menu_open Columnists

The Diplomat

We use cookies to provide some features and experiences in QOSHE

More information  .  Close

Indonesia Offers to Purchase $34 Billion in US Goods Ahead of Tariff Deadline

It remains to be seen whether the agreement, set to be signed next week, will secure a significant reduction in the 32 percent "reciprocal" tariff.

latest 30

The Diplomat

Sebastian Strangio

What’s Next for Thai Politics After the PM’s Suspension From Office?

With Paetongtarn Shinawatra under investigation for her conduct in a leaked phone call, the country once again faces a protracted political...

yesterday 10

The Diplomat

Sebastian Strangio

Why South Korea Needs a Trade Deal With the United States

Without a new deal or an extension to the talks, South Korea will face a series of new tariffs from the United States that will significantly...

yesterday 10

The Diplomat

Troy Stangarone

Online Dissent in China Doesn’t Mean Xi Jinping Is on His Way Out

Don’t be fooled by viral posts. The CCP allows and even encourages certain forms of online dissent – all part of its digital authoritarianism.  

yesterday 9

The Diplomat

Yujing Shentu

India-EU Relations: Charting New Vistas for Climate Cooperation in the Indo-Pacific

A stronger EU-India partnership on technology transfer, climate finance, green transition, and sustainability can help bridge the North-South divide.

yesterday 1

The Diplomat

Shanthie Mariet D’Souza

China’s Military Diplomacy in the New Era

Military diplomacy – including senior-level visits, port calls, and joint exercises – has become a vital tool of Chinese statecraft.

yesterday 1

The Diplomat

Phillip C. Saunders And Melodie Ha

South Korea’s Sovereign AI Gambit: A High-Stakes Experiment in Autonomy

Amid China-U.S. rivalry, South Korea is betting its future on a risky, state-led “sovereign AI” strategy to forge its own path.

yesterday 1

The Diplomat

Rajiv Kumar And Yihwan Cho

Trump Says US and Vietnam Have Reached an Agreement on Tariffs

The United States and Vietnam have struck a trade agreement that sets a tariff of 20 percent tariffs on Vietnamese exports to the U.S., President...

yesterday 0

The Diplomat

Sebastian Strangio

What Does It Mean to Be Kazakhstani?

What does it mean to be Kazakhstani? Scholar Diana T. Kudaibergen explores the title question – “ What Does It Mean to Be Kazakhstani? Power,...

yesterday 0

The Diplomat

Catherine Putz

Are India-US Relations at a Crossroads?

Donald Trump’s intervention in a brief Indo-Pakistan conflict and his diplomatic theatrics have rekindled fears of a return to Washington’s old...

yesterday 8

The Diplomat

Sumit Ganguly

NATO’s North Korea Blindspot Is a Security Nightmare

Ignoring the threat posed by North Korea, as happened at this year's summit, undermines Euro-Atlantic security.

yesterday 0

The Diplomat

Hans Horan

Exclusive Interview With Detained Activist Dr Mahrang Baloch 

From prison, Mahrang offers her perspective on the future of political dissent in Pakistan.

yesterday 0

The Diplomat

Hazaran Baloch

Mongolia’s WWII Legacy: Asset or Liability in 2025?

The stories of Mongolia's WWII heroes are deeply ingrained in the nation’s cultural fabric. But in an age of great power competition, remembrance...

yesterday 6

The Diplomat

Sumiya Chuluunbaatar

Reframing the French Indo-Pacific: New Caledonia, How to Overcome the Geopolitical Impasse?

The ongoing crisis in New Caledonia threatens to unravel more than three decades of French diplomatic engagement, as well as France’s broader...

yesterday 0

The Diplomat

Paco Milhiet

The Embarrassing Reason Xi Talks about ‘Great Changes Unseen in a Century’

The formulation clearly means something important, but its origins are often obscured.

yesterday 1

The Diplomat

Joel Atkinson

China’s Accelerating Efforts to Internationalize the Renminbi 

China is pursuing a strategy of selective RMB integration – eschewing full capital account liberalization and avoiding a direct challenge to dollar...

yesterday 1

The Diplomat

Monique Taylor

Between Tigers and Tradition: The Complex Reality of Village Relocation in India

True conservation must be about more than numbers. It must respect the dignity, rights, and voices of those who have lived in harmony with these...

