Advertisement
Advertisement
Opinion /

Asia Opinion

Related Topics:
My Take
Macroscope
Nato Secretary General Mark Rutte meeting US President Donald Trump on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos on January 21. Photo: AFP
Taiwan

Opinion | What the Iran war reveals about Nato’s appetite for conflict over Taiwan

Resistance to a war started without European consent makes clear the alliance’s limits. The US can’t count on Nato support for a war in Asia.

videocam
War and conflict

Opinion | How selective outrage over Iran war exposes the limits of realpolitik

The Philippines

Opinion | How US war in Iran is pushing Philippines closer to China

videocam
Trade

Opinion | In age of US-China rivalry, supply chain statecraft counts

Systems that once underpinned globalisation as a process of integration are becoming repurposed as instruments of competition.

videocam
A man walks along rocks as oil tankers and cargo ships line up in the Strait of Hormuz, seen from Khor Fakkan in the United Arab Emirates on March 11. Photo: AP
A man walks along rocks as oil tankers and cargo ships line up in the Strait of Hormuz, seen from Khor Fakkan in the United Arab Emirates on March 11. Photo: AP
Diplomacy

Opinion | Why India is quietly deepening its engagement with the Taliban

New Delhi’s courtship of Kabul is powered by realpolitik as the imperatives of security, strategy and connectivity converge.

videocam
Japan

The View | Japan’s wobbly economy at odds with robust property market

While the country’s economy and currency are struggling, Japan’s property fundamentals remain strong.

videocam
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
US, Israel war on Iran

Opinion | One rule for Israel and another for Iran risks nuclear disaster

Israel is believed to have some 80 to 90 nuclear weapons. Iran has none. Such double standards are unsustainable.

6
Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu points to a red line he has drawn on a graphic representing an Iranian nuclear bomb as he addresses the UN in 2012. Photo: Reuters
Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu points to a red line he has drawn on a graphic representing an Iranian nuclear bomb as he addresses the UN in 2012. Photo: Reuters
Artificial intelligence

Opinion | AI infrastructure on the front line: Lessons for Asean from the Iran war

It’s time Southeast Asia reckoned with the weaponisation of artificial intelligence and what it means for the region’s security.

War and conflict

Macroscope | Iran war’s ripple effects are just getting started for Asia

From tariffs to supply chain disruption, Asian economies reliant on energy imports find themselves cornered between compounding crises.

The Philippines

Asian Angle | The Philippine military must transform, not just modernise

Changes to doctrine and force structure are needed to realise the armed forces’ dream of becoming a 21st century military.

Filipino soldiers take part in counter-landing live fire drills during the annual US-Philippines “Balikatan” joint military exercise in Palawan on April 28, 2025. Photo: AFP
Trade

Opinion | As Trump wrecks trade, WTO meeting in Cameroon is a show of defiance

Trade ministerial conference shows that most nations still value multilateral cooperation over the chaotic whims of a hegemon.

videocam
US President Donald Trump speaks to reporters before boarding Air Force One at Palm Beach International Airport in West Palm Beach, Florida, on March 23. Photo: AFP
US President Donald Trump speaks to reporters before boarding Air Force One at Palm Beach International Airport in West Palm Beach, Florida, on March 23. Photo: AFP
US, Israel war on Iran

Macroscope | Iran war: Why a Trump climbdown won’t save Asia’s economies

Markets might be convinced Trump will chicken out again, but that won’t reassure Asian nations scrambling to deal with energy shortages.

videocam
Middle East

Opinion | As the Gulf grows riskier, the Arctic is gaining strategic weight

As traditional energy centres become less stable, the Arctic’s resources, shipping routes and infrastructure are growing in importance.

videocam
China-Middle East relations

Opinion | When it comes to the Persian Gulf, China’s top priority is economics

Beijing’s refusal to pick sides between Iran and other Gulf states affirms its strategic positioning rather than a desire to shift paradigms.

videocam
Illustration: Craig Stephens
Diplomacy

Opinion | Look East? South Asia’s fate is far more intertwined with Middle East

Beyond oil, remittances and cultural ties, trade and defence pacts in recent years have added to strategic and security interconnectedness.

videocam
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif hug after signing a defence pact, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on September 17, 2025. Photo: Reuters
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif hug after signing a defence pact, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on September 17, 2025. Photo: Reuters
Asia housing and property

The View | War-induced interest rate shocks unlikely to upset Asia’s property markets

While monetary tightening would add to affordability pressures, it would have little bearing on the forces driving up prices and rents.

War and conflict

Opinion | Another war, another trade chokepoint crisis. Who is hit the hardest?

Those with narrow trade structures are hit the hardest but those with broad networks of partners, such as China, tend to be more resilient.

videocam
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Indonesia

Opinion | Indonesia’s new aircraft carrier is more vanity project than war machine

The jet-less carrier might buy Jakarta a seat at the elite table, but it offers no advantage in modern naval warfare.

The Italian aircraft carrier Giuseppe Garibaldi pictured in 2016. Photo: AFP
The Italian aircraft carrier Giuseppe Garibaldi pictured in 2016. Photo: AFP
War and conflict

Macroscope | Trump’s war is uniting the world, just not how he might have expected

The war on Iran could prompt middle powers to go beyond forming coalitions independent of the US and align more openly with China.

Malaysia

Asian Angle | Malaysia’s LGBTQ crackdowns aren’t hypocrisy, they’re politics

Anwar’s government isn’t failing its ideals. It’s navigating a reality where Malay-Muslim legitimacy dictates the limits of social change.

China economy

Macroscope | China is weathering the Iran war oil shock better than others in Asia

As the conflict threatens Asian economies, the best protected are those that can leverage import diversification and energy independence.

A petrol station attendant gestures in Beijing on March 11. Photo: AP
Asean

Opinion | Tariffs grab headlines, but non-tariff barriers decide winners in Asean

Trump’s flashy tariffs get the attention, but non-tariff barriers are what truly kill competition and leave firms and consumers worse off.

videocam
US President Donald Trump (left) and Malaysia’s Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim hold up signed documents on a trade deal in Kuala Lumpur on October 26, 2025. Photo: AFP
US President Donald Trump (left) and Malaysia’s Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim hold up signed documents on a trade deal in Kuala Lumpur on October 26, 2025. Photo: AFP
China-India relations

Opinion | India’s reopening to Chinese investment reflects strategic pragmatism

Concerns about signalling weakness misread India’s careful policy design. Foreign investment rules have not been abolished, only recalibrated.

videocam
War and conflict

Opinion | Who will be the real winner from the Iran war fallout? Not the US

With no clear goal or timetable for ending the war, the US president is running out of options.

videocam
4
Asia housing and property

The View | Why Iran war disruption isn’t enough to unsettle Asia’s hotels

While higher energy prices pose a threat to global travel, Asia’s strong regional travel demand and diversified source markets offer resilience.

videocam
A tourist poses for a photo doing the traditional Thai greeting during his visit to the Temple of Dawn in Bangkok on January 19. Photo: EPA
Help preserve 120 years of quality journalism.
SUPPORT NOW