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Maria Siow
Senior Correspondent, Asia
Maria Siow is a long-time China-based correspondent and analyst with keen interest in East Asia. Maria has a masters degree in international relations.
Maria Siow is a long-time China-based correspondent and analyst with keen interest in East Asia. Maria has a masters degree in international relations.
Areas of Expertise:
Chinese foreign relations, Asian affairs, China’s public diplomacyLanguages Spoken:
English, Mandarin
Almost all of Japan’s oil comes from the Middle East. A closed strait turned that dependence into a trap.
Strong security ties and other allies’ reluctance to support Washington’s ‘war of choice’ will help Seoul withstand the blow, analysts say.
Analysts warn the lack of provisions addressing the role officials and networks play in enabling scams may limit the law’s effectiveness.
Granting Southeast Asian vessels safe passage through the strait allows Iran to come across as a diplomatic good guy, analysts say.
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Min Aung Hlaing, who has resigned from the armed forces, is set to get approval from the military-allied parliament to become president.
Japan is enlisting French support amid a global energy shock and a diplomatic rupture with Beijing.
An Iranian vessel’s sinking in the Indian Ocean has triggered anger in India, while New Delhi is worried about the Strait of Hormuz blockade.
Trying to keep conflict at arm’s length by distancing itself from the US could bring Sri Lanka’s economy ‘to its knees’, analysts say.
The report details the ‘brutal’ conditions North Korean workers endure in Russia that reveal a pattern of ‘control, coercion and abuse’.
The energy shortage is ‘seriously threatening’ Vietnam’s growth objective and could dent the new leadership’s legitimacy, analysts say.
Defence and minerals to dominate the agenda as Tokyo offers hi-tech warships and energy pacts to secure Indonesia as a ‘trusted partner’.
Being a ‘first responder’ in the current energy crisis is in line with India’s ‘Neighbourhood First’ policy.
With Washington tied up in Iran, Kim Jong-un’s message is clear: if the US wants a summit, it must pay his nuclear price.
As assets are diverted to the Gulf, the Iran war’s high ‘burn rate’ risks creating a ‘thin spot’ in the US security umbrella.
Wary of both Beijing’s grip and Washington’s whims, three G7 allies are charting their own independent critical mineral course.
Analysts say the defensive deployment reflects Canberra’s attempt to balance alliance pressure with fears of deeper involvement in the conflict.
The sinking of an Iranian frigate and a leaked US cable have dragged the debt-burdened South Asian nation into a Middle Eastern conflict.
As Tehran retaliates against its Gulf neighbours, the newly expanded bloc built for trade is discovering the limits of its own unity.
Fears are growing in Seoul that shifting US Patriot and THAAD missiles to fight Iran could leave it vulnerable to North Korea.
Tokyo’s bid to boost ‘self-reliance’ may be costly and could take years given China’s dominance in critical materials, analysts say.
Experts say the strike highlights the risk of the conflict spreading into Asian waters and tests India’s careful diplomatic balancing.
Opposition parties accuse the ruling coalition of keeping voters in the dark, fearing a fast track to environmental damage.
Analysts say Cambodia is likely to make only modest US arms purchases given its limited budget, and rely on Chinese weaponry for now.
The ruling party’s embrace of a ‘single patriarchal value system’ could paradoxically weaken its long-term dominance, analysts say.
Sanae Takaichi’s coalition secures 352 seats in parliament’s lower house, handing the prime minister a supermajority.
While Canadian PM Mark Carney’s vision appeals to many, analysts say a lack of detail and divergent interests make a unified front unlikely.
A solid win will boost Takaichi’s position in foreign affairs but she is unlikely to become more confrontational towards China, analysts say.
Analysts say New Delhi may see a ‘limited role’ for the Russia-India-China trialogue amid global tensions and competing priorities.
The USS Cincinnati is the first US warship to dock at Ream Naval Base since its China-funded expansion was completed in April last year.
