The Korean language, once limited to the Korean Peninsula, has experienced a dramatic surge in global popularity due to the rise of K-pop, Korean dramas, and films. Even though this has led to increased enrollment in Korean language courses by both ethnic Koreans and non-Korean learners, achieving fluency remains a significant challenge. For the Ko…

China's maritime aggression towards the Philippines has been escalating, with the China Coast Guard now ramming Philippine naval vessels in disputed waters. This has put intense pressure on President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to defend the archipelagic nation's maritime territory against a superior force. Despite efforts by the current and past administ…

As East Asian countries like Japan, China and South Korea experience rapid population ageing due to declining fertility rates and increasing life expectancy, the demographic shift in the land of the living is having a parallel impact on what happens after life. Deathcare -- which encompasses post-death services, products, policy, and governance -- …

The rivers of the Eastern Tibetan Plateau, a lifeline for hundreds of millions of people across Asia, are a hotbed of geopolitical tension. A history of colonialism, border disputes, and competing interests has made present-day transboundary governance exceptionally challenging, as national governments, non-state actors, international organisations…

More than a quarter century since landmark democratic reforms, Indonesia's labor movement remains surprisingly subdued. Workers continue to face low wages, poor working conditions, and laws that put employers first, as efforts to organize labor remain encumbered by a mix of nationalist and religious rhetoric, government policy, and the rise of the …

South Korea has a reputation for very long work hours. Despite laws limiting the working week to 40 hours, overtime is rampant, fueled by a culture of "more is better." This relentless pace has resulted in overwork-related deaths and has played a part in South Korea having the world's lowest fertility rate. At the same time, the tradition of lifeti…

While Narendra Modi was able to secure a historic third term as India's Prime Minister in recent elections, he no longer enjoys presiding over an outright parliamentary majority by his party, the BJP. Instead, Modi is now forced to rely on alliance partners, who will likely bristle at his autocratic leadership style and his party's Hindu-nationalis…

With escalating military conflict between Myanmar's ruling junta and various ethnic armed organisations (or EAOs) in recent months, China is pursuing a delicate balancing act along their shared 2200 km border, juggling its economic interests, security concerns, and regional reputation. While Beijing has traditionally supported the junta, recent eve…

Undersea cables underpin global communication and the digital economy, with between 95-99% of data for international banking, e-commerce, video calls, and intelligence sharing travelling via these largely hidden transoceanic routes. However, this critical multi-billion-dollar infrastructure faces increasing risks from shipping accidents, natural di…

Almost four decades since Vietnam abandoned Marxist central planning in favour of market socialism, Vietnam is now well integrated in the global supply chain and is an important manufacturing hub for labour-intensive industries like textiles, electronics, and even automobiles. The economic expansion -- powered by foreign investment and exports -- h…

For the nearly eight decades since its founding, Pakistan has struggled to find a balance between civilian democratic governance and the power wielded by its armed forces. The military has directly ruled the country for almost half of its existence through coups d’etat and martial law. Even during periods of civilian rule, its influence has loomed …

For decades, Iran has skillfully employed a network of proxy militant groups across the broader Middle East to project power and advance its interests, while maintaining an impression of plausible deniability on the global stage. At its core lies a "forward defence" strategy: pushing away or pre-empting threats from Iranian soil. Yet while this app…

Straddling the boundaries of Pakistan, Iran, and Afghanistan, the Baloch people have long endured as a distinct ethnic group whose aspirations have been overshadowed by the ambitions of larger state actors. In Balochistan, in Pakistan's west, Baloch ethno-nationalist assertions of identity have long driven protests and petitioning directed at Islam…

Indonesia, the world's third largest democracy, has elected Prabowo Subianto to be its next president in a sweeping victory. Yet, Prabowo, who enjoyed substantial support from Indonesia's young voters, is a controversial figure with a reputation marred by human rights violations, a history of anti-democratic rhetoric, and ties to the authoritarian …

Malaysian society stands at a crossroads as ethnic tensions simmer, fueled by fiery rhetoric and a rise in Malay nationalism. Recent elections exposed a divided democracy, with populists pushing an agenda that strains the nation's multicultural fabric. Despite the absence of actual violence, social media is amplifying hate speech that paints minori…

China's Global Civilization Initiative (GCI), proposed by President Xi Jinping in 2023, aims to reshape global governance by emphasising mutual respect between civilizations and common human values. While it ostensibly appears to embrace diversity, some analysts argue that it primarily serves China's own interests by reshaping international norms i…

Despite China's official stance that reunification with Taiwan is non-negotiable, the perspectives of mainland Chinese writers, filmmakers, and television producers who have lived on the island are often far more nuanced. How have these artists reconciled their ties to the mainland with their experiences in Taiwan? What distinguishes the works of t…

