Nauru’s switch
On 15 January, when Nauru switched its diplomatic recognition to Beijing, “Nauru severs its ties with Taiwan” was the top trending topic on Weibo. For two weeks following, we…
Southeast Asia is the blessing Australia overlooks
A special Interpreter series ahead of the 2024 ASEAN-Australia Special Summit in Melbourne, 4-6 March. Read more articles in this thread.
Too often in recent…
Pakistan elections: Conspiracy theories, plots, and sidelines
With the Pakistan general elections due to take place on Thursday, the country’s former prime minister Imran Khan has been sentenced to ten years in jail by one court…
What a new Indonesian president may mean for Australia
A special Interpreter series ahead of the 2024 ASEAN-Australia Special Summit in Melbourne, 4-6 March. Read more articles in this thread.
Indonesia will elect its…
Vietnam’s ports prosper as supply chains fracture
Vietnam’s main ports have shot up the world rankings in terms of volumes of container-based traffic as manufacturers increasingly pull out of China in the wake of the tariff-based…
ASEAN and the arc of uncertainties
A special Interpreter series ahead of the 2024 ASEAN-Australia Special Summit in Melbourne, 4-6 March. Read more articles in this thread.
Southeast Asia is in the…
North Korea is not about to start a war
Many observers think it is likely North Korea is planning and preparing to start a war this year. Pyongyang has indeed made bellicose noises in the last few months. But the main…
India’s Maldives boycott is leverage lost
Since the election of a new president in the Maldives, Mohamed Muizzu, the relationship with New Delhi has experienced a downturn. Muizzu assumed power in November, having won the…
Open and shut: North Korea sends a message with its embassy network
North Korea started the new year with a bang, declaring it will no longer pursue unification with an “enemy” in South Korea. More cruise missile tests have set the region on edge,…
The squeeze on Bangladesh’s garment industry
An economically struggling Bangladesh could do without a stumbling ready-made garments sector – its largest export industry. However, the domestic and global political…