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  • 15 Apr 2025
    • Japan
    • Defence & Security
    • Europe

    Xi and Putin drive Japan and NATO closer together

    Stuart Lau
    Tokyo wants to learn more about Russia’s tactics in preparation of potential conflicts with China, while NATO eyes Japan’s defence industry.
  • 12 Mar 2025
    • Asia
    • Asean
    • Japan
    • Singapore
    • Australia
    • Climate change
    • Sustainability
    • Technology

    Artificial intelligence and sustainability in the Asia-Pacific

    Melinda Stuart
    With the right strategies, AI and clean energy can work in harmony, driving progress without compromising the planet.
  • 17 Feb 2025
    • Japan

    Japan’s US-China headache

    Rintaro Nishimura
    Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba got off to a good start but must walk a tightrope between neighbours and friends.
  • 31 Jan 2025
    • Japan
    • Defence & Security
    • Europe
    • The Americas

    The practical effect of a constitutional ban on war

    Sheridan Ward
    A declaration might be often dismissed as symbolic but can promote peace by shaping the perspective of the public and leaders.
  • 20 Dec 2024
    • China
    • Japan
    • Global Economy
    • United States

    A US dollar deal? Explaining a lack of enthusiasm for a Plaza Accord redux

    Stephen Grenville
    A few lessons from economic history for a start.
  • 19 Dec 2024
    • Japan
    • Defence & Security

    An opposition party could hold the deciding vote on Japan’s national security policy

    Rintaro Nishimura
    Minority government has its challenges, as Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba is discovering.
  • 12 Dec 2024
    • Japan
    • South Korea
    • Australia
    • Defence & Security

    The trouble with Australia’s best friends in Asia

    Kieran Thompson
    Political turmoil in Japan and South Korea cannot be insulated from relations with the region.
  • 29 Nov 2024
    • Asia
    • China
    • Japan
    • Malaysia
    • South Korea
    • Australia
    • United Kingdom
    • United States

    As traditional “Anglo” international education destinations falter, Asia-Pacific countries look closer to home

    Angela Lehmann
    Chinese students are largely driving the surge in international students choosing universities across the region.
  • 21 Nov 2024
    • Japan
    • Australia
    • Space exploration

    Working together in space can enhance worldly ties between Australia and Japan

    Andre Kwok , Cassandra Steer
    And the region stands to benefit, too.
  • 4 Nov 2024
    • Asean
    • Cambodia
    • China
    • China's Economy
    • Chinese Trade
    • Indonesia
    • Japan
    • Malaysia
    • Thailand
    • Vietnam
    • Trade

    ASEAN countries confront Chinese export glut

    Henry Storey
    Left unchecked, a saturation of Chinese goods may complicate what has otherwise been a very compelling ASEAN growth story.
  • 31 Oct 2024
    • Bangladesh
    • India
    • Indonesia
    • Japan
    • Malaysia
    • Pakistan
    • Sri Lanka
    • Thailand

    Asia’s year of electoral upsets

    Greg Earl
    The poor result for the region’s most successful electoral machine in Japan on Sunday has only underlined a surprisingly bad year for incumbents across Asia.
  • 24 Oct 2024
    • Japan

    Japan: Will Ishiba’s election gamble pay off?

    Morgan James
    A self-confessed defence “nerd” hopes voters are growing alarmed about regional threats, despite the long rule of the Liberal Democratic Party.
  • 23 Oct 2024
    • Japan

    Japan would benefit from an economic security strategy

    Rintaro Nishimura
    An overarching, single document is the logical next step for a government that sees economic security as part of national security.
  • 21 Oct 2024
    • Japan
    • Malaysia
    • War Crimes

    The ghosts of Japan’s occupation of Malaysia

    Ikhlas Abdul Hadi , Marin Ekstrom
    Haunting stories of wartime brutality live on in Malaysia’s folklore, allowing the country to navigate the trauma.
  • 8 Oct 2024
    • Japan

    What Japan’s new Prime Minister thinks about Indo-Pacific peace

    Jenny Bloomfield
    Shigeru Ishiba will have his hands full with domestic priorities but those same hands are safe on regional security questions.
  • 26 Sep 2024
    • India
    • Japan
    • Australia
    • Quad
    • United States

    The Quad has solid foundations

    Kieran Thompson
    Questions of the group’s future after the leaders’ summit are misguided.
  • 26 Sep 2024
    • China
    • China-Japan Relations
    • Japan
    • Trade