yesterday 5

The Diplomat

Arpit Sharma

Why Google Maps Can’t Guide You Through Seoul

Every day hundreds of visitors step off the AREX train at Seoul Station, tap Google Maps, and discover that the blue-dot app they use everywhere...

yesterday 20

The Diplomat

Tae Yeon Eom

China Sanctions Former Philippine Senator For South China Sea Advocacy

China’s government has sanctioned a former Philippine senator and barred him from entering the country, citing his “egregious conduct” on matters...

previous day 10

The Diplomat

Sebastian Strangio

The US Aimed at Iran But Might Have Hit Central Asia

The U.S. and Israeli attacks last month on Iran to “obliterate” its nuclear program may have hit another target: Central Asia’s interests in...

previous day 10

The Diplomat

James Durso

ASEAN and the China-US Trade War

The Diplomat author Mercy Kuo regularly engages subject-matter experts, policy practitioners, and strategic thinkers across the globe for their...

previous day 8

The Diplomat

Mercy A. Kuo

How Netflix Both Supercharges and Risks Derailing South Korea’s Content Industry

Many of South Korea’s most successful global hits were released through Netflix, but its growing monopoly is stoking concern. South Korea has...

previous day 8

The Diplomat

Seongeun Lee

The Unexpected Consequences of War Between Iran and Israel on Afghanistan

Iran and Israel have a long history of military rivalry and hostility. However, until June 13, 2025, no direct, full-scale military conflict had...

previous day 6

The Diplomat

Besmillah Taban

Asian Universities Rise in Global Sustainability Leadership Rankings

As global efforts to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) face mounting financial shortfalls, universities across Asia are emerging as...

previous day 5

The Diplomat

Bayu Arie Fianto

China and Pakistan Mull a Beijing-led Alternative to SAARC

The China-India tussle for influence in South Asia can be expected to intensify should Pakistan and China’s plans for setting up a new regional...

previous day 3

The Diplomat

Sudha Ramachandran

Will China Become Iran’s Major Defense Partner?

As Iran navigates the aftermath of its 12-day conflict with Israel, the Islamic Republic finds itself grappling with two imperatives: the need to...

previous day 3

The Diplomat

Nima Khorrami

India’s Global South Outreach: Symbolic Solidarity or Strategic Shift?

On July 2, Prime Minister Narendra Modi embarked on what is being described as the longest foreign trip of his tenure – an eight-day, five-nation...

previous day 3

The Diplomat

Kashif Hasan Khan

Why Is Japan’s Tiny Kurdish Community at the Center of a Political Storm?

On June 6, a group of parliamentarians within Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) presented Prime Minister Ishiba Shigeru with a new...

previous day 3

The Diplomat

Maximilien Xavier Rehm

Why the 2025 UN Conference Must Deliver on the Rohingya Crisis

This September, the United Nations will host a long-awaited High-Level Conference on the Situation of Rohingya Muslims and Other Minorities in...

previous day 3

The Diplomat

Zulficar Niaz Tushar

The Deadline for Trump’s ‘Reciprocal Tariffs’ Is Looming

U.S. President Donald Trump’s 90-day pause on implementing so-called “reciprocal” tariffs on some 180 trading partners ends on July 8. How are...

previous day 3

The Diplomat

Peter Draper

Japan’s MHI Launches 11th Mogami-Class Multirole Frigate for JMSDF

Japan is procuring compact, labor-saving multimission frigates at a rapid pace to address China’s day-to-day maritime assertion and expansion...

previous day 2

The Diplomat

Takahashi Kosuke

India, the Quad, and China’s Shadow: Building a Coherent Indo-Pacific Strategy

Despite early concerns that a Trump administration might deprioritize Quad engagement due to its highly transactional and unpredictable leadership...

previous day 3

The Diplomat

Imran Khurshid

How Indonesia Is Using Its Green Sukuk

From 2018 to 2023, the Indonesian government issued a cumulative $9.6 billion in green sukuk financial instruments. A sukuk is often referred to as...

previous day 2

The Diplomat

James Guild

China Car Crash Plan Targeting Hsiao Bi-khim Shocks Taiwan

Comments late last month by General Petr Bartovský, the director of Czech military intelligence, stated that Chinese officials had planned to ram...

