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A woman attends a screening of Dear You in Kuala Lumpur on June 15. Photo: Xinhua
Chinese culture

Opinion | For many outside China, Dear You reflects family history, not politics

Some call the film soft power, but for many in the Chinese diaspora, it’s simply family history.

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India

Macroscope | Is investors’ love affair with India ending?

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War and conflict

Opinion | 8 takeaways from the US-Iran war

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Diplomacy

Opinion | What does US Pacific Command name change mean for China and India?

Reverting to the long-used name reflects a more traditional maritime focus while prioritising deterring China, as the Quad loses relevance.

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From the left, a Royal Australian Air Force F-35A, a US Air Force F-35A Lightning II, a Japan Air Self-Defence Force F-35A, and a US Marine Corps F-35B Lightning II fly over the US Pacific Command area of responsibility during exercise Cope North on February 7. Photo: US Air Force
From the left, a Royal Australian Air Force F-35A, a US Air Force F-35A Lightning II, a Japan Air Self-Defence Force F-35A, and a US Marine Corps F-35B Lightning II fly over the US Pacific Command area of responsibility during exercise Cope North on February 7. Photo: US Air Force
Retailing

The View | What retail apocalypse? Southeast Asia’s malls are sitting pretty

Unlike in other markets, Southeast Asia’s malls are in a good situation as they embrace experiential retail and adapt to consumer tastes.

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Asean

Opinion | Beyond geopolitics: for Asean, China is a structural reality

Faced with the structural reality of China, Southeast Asia is trying to turn it into an advantage without losing control of its choices.

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Diplomacy

Opinion | China’s Iran strategy an exercise in power without projection

The Iran war may be remembered not just for who won or lost, but for how Beijing quietly altered the terms of great-power conduct.

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Illustration: Craig Stephens
Illustration: Craig Stephens
South Korea

Asian Angle | Korean drama Teach You a Lesson serves up a reality check on education

The hit Netflix series uses a vigilante classroom fantasy to expose deep, real-world anxieties about school violence.

Human rights

Opinion | Asia excels at tracking fishing vessels but fails those on board

As demand for sustainable seafood grows, the gap between the ability to monitor vessels and protect workers in the fishing industry must be addressed.

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Japan

Macroscope | Why Japan’s proposal for G7 critical mineral stockpiles is a bad idea

Tokyo’s overtures towards the G7 assume that China is a threat to be countered with economic or security measures.

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(From left) Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, US President Donald Trump, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz prepare for a group picture at Hotel Royal during the G7 summit in Evian-les-Bains, France on June 16. Photo: EPA
Vietnam

Asian Angle | When the US comes for Cuba, what can Vietnam do?

Vietnam has stood by Cuba for 60 years. Now Washington is raising the price of that friendship – and Hanoi must decide what it’s worth.

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Vietnam’s To Lam (left) and Cuba’s President Miguel Diaz-Canel review a guard of honour during a welcoming ceremony in Hanoi on September 1, 2025. Photo: AFP
Vietnam’s To Lam (left) and Cuba’s President Miguel Diaz-Canel review a guard of honour during a welcoming ceremony in Hanoi on September 1, 2025. Photo: AFP
Diplomacy

Opinion | How Asia can benefit from a Russia-India-China dialogue revival

Far from acting as another bloc, such a grouping could help ensure that regional competition is managed rather than reproduced.

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Banking & finance

The View | What Japanese outbound investment says about Asia’s top property market

While the drivers behind Tokyo’s outbound capital flow accentuate challenges in the domestic market, Japanese real estate still shows signs of promise.

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Japan

Opinion | Short-sellers are circling as Japan’s yen presents a tempting target

A Japan declining in competitiveness presents a tempting target, with short-sellers likely to also target economies like India and Indonesia.

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Bank of Japan governor Kazuo Ueda attends a press conference in Tokyo. The central bank kept its ultra-low interest rates unchanged on June 14, pushing the yen to a fresh 34-year low against the US dollar. Photo: AFP
Diplomacy

Opinion | Why the US must get real about North Korea’s nuclear status, and soon

Every year that passes without negotiations with Washington allows Pyongyang to improve its nuclear deterrent.

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Illustration: Craig Stephens
Illustration: Craig Stephens
Asean

Asian Angle | China builds Southeast Asia expertise as the US lets it wither

Yet neither power will truly grasp this complex, diverse region if they continue to treat it merely as a geopolitical chessboard.

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Indonesia

Asian Angle | Indonesia’s nickel rule changes are spooking Chinese investors

A leaked grievance letter reveals how Jakarta’s resource nationalism risks driving essential Chinese capital away.

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South China Sea

Opinion | Philippines’ belligerence towards China out of step with Asean trend

Manila’s security-first approach and alignment with extra-regional powers is at odds with the pragmatic direction of China-Asean relations.

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Illustration: Craig Stephens
Illustration: Craig Stephens
North Korea

As I see it | Kim Jong-un turns out to be the cleverest of them all

As others exert geopolitical influence based on economic or military might, North Korea’s leader has turned a weaker hand to his advantage.

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Diplomacy

Outside In | Central Asia is finally coming into its own

The region’s five countries, inadvertent beneficiaries of Chinese infrastructure investment, then wars and tariffs elsewhere, are finding their feet.

Hong Kong economy

Opinion | Why Hongkongers should be very interested in the Pinglu Canal

China-Asean trade is expected to surge as the Pinglu Canal synergises with the Hainan free-trade zone – creating demand for services Hong Kong can provide.

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Illustration: Craig Stephens
Diplomacy

Opinion | As the Quad loses its anchor, China has a chance to act

As the relevance of anti-China groupings such as the Quad and Aukus fades, Beijing and its neighbours have more room for dialogue.

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US Secretary of Defence Pete Hegseth speaks as Australian Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Richard Marles and British Defence Secretary John Healey look on during the Aukus meeting at the Pentagon in Washington, on December 10, 2025. Photo: AFP
US Secretary of Defence Pete Hegseth speaks as Australian Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Richard Marles and British Defence Secretary John Healey look on during the Aukus meeting at the Pentagon in Washington, on December 10, 2025. Photo: AFP
Hong Kong economy

Opinion | Why Hong Kong and Kazakhstan are drawing closer

As Kazakhstan seeks to diversify its financial partnerships and deepen engagement with China, Hong Kong’s offerings stand out.

India

Opinion | As Asia’s strategic landscape evolves, what is the Quad’s purpose?

Countries like India can’t afford to let ties with China be defined by a grouping focused on reacting to one power and lacking a broader positive vision.

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Indonesia

Opinion | Indonesia’s labour movement is deeply divided over political patronage

Rival rallies reveal a fundamental clash between a co-opted union elite and an independent grass-roots movement.

Indonesian workers take part in a protest during a May Day rally marking International Workers’ Day in front of the East Java Governor’s Office in Surabaya on May 1. Photo: AFP
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