With the return of the El Niño weather pattern after a three-year hiatus, several Southeast Asian nations are preparing for the resurgence of the hazardous haze caused by peatland fires in Indonesia. Indonesia’s 24 million hectares of tropical peatlands – the largest holding worldwide – support vital biodiversity and carbon storage. However, agricu…

As India’s diaspora continues to expand in Western nations, what are the implications of caste identity, and the discriminatory practices that accompany it, for corporate managers? Despite being prohibited by law in India, cultural norms and social practices have allowed caste-based discrimination to persist. The over-representation of higher caste…

China’s ambitious push into the Pacific Islands through infrastructure investments and loans has raised concerns about its grand strategy and geopolitical goals for nearby middle powers such as Australia. Meanwhile, Beijing's recent security deal with Solomon Islands plus its attempt to strike a larger deal with ten other island nations has prompte…

Myanmar is in the midst of a humanitarian crisis dating back to the military coup of February 2021, which toppled the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi and triggered a massive popular uprising that has been met with a brutal junta-led crackdown on protesters and the civil disobedience movement. Thousands of civilians have been killed, thousand…

With a history of conflict with large powers such as China and the United States, Vietnam now pursues a carefully calibrated foreign policy of multi-alignment and hedging to balance its strategic interests. The Southeast Asian nation has been working towards greater economic integration into global markets, yet it’s also using active diplomacy, see…

Although the rising popularity of the political far-right in Western liberal democracies has shifted Australia’s security gaze away from Islamic terrorism, two decades of terrorism countermeasures has left scars on Muslim communities down under and elsewhere. So how has living under the yoke of the War on Terror influenced how Muslims see themselve…

With the housing sector on the brink, high youth unemployment and slower than desired GDP growth, 2023 is shaping up to be an annus horribilis for China’s economy. Since many of its current economic woes are due to the lingering effects of its zero-COVID policy, it should come as no surprise that Western media are portraying this state of affairs a…

Cambodia has for decades been aligning itself ever closer to China, with substantial economic and political consequences for the Southeast Asian nation – and with geopolitical implications for its neighborhood and beyond. China's economic influence in Cambodia has been huge, with large-scale Chinese investments and infrastructure projects fueling g…

India faces a daunting task in providing adequate healthcare for its 1.4 billion people. While it can boast world-class hospitals and skilled medical staff, there remain stark disparities in healthcare access and quality, particularly in rural areas. Meanwhile, as India’s public healthcare system is criticized as antiquated and inefficient, the rap…

Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's victory in Türkiye’s 2023 presidential election extends his two-decade reign by another 5 years yet raises important questions about the country's domestic politics. Despite his handling of a struggling economy and the aftermath of a catastrophic earthquake, Erdoğan prevailed in a runoff election that highlighted deep politic…

As Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr begins his second year as president of the Philippines, how is his administration impacting the lives of ordinary Filipinos? The controversial term of Marcos’ immediate predecessor Rodrigo Duterte was marked by a brutal war on drugs that led to widespread extrajudicial killings as well as attacks on activists, medi…

In May 2019, Taiwan broke barriers by legalizing same-sex marriage, becoming the first in Asia to do so. While the enormous efforts of activists — coupled with the progressive mindset of Taiwanese youth — were instrumental in achieving this milestone, what is it about Taiwan that has made it the regional forerunner when it comes to the rights of se…

While China asserts its right to some 90% of the South China Sea, its claims variously overlap and conflict with those of Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia, Brunei, and the Philippines -- themselves no strangers to past maritime disputes. In fact, countries across the Indo-Pacific have had to find ways of resolving or at least learning to live with disp…

Since the Taliban returned to power in Afghanistan in August 2021, the harboring of extremist or terrorist groups, continued high numbers of displaced Afghans, and ramped up production of opium for export are key concerns for neighboring nations. Iran, Pakistan, China, India and other countries each have their own interests to protect and opportuni…

In Malaysia, the 3 “R”s — race, religion, and royalty — are considered politically sensitive topics, and despite constitutional guarantees of freedom of speech, the state has passed laws that restrict their discussion, both online and off. While these curbs have the potential to stifle critical discussion and maintain existing power structures, the…

There's no question that Australia is tightly bound to Asia. Indonesia is a close neighbor, China is its most important trading partner, and India and Japan are its strategic partners. While prioritizing Asia-focused education would thus seem essential for Australia, recent trends indicate a decline in Asian language and studies programs in Austral…