previous day 2

The Diplomat

Brian Hioe

A Region of Opportunity? US Policy and the Future of Central Asia

Central Asia is no longer perceived solely as an object of great power rivalry; on the contrary, the region is emerging as an important and self-...

previous day 2

The Diplomat

Akilbek Tilavoldiev

Decoding ASEAN’s Measured Engagement with BRICS

Following Thailand and Malaysia, Vietnam last month became the third Southeast Asian  “partner country” of BRICS. BRICS partnership, an extended...

previous day 2

The Diplomat

Huynh Tam Sang And Vo Thi Thuy An

China’s Steady Ascent to the Moon: How Beijing Is Rewriting Lunar Geopolitics

When the Chang’e 6 return capsule touched down in the dusty plains of Inner Mongolia in June 2024, it carried something no nation had ever...

previous day 2

The Diplomat

Pablo Villar Bolaños

End of the Line: Hong Kong’s Last Opposition Voice Falls Silent

Hong Kong’s League of Social Democrats (LSD) party announced its decision to disband on June 29, citing “immense political pressure” from Beijing....

previous day 30

The Diplomat

Rishab Rathi

Europe’s Dangerous Gap in China Expertise 

When Xi Jinping came to power in 2012, many in the West still hoped that deepening economic ties would eventually nudge China toward...

previous day 30

The Diplomat

Stefan Messingschlager

Indonesia to Relax Import Restrictions as US Tariff Deadline Looms

Jakarta says that the measures will aid its tariff negotiations with the Trump administration, while advancing its broader economic goals.

tuesday 10

The Diplomat

Sebastian Strangio

CSTO Foreign Ministers Meet in Kyrgyzstan

On June 30, foreign ministers from the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) member states met in Cholpon-Ata, Kyrgyzstan. The routine...

tuesday 10

The Diplomat

Catherine Putz

Involvement of Regional Actors Complicates the Insurgency in Balochistan

The insurgency in Balochistan, framed by local fighters as  an anti-imperialist struggle  against  Pakistan and its Chinese sponsors , continues to...

tuesday 20

The Diplomat

Patrick Yeager

Russian Authorities Consider Additional Fees for Visiting Foreigners, Migrant Workers

Russia’s Ministry of Finance has reportedly proposed introducing new fees for migrant workers in addition to existing fees for a variety of...

tuesday 2

The Diplomat

Catherine Putz

How Russia Used Kyrgyzstan to Reopen Its Financial Escape Routes

Last week’s exposure by the Financial Times of the A7A5 crypto laundering scheme in Kyrgyzstan is not just another regional headline. It is a real-...

tuesday 4

The Diplomat

Brett Erickson

Charm and Coercion Shape China’s Expanding Security Footprint in Southeast Asia

In recent years, China’s defense diplomacy in Southeast Asia has intensified, signaling a calculated shift in regional strategy. While economic...

tuesday 3

The Diplomat

Rahman Yaacob

Thailand’s Constitutional Court Suspends Prime Minister Over Leaked Call

Under pressure in the courts and in parliament, Paetongtarn Shinawatra's chances of remaining in office are rapidly approaching zero.

tuesday 2

The Diplomat

Sebastian Strangio

Myanmar’s Elephants are Partners in Resistance and Relief

Elephants are playing important roles in the country's civil war, but the conflict casts a dark shadow over their future.

tuesday 2

The Diplomat

Karishma Hasnat

Silicon Statecraft Alignment: Taiwan’s Strategic Bet on US-Led Export Controls

Taiwan just tightened its grip on a key chokepoint in the global chip war, aligning its export controls more closely with U.S. restrictions on...

tuesday 9

The Diplomat

Ching-Fu Lin And Han-Wei Liu

Philippines Elevates Defense Ties With Lithuania to Counter ‘Common Threats’

The Philippine defense secretary said that the agreement was part of the Marcos administration's attempt to build alliances as a counter to China's...

tuesday 10

The Diplomat

Sebastian Strangio

Why Did Hun Sen Call For Regime Change in Thailand?

It is hard to see what Cambodia's former leader gained by openly violating the regional norm against mutual non-interference.

tuesday 20

The Diplomat

David Hutt