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This Week in Asia /

Politics

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Asean
South China Sea
the Asian angle
The Japanese Maritime Self-Defence Force frigate JS Mogami sailing in an undisclosed location. Photo: Australian Defence Force / AFP
Japan

Mogami momentum: why Japan’s warship is winning over New Zealand

Japan’s Mogami and Britain’s Type 31 are the top two contenders, but Australia may have already tipped the scales.

Asean

Asean to step up push for South China Sea code, energy security

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The Philippines

Philippines shifts defence strategy with Japan, eyes wider security focus

Malaysia

New database tracks shifting outcomes of Malaysia’s political corruption cases

The Prosecutorial Accountability Watch database is an attempt to make sense of a justice system clouded by ‘double standards’.

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Malaysia’s former prime minister Najib Razak is escorted by prison guards at Kuala Lumpur Courts Complex in December 2025. Photo: Reuters
Malaysia’s former prime minister Najib Razak is escorted by prison guards at Kuala Lumpur Courts Complex in December 2025. Photo: Reuters
Asean

Asean’s pivot to energy security leaves long-standing issues on summit sidelines

Southeast Asia is one of the worst affected by the global fuel crisis due to its high imports of oil and gas coming from the Gulf.

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India-Pakistan tensions

Chinese J-35 stealth jets set to give Pakistan a strategic edge over India

India has a much larger fleet of 4.5-generation fighters but is lagging behind Pakistan in the acquisition of stealth warplanes.

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Vietnam

Vietnam burns red tape but growth may be harder to rekindle

Vietnam’s drive to energise its economy may take time to materialise in the face of rising fuel costs and trade barriers, analysts say.

A labourer works at a construction site in Hanoi in April. Vietnam’s President To Lam has set an annual growth target of 10 per cent until 2030. Photo: EPA
A labourer works at a construction site in Hanoi in April. Vietnam’s President To Lam has set an annual growth target of 10 per cent until 2030. Photo: EPA
Myanmar

Myanmar’s military rulers hire Trump ally for US$50,000 a month to lobby Washington

Roger Stone has been commissioned to rebuild relations with the US, though analysts doubt Myanmar can escape its pariah status.

Japan

Trump’s last diehard Japanese fans lose faith as Iran war chaos spreads

Concerns in Japan are also mounting over the security ties between Japan and the US as Trump seeks to withdraw more troops from Europe.

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North Korea

North Korea drops reunification from constitution to formalise ‘two-state’ ties

Pyongyang has dropped references to ‘national reunification’ and redefined borders in its revised constitution.

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North Korea’s leader Kim Jong-un during an event in Pyongyang last month. Photo: dpa
India

Vietnam, India seek closer ties to hedge against dependence on superpowers

President To Lam’s agenda during his visit to New Delhi is expected to include a deal for Vietnam to buy India’s BrahMos missiles.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi meets Vietnamese President To Lam before their talks at Hyderabad House in New Delhi on Wednesday. Photo: EPA
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi meets Vietnamese President To Lam before their talks at Hyderabad House in New Delhi on Wednesday. Photo: EPA
India

What the BJP’s historic West Bengal victory means for Modi’s India

Narendra Modi’s ruling coalition now controls roughly 70 per cent of India’s state legislatures, giving him a historic grip on power.

Japan

Bound by anxiety: Japan and Australia deepen ties for an uneasy age

Shared concerns about trade coercion and energy shocks are driving the two middle powers to ‘institutionalise’ their partnership.

The Philippines

Hiding from the ICC? Philippine senator’s 6-month paid absence draws fire

Ronald Dela Rosa has not appeared for work since reports of him being targeted by the ICC as a co-perpetrator in Duterte’s deadly drug war.

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Philippine former national police chief and now Senator Ronald Dela Rosa tries a semi-automatic rifle during a defence and sporting show in Pasay City in 2023. Photo: AFP
Japan

Why Japanese politician’s goal to reset ties with Russia is ‘a long shot’

A proposed meeting of foreign ministers from Tokyo and Moscow is unlikely for now due to objections from the Japanese public and allies.

Honour guards hold the national flags of Japan and Russia before a welcome ceremony for then Russian defence minister Sergei Shoigu in Tokyo in 2019. Photo: AFP
Honour guards hold the national flags of Japan and Russia before a welcome ceremony for then Russian defence minister Sergei Shoigu in Tokyo in 2019. Photo: AFP
Singapore

Lawrence Wong warned of ‘storm clouds’ for Singapore. Was it an understatement?

Wong and his team have to prove they are ‘more than equal’ to the task of helping Singapore navigate coming headwinds, analysts say.

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The Philippines

Philippine VP’s impeachment case heads to plenary vote amid coercion claims

Duterte-Carpio’s camp has accused administration allies of pressuring legislators to support the impeachment or risk withdrawal of funds.

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South Korea

South Korea rebuffs Trump’s ‘Project Freedom’ call after Hormuz ship fire

A UN mandate and a global coalition are required before Seoul joins Trump’s mission to reopen the strait, officials indicate.

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South Koreans protest in Seoul last month against an earlier request by US President Donald Trump to dispatch warships to the Strait of Hormuz. Photo: AFP
South Koreans protest in Seoul last month against an earlier request by US President Donald Trump to dispatch warships to the Strait of Hormuz. Photo: AFP
Japan

Japan offers Indonesia and the Philippines lethal muscle to counter China

Frigate and submarine sales are reportedly on the cards as Tokyo’s defence minister tours the region.

Malaysia

Between hope and reality – Umno’s plan to go solo a test of political waters

The party says a solo bid can help it win up to 60 seats in the next election and give it leverage to decide on coalition partners.

Malaysia

In Malaysia, Anwar’s former ally Rafizi Ramli grilled over Arm chip deal

The MACC is investigating power abuse claims and irregularities linked to the alliance between the economy ministry and the UK chip designer.

Rafizi Ramli (centre) speaks to reporters during a protest on April 25. Photo: Facebook/Rafizi Ramli
Middle East

‘Structural shift’: new routes for Middle East freight to bypass Hormuz

Saudi Arabia, Turkey and the UAE lead a push for a new trade architecture with multiple nodes linking the Indian Ocean to the Mediterranean Sea.

The port of Fujairah in the United Arab Emirates on April 17. Photo: EPA/The UAE Presidential Court
The port of Fujairah in the United Arab Emirates on April 17. Photo: EPA/The UAE Presidential Court
Saudi Arabia

UAE’s Opec exit signals aim to accelerate foreign policy diversification

Iran’s attacks on Gulf states have forced Abu Dhabi to rethink its place within the Saudi Arabia-led diplomatic architecture, analysts say.

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Japan

Common threats help Japan, South Korea overlook historical rows

Both appear willing to put past differences aside as they confront an assertive China, North Korea and an unpredictable US.

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India

Why India’s logistics pact with Russia signals its Arctic ‘footprint’ ambition

The pact allows up to ‘five warships, 10 aircraft and 3,000 troops’ to be stationed in each other’s territory for five years.

Melting ice on the North Pole in the Arctic. Photo: Getty Images
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