China's government has made significant policy shifts in recent months, including lifting the zero-covid policy, loosening credit regulations for real estate development, and a less strident tone in international relations. These changes suggest a sense of reversal or climbdown, despite the absence of official admissions of any policy failing. Is a…

In Taiwan, the victory in Taipei's 2022 mayoral election of Chiang Wan-an, the Kuomintang (KMT) candidate and purported great grandson of former strongman Chiang Kai Shek, has sparked debate about the future of the island's relationship with China. While the KMT has adopted a more conciliatory stance towards the Chinese Communist Party, its one-tim…

The Yangtze, Asia's longest river, flows through China's wealthiest region, the lower delta, which includes the metropolis of Shanghai. Sadly, the unique traditional cultures and epic folk songs of this region have all but succumbed to the relentless march of modernization and cultural homogenisation. What are the stories behind the region’s longfo…

In 2020, Beijing imposed a national security law on Hong Kong after months of mass protests, resulting in the prosecution and conviction of many activists and journalists. China introduced the law despite their 1997 agreement with the outgoing British colonial administration to allow the territory its own system of governance for 50 years. Nearly t…

Although Indonesia's presidential elections take place in February 2024, it's already game on for the lineup of presidential hopefuls, and the nation's political machine is already in high gear. So who are the big names throwing their hats into the ring this time around? What will each bring to the table? And what messages will resonate with the di…

Muslims in Indonesia are increasingly seeking to align their consumption with their religious beliefs. The push comes from a growing urban middle class who have greater access to global products and services. At the same time, Indonesia’s halal product assurance law, which came into effect in 2019, is being phased in across a wide range of goods an…

In August 2021, the Taliban returned to power in Afghanistan after a 20-year hiatus and promptly replaced the nation’s legal system with their own austere version of Islamic law or Sharia. While the impact of the new government on women and girls has been well documented outside the country, the Taliban's interpretation of Sharia is making itself f…

Sri Lanka recently found itself caught in a diplomatic tussle between China and India over the planned visit of Chinese naval vessel the Yuan Wang 5, to the port of Hambantota. India opposed the visit because it considers the vessel a spy ship, while China maintains that it’s just a research vessel. And that saga is but one example of how Sri Lanka…

After the Taliban wrested power from Afghanistan’s democratically-elected government in August 2021, almost overnight, life for millions of Afghans changed radically and possibly irrevocably. Notably, the rights of women and girls to be educated and to participate in the workforce were stripped away. But the nation was also plunged into a terrible …

Since the 1950s but peaking in the 1980s, an estimated 200,000 South Korean babies and children have been adopted into mainly white families in western nations, leaving a trail of fractured identities. Why did the South Korean government allow so many of its children to be sent permanently abroad? What have been the fates of the adoptees, some now …

Taiwan and Korea were colonised by Imperial Japan for much of the first half of the 20th century, and liberated only after Japan surrendered to allied forces in 1945. While North and South Korea continue to share a deep resentment towards Japan, Taiwan exhibits a more positive attitude towards their former coloniser. Why is there such a stark diffe…

While non-violence and detachment may be central to Buddhist teachings, there are growing accounts of human rights abuses – often along ethnic lines – in Buddhist-majority countries like Myanmar and Sri Lanka, often carried out in the name of Buddhism. So how does Buddhism intersect with political power? And how has Buddhism itself been changed by …

China’s meteoric economic rise over the last 40+ years has been accompanied by hundreds of millions of people leaving the countryside to seek opportunities in the nation's metropolises. Housing this immense influx has been and continues to be a challenge for authorities. So how is China meeting the challenges of providing a roof over the heads of 1…

The recent change of government in Australia and a less strident tone in messaging from the Chinese leadership are being taken by some as a promising turn for fractured bilateral ties. But as Australia remains caught in the great power rivalry between the United States and China, what kind of relationship can we realistically expect between Canberr…

Protesters returned to the streets of Bangkok in late 2021 – after a hiatus due to COVID-19 restrictions – with anger over curbs to civil and political rights as well as calls for reform of the Thai monarchy. In response, Prayut Chan-o-cha’s government has sought to quell the pro-democracy protests by restricting and monitoring internet use, and by…

Malaysia has witnessed a succession of prime ministers and political alliances over the past four years in what some observers say is the most serious era of political instability since independence in 1957. Meanwhile, Malaysia’s grand old party, UMNO, dealt an unprecedented defeat in 2018 following a global corruption scandal and mass protests, is…

India has now on four occasions abstained from voting in the United Nations to censure Russia over its invasion of Ukraine. New Delhi’s muted response to Moscow’s military offensive may seem mystifying given India’s own experience of armed incursions by China, as well as its membership in the US-led Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (“the Quad”). So …