Hun Manet, the eldest son of Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen, has never served in an elected role, only in military and party positions. (Pool via Reuters)
David Hutt

The next Cambodian government will be outsized

Hun Sen has bought support for son Hun Manet with promises of positions

Avatar
David Hutt
Avatar
G-7 leaders walk through Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park on May 19. (Pool via Reuters)
Nancy Snow

Hiroshima's message of peace was lost on the G-7

Ukraine distracted U.S. and allies from needs of developing world

Avatar
Nancy Snow
Avatar
Office workers in Tokyo: A shift toward a more gender-balanced environment is great for the upcoming generation of working women. 

Gender equity is coming to Japan's workplaces

Women are getting a lift from family, social and corporate developments

Avatar
Children play with a smartphone at home in Jakarta in 2020: Over 200,000 children globally go online for the first time each day. 
Roland Angerer

Asia's families must be empowered to combat online abuse

Risks of bullying and sexual exploitation can be reduced with higher awareness

Avatar
Roland Angerer
Avatar
The yuan is now the fifth-most used currency for global foreign exchange transactions. In March, China used more yuan in its cross-border transactions than dollars for the first time.
Zhou Xin

U.S. will come to regret holding back China at the IMF

Washington cannot expect Beijing's help with dollar or inflation

Avatar
Zhou Xin
Avatar
A view of ships anchored in Singapore's eastern anchorage area: The city-state has powered its way to become the world's largest ship refueling hub. 
Katharine Palmer

Singapore is leading the way on taking carbon out of shipping

Government is driving effort to electrify vessels and shift to green fuels

Avatar
Katharine Palmer
Avatar
Demand to handle the expanding mountain of digital information is accelerating, particularly in Asia's fast-growing economies.
Bali Kaur Sodhi

Southeast Asian data centers must be plugged into net-zero agenda

Demand is growing but outsized energy use creates dilemmas for governments

Avatar
Bali Kaur Sodhi
Avatar
Alibaba's reorganization shows the limitations of a business ecosystem centered on a heavy core.
Mark Greeven

Alibaba's restructuring is a chance for a fresh start

Autonomy will be a plus, with some units looking ready to stand on their own

Avatar
Mark Greeven
Avatar
Nickel ore stockpiles at DMCI Mining's mine in Santa Cruz, the Philippines: The country is already the world's second-largest producer of nickel.
Makoi Popioco

The Philippines should seek to bond with U.S. on metals

Cooperation on critical mineral processing should bring new investment

Avatar
Makoi Popioco
Avatar
G-7 leaders pose for a photo after laying flower wreaths during a visit to the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park as part of their summit in the Japanese city on May 19. (Pool via Reuters)
Nikkei Editorial

G-7 'Hiroshima Vision' rekindles push for nuclear disarmament

Nations must work together to rebuild nonproliferation regime

Nikkei Editorial
Bank of Japan Gov. Kazuo Ueda may keep the central bank on autopilot indefinitely. (Pool via Reuters)

Japan's stock rally is making life harder for new BOJ governor

Like predecessors and premiers, Ueda can't be seen to short-circuit surge

Avatar
A worker in Dhaka dries rice: Bangladesh's agricultural sector, which accounts for 12% of GDP, has been challenged to meet ever-growing demand for food grains.
Riccardo Puliti

With support, Bangladesh can improve its food security

New rice mill will help reduce wastage and increase women's participation

Avatar
Riccardo Puliti
Avatar
Diplomats pose after signing the CPTPP agreement in Chile in 2018: More progress is needed in nontariff areas of the pact. 
Ong Kian-Ming

The CPTPP needs a shot in the arm; U.K. entry can provide it

Progress on issues besides tariffs cuts has been limited

Avatar
Ong Kian-Ming
Avatar
Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan addresses supporters in Istanbul on May 18: No one should ever underestimate his skills as a campaigner.
Soli Ozel

Turkish voters have forgiven government for incompetence, neglect

Erosion of middle-class living standards due to inflation shrugged off

Avatar
Soli Ozel
Avatar
Australia's foreign policy moved from a "pragmatic" position of not choosing sides to effectively going all-in with the American view that China is a threat.
Nick Bisley and Rebecca Strating

Australia's defense review can't take the place of security strategy

Potential impact of ambitious arms programs undefined

Nick Bisley and Rebecca Strating
Imran Khan in Lahore High Court on May 19: Despite his close familiarity with the military, the populist politician has misjudged its tolerance for defiance.
Ayesha Siddiqa

Imran Khan cannot win back power by targeting Pakistan's military

Supporters' hopes of following Turkish example are doomed

Avatar
Ayesha Siddiqa
Avatar
For all his legions of critics, rivals, enemies and legal problems, Trump's pugilistic populism still inspires millions of supporters.

Biden vs. Trump II is likely America's unhappy fate

No other Republican comes close in drawing support despite legal troubles

Avatar
U.S. President Joe Biden’s Indo-Pacific strategy focuses on universal challenges such as climate change and has little to do with the Quad’s original core objectives.

Canceled Quad summit shows how Biden is not focused on Asia

President is third straight U.S. leader unable to reorder Washington's priorities

Avatar
The KMT confirmed New Taipei Mayor Hou Yu-ih as its presidential candidate on May 17: He has said he neither supports Taiwan's independence nor Beijing's "One Country, Two Systems" formula.
Derek Grossman

China looms behind KMT's choice of Hou as presidential nominee

Trips by Ma and Tsai spotlight island's dilemmas on mainland policy

Avatar
Derek Grossman
Avatar
Bharat Biotech's COVID-19 vaccine Covaxin: The world's pandemic response depended on the rapid production of new vaccines through biomanufacturing.
Saurabh Todi and Shambhavi Naik

The Quad should have its own biomanufacturing hub in India

China likely to dominate sector unless allies pool their capabilities

Saurabh Todi and Shambhavi Naik
A Baidu AI robot at its headquarters in Beijing: Leading Chinese tech companies, having heavily invested in generative AI, are influential players in the regulatory landscape.
Angela Huyue Zhang

China has too much invested in AI to smother its development

New rules for generative tools likely to stay broad and vague

Avatar
Angela Huyue Zhang
Avatar
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz while on a visit to Berlin in February: Honest discussion with Rome's G-7 partners is needed.
Nicola Casarini

Italy's Meloni must explain her stance on China's BRI to the G-7

Deadline to renew or cancel agreement with Beijing is approaching

Avatar
Nicola Casarini
Avatar
A microchip is displayed at the Taiwan Semiconductor Research Institute in Hsinchu: With economic and social stability at stake, nations should take action now to stock up on chips.
Abishur Prakash

'Strategic chip reserves' can insulate against Taiwan war risk

Potential economic and social impact of supply cutoff too great to ignore

Avatar
Abishur Prakash
Avatar
Move Forward Party leader Pita Limjaroenrat celebrates his party's victory with supporters in Bangkok on May 15. (Photo by Ken Kobayashi)
Duncan McCargo

Thai public's rejection of rule by generals must be respected

Victorious Move Forward party deserves to lead new government

Avatar
Duncan McCargo
Avatar
Indonesian President Joko Widodo and other leaders gather for the 42nd ASEAN Summit in Labuan Bajo, Indonesia, on May 10. (Pool via Reuters)
Nikkei Editorial

ASEAN must unite on ending violence in Myanmar

Fragmented diplomacy by bloc's members will allow chaos to continue

Nikkei Editorial