Menu
The Diplomat
Account
Home
My Account
Sign In
About Us
Advertise
Syndication
Write for Us
Contact Us
The Diplomat
Central Asia
East Asia
Oceania
South Asia
Southeast Asia
Economy
Diplomacy
Environment
Politics
Security
Society
Blogs
China Power
Flashpoints
Asia Defense
ASEAN Beat
The Pulse
The Koreas
Tokyo Report
The Debate
Crossroads Asia
Trans-Pacific View
Pacific Money
Asia Life
Oceania
Interviews
Photo Essays
Videos
Through the Lens: Life and Politics in Asia
Podcasts
Japan Affairs
Asia Geopolitics
Korea Talk
Magazine
Subscribe
Features
The Silk Roads, Past and Future
By
Peter Frankopan
for
The Diplomat
May 01, 2017
If China’s ambitious initiative can recapture the magic of the ancient Silk Roads, it will change the world.
Kazakhstan's Renewable Energy Quest
By
Eric Wheeler
for
The Diplomat
May 02, 2017
Astana will face a number of practical and political issues in promoting renewable energy sources.
A French Pivot to Asia?
By
Cleo Paskal
for
The Diplomat
May 01, 2017
Though perhaps overlooked, France has long been an Asian power and intends to remain so in the 21st century.
Exploring Kathmandu’s ‘Dark Star’
By
Vishal Arora
for
The Diplomat
April 24, 2017
Author Rabi Thapa takes viewers on a tour of Kathmandu's tourist hotspot-cum-red light district.
Modi’s India: Rising and Reshaping
By
Richard M. Rossow
for
The Diplomat
May 01, 2017
Halfway through Modi’s first term, what has the prime minister accomplished?
Afghan Jihad Frozen in Time?
By
Franz J. Marty
for
The Diplomat
April 25, 2017
A visit to Hezb-i Islami in the field
Magazine
The Silk Roads, Past and Future
Environment
Kazakhstan's Renewable Energy Quest
Magazine
A French Pivot to Asia?
Society
Exploring Kathmandu’s ‘Dark Star’
Magazine
Modi’s India: Rising and Reshaping
Security
Afghan Jihad Frozen in Time?
Popular Stories
April 29, 2017
Why is China Banning Baby Names and Beards in Xinjiang?
Crucial to understanding China’s recent moves in the region is a piece of legislation that quietly took effect on April 1.
Read Story
April 28, 2017
India's 2017 Joint Armed Forces Doctrine: First Takeaways
India's latest joint military doctrinal document offers new insight.
Read Story
April 27, 2017
What’s Behind Sino-Russian Cooperation on North Korea?
Russia and China have different rationales, but both are alarmed by the United States' confrontational approach toward North Korea.
Read Story
China Power
A New World Order
May 03, 2017
China’s Geopolitical Aims: The Curious Case of the 16-Plus-1
What the odd grouping of 16 Central and European countries says about China's global role.
Read Post
China Celebrates 27th Anniversary of Hong Kong Basic Law With Threats
China's Mediterranean Interests and Challenges
China Reduces and Restructures Army
Why is China Banning Baby Names and Beards in Xinjiang?
Why China Is Not Bound to Lead Latin America
More Posts
Flashpoints
Diplomacy by Other Means
May 02, 2017
THAAD Is Operational in South Korea. What Next?
THAAD is up and running, but that likely won't change U.S. thinking about a preemptive strike.
Read Post
Under Trump, A Looming North Korean ICBM Threat Brings Alliance 'Decoupling' Fears Back to East Asia
What Does China's New Aircraft Carrier Mean for the
Liaoning
?
India's 2017 Joint Armed Forces Doctrine: First Takeaways
Failed North Korean Missile Tests: Faulty Engineering or a Covert US Offensive Plan?
Are the US and North Korea Heading for Conflict?
More Posts
Asia Defense
Militaries of the Asia-Pacific
May 03, 2017
US Approves Sale of 4 Sub-Killer Planes to New Zealand
The U.S. State Department approved the sale of four P-8A aircraft last week.
Read Post
China-Built World’s Largest Amphibious Aircraft Gears Up for Maiden Flight
It's Official: THAAD Missile Defense Is Up and Running in South Korea
Assessing Malaysia's Coast Guard in ASEAN Perspective
The Real Significance of the US Carrier Group Fiasco
Foreign Warships to Join Singapore For First International Maritime Review
More Posts
ASEAN Beat
Insights Into Half a Billion
May 03, 2017
What Did Laos Leader’s Singapore Visit Achieve?
