Advertisement
Advertisement
Opinion /

Asia Opinion

Related Topics:
My Take
Macroscope
An advert for Eli Lilly’s obesity awareness campaign is seen on a building in Gurugram, India, on December 16. Photo: Reuters
India

Opinion | Asia’s flood of cheap Ozempic generics opens gates to weight-loss abuse

Cheaper semaglutides as patent ends is good news for diabetics. But lax regulation also means a risk of abuse by those desperate to lose weight.

videocam
Cambodia

Opinion | To beat Cambodia’s scam gangs, US must work with China – not blame it

videocam
War and conflict

As I see it | Why Donald Trump now needs a ‘forever war’

videocam
17
Technology

Opinion | In Asia-Pacific, the real maritime contest is over satellite surveillance

States’ ability to exercise territorial rights is increasingly mediated by their access to satellite data and analytics, but the tech is dominated by a powerful few.

videocam
A J-15 fighter jet from the Chinese aircraft carrier Shandong making an unusual approach to a Japan Maritime Self-Defence Force P-3C patrol aircraft conducting surveillance above the Pacific Ocean on June 8, 2025. Photo: Handout /Japan’s Ministry of Defence / AFP
A J-15 fighter jet from the Chinese aircraft carrier Shandong making an unusual approach to a Japan Maritime Self-Defence Force P-3C patrol aircraft conducting surveillance above the Pacific Ocean on June 8, 2025. Photo: Handout /Japan’s Ministry of Defence / AFP
Technology

Opinion | The danger in the Global South’s pursuit of AI as a magical cure

Rushing in without local R&D, literacy or governance risks leaving countries as testing grounds and passive consumers of foreign tech.

videocam
Asia housing and property

The View | Quirks of Asia’s energy markets work to the benefit of data centres

Asia’s unique energy markets, power sourcing strategies and vast digital infrastructure requirements underpin the sector’s resilience.

videocam
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Global South

Opinion | Global South nations are insulating themselves from the heat of US actions

The ‘Great Insulation’ is coming – not major powers decoupling top-down but small and middle powers building a firewall from the bottom up.

videocam
4
A poster depicting US President Donald Trump with devil horns at a protest in defence of national sovereignty near the US consulate in Sao Paulo, Brazil, on August 1, 2025. Photo: AFP
A poster depicting US President Donald Trump with devil horns at a protest in defence of national sovereignty near the US consulate in Sao Paulo, Brazil, on August 1, 2025. Photo: AFP
US, Israel war on Iran

Opinion | Why the ‘Gate of Tears’ may yet make the whole world weep

With the Strait of Hormuz effectively closed, any attacks on the Bab el-Mandeb Strait will pile further pressure on global supply chains.

US, Israel war on Iran

Asian Angle | Hormuz is sending Southeast Asia a warning – and we can no longer ignore it

The crisis has shown we must invest in renewables rather than staying in a fossil fuel comfort zone.

videocam
Diplomacy

Opinion | How America’s stumble in Iran upends East Asia’s security calculus

A region where US allies lose faith in Washington won’t necessarily embrace Beijing; it is a region more likely to reach for its own guns.

videocam
Illustration: Craig Stephens
War and conflict

Opinion | Iran war is changing East Asia’s energy and strategic plays

States like China and Russia that can provide energy, industrial inputs, strategic reassurance or room for manoeuvre are gaining weight.

videocam
Illustration: Craig Stephens
Illustration: Craig Stephens
Central banks

Macroscope | Asian central banks largely powerless in face of Iran war energy shock

Central banks cannot pump oil into the global economy in the same way they can flood the financial system with liquidity.

videocam
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

From Iran to Afghanistan, the cold logic of ruthless pragmatism ensures human life and welfare are always the biggest casualties.

People hurry past damaged residential buildings in southern Tehran, on March 27. Photo: EPA
The Philippines

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

Frustration at Washington among Philippine leaders and the public reflects a rapidly shifting balance of power in Asia.

videocam
Illustration: Craig Stephens
Illustration: Craig Stephens
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
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
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
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
Office and residential buildings are seen from an observation deck in Tokyo’s Shinjuku business district on January 10, 2025. Photo: EPA-EFE
Office and residential buildings are seen from an observation deck in Tokyo’s Shinjuku business district on January 10, 2025. Photo: EPA-EFE
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
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.

A pedestrian walks past a petrol station in Tokyo, Japan, on March 18. Photo: EPA
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
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, 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
Illustration: Craig Stephens
Help preserve 120 years of quality journalism.
SUPPORT NOW