    Yesterday’s stick, today’s carrot? China’s removal of the Japan seafood ban

    Victor Ferguson , Darren Lim
    Talk of easing import restrictions raises questions about Beijing’s motivations at this time.
  • 9 Sep 2024
    • Cambodia
    • China
    • Indonesia
    • Japan
    • Malaysia
    • Southeast Asia
    • Thailand
    • Australia
    • Australia and Asia

    China’s rise in Southeast Asia is bringing in a golden age for Australia

    Susannah Patton
    Disquiet about Beijing’s growing presence is motivating countries across the region to seek deeper cooperation with Canberra.
  • 5 Sep 2024
    • Japan
    • Sustainability

    In teaching about Sustainable Development Goals, Japan has a chance to learn about itself

    Marin Ekstrom , Ikhlas Abdul Hadi
    English as a foreign language courses could become a catalyst for change by fostering a critical thinking in classrooms.
  • 28 Aug 2024
    • Asia
    • China
    • China's Economy
    • India
    • India's Economy
    • Japan
    • Japan's Economy
    • Geo-economics

    The geopolitical ripple effect of Asia’s ageing population

    Mohd. Yunus
    Economies, cultures and foreign policy objectives are set to evolve with the region’s shifting demographics.
  • 19 Aug 2024
    • Japan

    The race to be Japan’s next prime minister: The chances for a first woman in the top job

    Tan Ming Hui
    If the long-ruling party wants to signal a fresh start, a big first might be the answer.
  • 16 Aug 2024
    • Japan
    • South Korea
    • Australia
    • United States

    Farewell Fumio Kishida – regional foundations are stronger for your legacy

    Jane Hardy
    Too much focus on personality politics can obscure the enduring common interests between countries.
  • 15 Aug 2024
    • Japan

    Kishida's abrupt resignation: Japan leaves a decade of Abe's influence behind

    Yuma Osaki
    But there is an unprecedented uncertainty about who will take up the Japanese leadership next.
  • 22 Jul 2024
    • Japan
    • South Korea
    • United States

    Japan, South Korea and United States: Let’s hope for a robust, lasting pact

    Jane Hardy
    The new framework for security cooperation will have important consequences for the region – if it survives domestic politics among the partners.
  • 18 Jul 2024
    • Japan
    • Philippines
    • Defence & Security

    Philippines-Japan security pact puts China on notice

    Richard Javad Heydarian
    Though both nations recognise the indispensability of Washington, they are also hedging against future uncertainties.
  • 18 Jul 2024
    • Japan
    • Quad
    • Technology

    Japan’s 5G ambitions with the Quad

    Kieran Thompson
    Tokyo is using the four-way grouping to champion its local tech companies against behemoths from Europe and China.
  • 8 Jul 2024
    • Japan
    • Diplomacy
    • Iran

    Diplomacy at a funeral

    Tim Hamer
    Recent deaths of world leaders have highlighted that international relations can take place at unexpected venues.
  • 2 Jul 2024
    • Japan
    • North Korea
    • South Korea
    • Russia
    • Ukraine
    • United States

    Putin goes to Pyongyang: Should we be worried?

    Jane Hardy
    The renewed marriage of convenience between Russia and North Korea has global implications.
  • 24 Jun 2024
    • Japan
    • Australia in the World
    • Australia
    • Energy
    • Climate change
    • Sustainability

    Gas and the difficult path to net zero

    Stephen Grenville
    As a major supplier of global energy, Australia’s external challenges will be formidable.
  • 30 May 2024
    • China
    • Japan

    The message behind China’s high-profile “comfort women” lawsuit against Tokyo

    Ming Gao
    Nationalism has a potent influence on historical memory – and this can skew in unexpected directions.
  • 24 May 2024
    • India
    • Japan
    • Philippines
    • Australia
    • Defence & Security
    • Quad
    • United States

    The “Squad” is a welcome spin-off, but the Quad is the main game

    Rahul Mishra
    India might not perfectly align with its partners in the minilateral group but its Indo-Pacific heft is much greater than that of the Philippines.
  • 9 May 2024
    • India
    • Japan
    • Philippines
    • South China Sea
    • Australia
    • Defence & Security
    • Quad
    • United States

    “Squad” goals: Consolidating the new quadrilateral partnership

    Richard Javad Heydarian
    With China flexing its muscle in the South China Sea, a revised grouping that includes the Philippines strikes a new balance.
  • 6 May 2024
    • Japan

    Japan is insulating itself from America’s turbulent politics

    Shantanu Roy-Chaudhury
    Alert to the risks of Trump’s return, Tokyo is betting it can make the alliance even stronger.
  • 19 Apr 2024
    • Japan

    Japan: Can foreign policy achievements save Kishida?