Prime Minister Thongloun Sisoulith’s one-day trip was dominated by economic issues.
Read Post
Trilateral Patrols in the Sulu Sea: Still Coming Soon?
ASEAN at 50: A New Test for Democracy in Southeast Asia
Is the Philippines’ Duterte Really a Leftist?
Indonesia and Libya are Restoring Ties in Post-Gaddafi Era
Where Is ASEAN On Press Freedom?
More Posts
The Pulse
Perspectives on South Asia
May 03, 2017
What Gulbuddin Hekmatyar's Return Means for Afghanistan
The Hezb-i-Islami leader's return threatens to further upset Afghanistan's already precarious ethnic balance.
Read Post
Nepal and China Conclude Military Drills
India's Ram Mandir Controversy Gains New Relevance. What Are the Stakes?
Deadly Maoist Attack in Sukma Shocks India. What's Next?
What Does the Surrender of a Pakistani Taliban Spokesperson Really Mean?
India, Japan, Australia, and the US: The Return of Asia's 'Quad'
More Posts
The Koreas
Divided Peninsula
May 03, 2017
ASEAN and North Korea: Strange Bedfellows?
North Korea asked ASEAN to take its side against the United States.
Read Post
US National Security Chief Confirms No Plans to Charge South Korea for THAAD
South Korea-Japan-US: A Window for Trilateral Cooperation
What’s Behind Sino-Russian Cooperation on North Korea?
South Koreans Continue to Distrust Japan. How Will the Upcoming Presidential Election Change That?
Will Park Geun-hye Be Pardoned?
More Posts
Tokyo Report
News from Japan
May 03, 2017
Japan, UK Talk Brexit and North Korea
The summit between Shinzo Abe and Theresa May largely focused on two issues.
Read Post
Japan’s Nuclear Moment
Japan's Practical Taiwan Policy
Japan and India: Concerted Efforts at Regional Diplomacy
Japan Eyes 'Counter-Attack' Capability Against North Korea Missile Threat
Abe Scraps Japan's 1 Percent GDP Defense Spending Cap
More Posts
The Debate
Comment and Opinion
May 02, 2017
Could ‘Strategic Impatience’ Toward North Korea Be A Rational Policy?
Four steps to make "strategic impatience" a workable reality.
Read Post
Trump’s Mafia Diplomacy Rattles South Korea
The Method in Trump's Supposed Madness
What About Asia? The Hole in the French Presidential Election Debate
$1 Billion For THAAD? Trump Chips Away at the US-South Korea Alliance
Making Sense of North Korea's Nuclear Weapons: The Big Picture
More Posts
Crossroads Asia
The New Silk Road
May 03, 2017
Will the US Ever Get a New Central Asia Policy?
Probably not. American interests in the region remain fundamentally tied to interests outside the region.
Read Post
Central Asian Echoes in
Non-Democratic Politics
A Bleak Outlook: Press Freedom in Central Asia
The Reality of the Sino-Russian Oil Alliance
Turkmenistan's Ongoing Gas Quandary
Economic Recovery and Confronting Corruption in Kyrgyzstan
More Posts
Trans-Pacific View
U.S. Policy on Asia
May 02, 2017
US China Envoy Likely to See Responsibilities Grow Asia-Wide
With a number of staffing holes in the administration, Terry Branstad may face a broader portfolio than he expected.
Read Post
Sino-American Trade: What Comes Next
CFIUS in US-China Relations
Trump’s Risky Reliance on China to Handle North Korea
What Did Pence’s Indonesia Visit Achieve?
China's Capital Controls: Politics or Policy?
More Posts
Pacific Money
Economy and Business
May 03, 2017
The Trouble With China's Latest Subway-Building Binge
New models are necessary to avoid the mistakes of the past.
Read Post
Financing for an Inclusive and Sustainable Future in Asia
Watch Out for the Blowback of Secondary Sanctions on North Korea
IMF: Rocky Global Recovery ‘Under Threat’
The US-China Fight Over Trade: The Ultimate Test of the WTO Framework
China's Latest Economic Data Beats Estimates
More Posts
Asia Life
The Other Asia-Pacific
May 01, 2017
The Indian Cavalry’s Charge on an Israeli City And Its Usefulness Now
The politics of history can be useful for diplomacy but dangerous for grammar.
