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Asia Opinion

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Macroscope
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.

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Central banks

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

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Taiwan

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

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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
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.

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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.

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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.

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Afghan refugees recently returned from Pakistan and Iran receive rations donated by the Indian government, in Kabul, Afghanistan, on May 18, 2025. Photo: EPA-EFE
Afghan refugees recently returned from Pakistan and Iran receive rations donated by the Indian government, in Kabul, Afghanistan, on May 18, 2025. Photo: EPA-EFE
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.

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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.

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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.

A plume of smoke rises after a reported Iranian strike on fuel tanks in Muharraq, Bahrain, on March 12. Photo: AFP
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
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.

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.

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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.

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A delivery driver transports liquid petroleum gas (LPG) cylinders in Amritsar, Punjab state, in India on March 24. Two more Indian-flagged tankers carrying LPG passed through the Strait of Hormuz on March 23, marking a fresh set of exceptions in the chokepoint disrupted by the Middle East war. Photo: AFP
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.

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Illustration: Craig Stephens
Illustration: Craig Stephens
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.

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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.

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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.

A real estate agent points to the view from a property in Niseko, Japan, on February 20. Photo: AFP
A real estate agent points to the view from a property in Niseko, Japan, on February 20. Photo: AFP
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.

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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.

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.

A protester wears a mask of US President Donald Trump in front of the US embassy in Seoul, South Korea, on March 16, during a demonstration against Trump’s request to dispatch warships to the Strait of Hormuz. Photo: AFP
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.

A man holds a rainbow flag, commonly used to signal LGBTQ pride. Photo: Shutterstock
A man holds a rainbow flag, commonly used to signal LGBTQ pride. Photo: Shutterstock
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.

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.

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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.

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi has “Make in India” ambitions for the country. Allowing cautious Chinese investment would enable Indian companies to localise supply chains rather than remain dependent on imports. Photo: AFP
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