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Asia Opinion

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My Take
Macroscope
Illustration: Craig Stephens
Japan

Opinion | The domestic dynamics driving Japan’s remilitarisation

Sanctions, diplomatic warnings and aggressive rhetoric create a perilous loop, reinforcing the very domestic tendencies China seeks to deter.

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Japan

Asian Angle | Why Japan-China ties can benefit from promoting people-to-people exchanges

Thailand

Asian Angle | A year after corporal punishment ban, Thailand needs to curb resurgence

United States

Opinion | Why US may regret pushing allies towards greater defence autonomy

The challenge for US policymakers in the aftermath of Trump’s presidency may be to restore US importance among like-minded countries.

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US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu walk inside after Netanyahu arrives at Trump's Mar-a-Lago residence in Palm Beach, Florida on December 29, 2025. Photo: AFP
US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu walk inside after Netanyahu arrives at Trump's Mar-a-Lago residence in Palm Beach, Florida on December 29, 2025. Photo: AFP
US, Israel war on Iran

Macroscope | How the AI boom is helping Asia weather the Iran war energy shock

The war in Iran might as well be over for investors as positive sentiment, strong corporate earnings and the AI boom lift Asian markets.

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Tourism

Opinion | From Japan to India, overtourism cries out for new success metrics

Arrival numbers are important, but the impact on local communities, public services and environments is too often overlooked.

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US, Israel war on Iran

Opinion | Why an era of managed Hormuz disruption wouldn’t bode well for Asia

As the Gulf moves from war to managed disruption, the risk may become more enduring for markets, governments and companies.

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Illustration: Craig Stephens
Illustration: Craig Stephens
Japan

As I see it | A remilitarised Japan threatens more than just China

As Japan expands its defence posture with the backing of major allies, its leaders seek to portray Beijing’s objections as an overreaction.

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Diplomacy

Opinion | Without diplomacy, deterrence in Asia is a path to escalation

The danger is that every state insists it is acting defensively while collectively building the habits and infrastructure of confrontation.

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Asia housing and property

The View | Asian private wealth an emerging force in property investment

Hong Kong is just one of several markets across the Asia-Pacific seeing rapid growth in investment by private wealth.

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Luxury residential properties on The Peak in Hong Kong. Photo: Roy Issa
Diplomacy

Opinion | 122 years on, Mackinder’s ‘heartland’ remains geopolitically decisive

Conflicts in Ukraine and Iran have returned strategic focus to the idea of Eurasia as central to the global power contest, challenging the viability of the Indo-Pacific pivot.

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Illustration: Craig Stephens
Illustration: Craig Stephens
Banking & finance

Macroscope | The real reason stock markets are still flying high despite grave risks

For all the talk of market resilience, too much portfolio investment is chasing too few real-world investment areas.

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Taiwan

As I see it | Kuomintang gets the carrots, DPP the stick

Beijing and Taiwan’s opposition KMT want to foster cross-strait interdependence but DPP offers only isolation and endless confrontation.

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Food and agriculture

Outside In | The Iran war is brewing a food crisis we must avert

The world’s focus has been on energy shortages but famine and widening food insecurity are faces of the same coin.

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A Thai farmer fills an oil drum with diesel to harvest rice, at a petrol station in Ayutthaya on April 1. Thai farmers are struggling with shortages of diesel, fertiliser and insecticides, alongside rising production costs which threaten their crops. Photo: EPA
Japan

Macroscope | Why fixing Japan’s monetary policy isn’t getting any easier

The wrong kind of inflation and the effects of the war in Iran complicate the outlook for Japanese interest rates.

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Customers queue at a discount ticket shop at Akihabara Electric Town in Tokyo on March 24. The weak yen is fuelling inflation by increasing the cost of imported goods, sapping consumers’ purchasing power and making it harder to tackle Japan’s cost-of-living crisis. Photo: EPA
Customers queue at a discount ticket shop at Akihabara Electric Town in Tokyo on March 24. The weak yen is fuelling inflation by increasing the cost of imported goods, sapping consumers’ purchasing power and making it harder to tackle Japan’s cost-of-living crisis. Photo: EPA
Asean

Opinion | How new US-Indonesia defence pact sharpens China’s ‘Malacca dilemma’

The US is investing in the systems, skills and relationships that would matter if access to the Strait of Malacca ever came under pressure.

Asean

Opinion | As Iran war fallout hits Southeast Asia, US is losing influence to China

Asean survey reflects China’s growing strategic influence but also concerns. The question is: will China crowd the US out of the region?

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United States

Asian Angle | The Thucydides Trap is a lie created to justify a US-China war

Ancient Greece offers no lessons for Asia. The Global South must stop letting America’s war machine write history.

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Iranian women walk past a memorial in Tehran to a school that was targeted by a US air strike in February killing 165 children and staff. Photo: EPA
Iranian women walk past a memorial in Tehran to a school that was targeted by a US air strike in February killing 165 children and staff. Photo: EPA
Hong Kong economy

Opinion | How Hong Kong can beat Singapore as the launch pad for Chinese firms

Chinese enterprises going global is this decade’s economic story. Hong Kong needs a system to guide them through each stage of their journey.

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Japan

Macroscope | Will Japan’s corporate bond initiative signal a shift in Asia financing?

Japanese authorities are promoting the domestic corporate bond market as an alternative for firms seeking funding without losing control.

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China-Asean relations

As I see it | Vietnam and China are now perfectly aligned

The emerging partnership enables Vietnam to preserve diplomatic flexibility and advance economic diversification in the face of US pressure.

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Chinese President Xi Jinping (left) holds a welcome ceremony for Vietnamese President To Lam at the square outside the east gate of the Great Hall of the People, prior to their talks in Beijing, on April 15. Photo: Xinhua
South China Sea

Opinion | Without restraint, Beijing and Manila can’t deliver the South China Sea code

Much hinges on how China and the Philippines manage the distrust between their frontline maritime forces.

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Illustration: Craig Stephens
Illustration: Craig Stephens
India

Opinion | Why India feels exposed by Pakistan’s diplomacy in Iran war

Pakistan, with its contested reputation, leapt into diplomatic action while India, despite its heft and concerns, was absent from the frame.

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India

Macroscope | How the rupee’s fall shows India’s struggle to overcome vulnerabilities

While India’s economy is stronger than it was in previous sell-offs, lingering weaknesses are coming to the fore and driving new tensions.

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North Korea

Opinion | After years of neglect, China emerges as North Korea’s ‘top priority’

In a world of shrinking options and rising risks, Pyongyang recognises its alliance with Beijing is too important to ignore.

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Illustration: Craig Stephens
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