Read Post
The Perilous Homecoming of Flappy McFlapperson
The Sleuth on the Sukhumvit: 25 Years of Noir Fiction With Christopher G. Moore
Vietnam’s Beekeepers Fight Back
Inside the World of Indian Moneylenders
Asia and the World Baseball Classic
More Posts
Oceania
The South Pacific
April 27, 2017
What's Wrong With Australia's Emerging Immigration Stance?
With visa changes and new immigration rules, Canberra is missing an opportunity to attract skilled global workers.
Read Post
Keeping Brexit in Perspective for Australia
Are There Chinese Hitmen in the Kingdom of Tonga?
Turnbull in India: Developing an Underdeveloped Relationship
Solomon Islands Seeks Balance in Relations With Indonesia and West Papua
Indo-Fijians and Fiji’s Coup Culture
More Posts
Podcasts
Asia Geopolitics
April 30, 2017
Go First and Go Nuclear: Assessing North Korea's Emerging Nuclear Strategy
Vipin Narang explains North Korea's nuclear warfighting strategy and theory of victory.
Listen
Solid Fuel, Canisters, ICBMs, and Tracked TELs: What North Korea Is up to With Its Missiles
Why the Debate Over India's Nuclear Doctrine Matters
France as a 21st Century Asia-Pacific Power: Hard Interests and Direct Engagement
Why North Korea May Define US-China Relations in the Trump Era
What Is Japan's Regional Threat Environment and Defense Strategy?
More Podcasts
Videos
Asia on Video
April 24, 2017
Exploring Kathmandu’s ‘Dark Star’
Author Rabi Thapa takes viewers on a tour of Kathmandu's tourist hotspot-cum-red light district.
View Video
Nepal’s Ex-Maoist Child Soldier Shares Plight of His 3,000 Peers
Silence Is Beautiful: A Nepali Café's Deaf Servers
An Indian Student's Battle With Depression
Myanmar's Forgotten Refugees
Kandhamal’s Christian Widows Still Await Closure
More Videos
Follow Us
Facebook
Twitter
Google
RSS
Newsletter
Sign up for our weekly newsletter
The Diplomat Brief
Email Address
From The Magazine
May 01, 2017
The Silk Roads, Past and Future
If China’s ambitious initiative can recapture the magic of the ancient Silk Roads, it will change the world.
Preview Story
May 01, 2017
A French Pivot to Asia?
Though perhaps overlooked, France has long been an Asian power and intends to remain so in the 21st century.
Preview Story
May 01, 2017
Modi’s India: Rising and Reshaping
Halfway through Modi’s first term, what has the prime minister accomplished?
Preview Story
April 01, 2017
How Advanced Are North Korea’s Missiles?
A close look at Pyongyang’s strategic missile capabilities.
Preview Story
More Previews
Latest Features
April 28, 2017
Trump’s First 100 Days in Asia
Continuities and discontinuities in Trump’s Asia policy.
Read Story
April 27, 2017
Youk Chhang: A Cambodian National Treasure
Leading by example, he taught a nation how to forgive without forgetting
Read Story
April 26, 2017
Australia's Carmichael Coal Mine Folly
Canberra is intent on seeing the controversial coal mine through.
Read Story
April 25, 2017
Exploiting Nepal’s Children
Two years after the earthquake, rebuilding continues and trafficking thrives.
Read Story
April 24, 2017
No Sunset for Pakistan’s Secret Military Courts
A failure of justice and a black mark on Pakistan’s global image.
Read Story
April 19, 2017
What Would the Second Korean War Look Like?
The first 24 hours of war on the Korean peninsula could cost hundreds of thousands of lives.
Read Story
April 21, 2017
The Fall of Ahok and Indonesia's Future
Ahok's defeat says less about the rise of Islamism and more about the strength of entrenched political interests.
Read Story
April 20, 2017
The Politics of Reincarnation: India, China, and the Dalai Lama
Will the Dalai Lama reincarnate in Tawang?
Read Story
April 19, 2017
Bhopal Gas Tragedy Still Haunts India
33 years after the Bhopal disaster, toxic waste at the site continues to ruin lives.
Read Story
More Features
Interview
April 25, 2017
Amitai Etzioni on Avoiding War with China
The author discusses US-China relations and how to avoid a war between the two powers.
Read Interview
More Interviews
The Diplomat's Quiz
May 01, 2017
Play
The Diplomat’s Quiz
: April 30, 2017 Edition
Test your knowledge of the Asia-Pacific region with
The Diplomat
's weekly news quiz!
Take the Quiz
More Quizzes