    Maximilien Xavier Rehm
    A scandal-ridden administration struggling with diminished public support at home, Japan’s PM has turned to international affairs to save his job.
  • 2 Apr 2024
    • Japan
    • Southeast Asia
    • Australia and Asia
    • Australia's Trade
    • Multilateral Development Banks

    Australia’s Southeast Asia trade stumbling block

    Maxfield Peterson
    Canberra must move fast on a formal information-sharing facility to reach its regional economic and foreign policy goals.
  • 2 Apr 2024
    • China
    • Japan
    • Philippines
    • Maritime Security
    • United States

    A wave of US trilaterals sends a clear message to China

    Richard Javad Heydarian
    Revamped security groupings led by Washington, including with Manila and Tokyo, are the new normal.
  • 27 Mar 2024
    • Japan

    A closer look at the rising popularity of Japan’s Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa

    Tan Ming Hui
    And could she take the next step to the top job?
  • 26 Mar 2024
    • Japan
    • Maritime Security
    • Pacific Islands

    Should Japan expand its security partnerships in the Pacific?

    Daniel Mandell
    Four reasons why rushing in may not be the answer.
  • 25 Mar 2024
    • Japan
    • Ukraine

    The message Japan sends by backing Ukraine

    Marin Ekstrom , Wilder Alejandro Sánchez
    An evolving foreign and defence policy is on display.
  • 19 Mar 2024
    • China
    • Japan
    • Japan's Economy

    Why Japan’s de‑risking response to China is incoherent

    Aaron Magunna
    A gap in interests divides the national security community in Japan and influential parts of the domestic business sector.
  • 6 Mar 2024
    • China
    • Japan
    • North Korea
    • South Korea
    • Russia
    • United States

    A summit between Japan and North Korea? About time

    Khang Vu
    With Kim Jong-un extending an olive branch to Tokyo, high-level talks may be on the cards, but roadblocks remain.
  • 6 Mar 2024
    • Indonesia
    • Japan

    How “like-minded” are Indonesia and Japan about China?

    Mahbi Maulaya
    Actions speak louder than words.
  • 5 Mar 2024
    • Japan
    • Australia
    • Australia and Climate Change
    • France
    • United Kingdom
    • Climate change
    • Environment
    • Sustainability

    A role for nuclear in Australia’s climate response?

    Stephen Grenville
    In the facts-lite political debate, the opportunities and comparative advantages of solar are being sidelined.
  • 27 Feb 2024
    • Japan
    • Pacific Islands
    • United States

    Japan and the United States should pool efforts to improve health in Pacific Island countries

    Eileen Natuzzi , Rieko Hayakawa
    A coordinated “health as diplomacy” partnership could mobilise the Quad, PBP, and other multinational partnerships to do the same.
  • 20 Feb 2024
    • Japan

    Japan in the shadow of China

    Richard Javad Heydarian
    And it’s not just Beijing – the Japanese strategic elite is understandably anxious about the future of its alliance with America.
  • 13 Feb 2024
    • Japan
    • Japan's Economy
    • Review

    How to fix Japan

    John West
    Embracing the lost art of “creative destruction” will allow the once booming economy to flourish again.
  • 10 Jan 2024
    • Japan
    • Sex and Gender

    “An awkward photo‑op”: Japan’s persistent gender problem

    Tan Ming Hui
    A summit blunder begs the question of how women can fight for equality when they’re not even at the table.
  • 27 Dec 2023
    • China
    • Japan
    • Thailand
    • United States

    Power in Asia: Six surprising facts

    Jack Sato , Susannah Patton
    Following the launch of the 2023 Asia Power Index, the authors dig into data that reveals how power is shifting in Asia.
  • 14 Dec 2023
    • Aid & Development
    • India
    • Japan
    • Australia
    • Defence & Security
    • United States

    Shifting Quad relief operations from theory to practice

    Neely Haby
    A relief operation exercise would allow the Quad partners to draw in other countries and showcase a regional good. 
  • 14 Nov 2023
    • Japan
    • Philippines
    • Maritime Security

    Japan’s new golden age in Southeast Asia

    Richard Javad Heydarian
    Tokyo’s recent geopolitical assertiveness cements its position as a regional security and economic powerhouse.
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