Politics

Chinese President Xi Jinping, left, and Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin superimposed in front of Wagner mercenary troops in Rostov-on-Don, Russia on June 24. (Source photos by TASS/Kyodo and Reuters)
Comment

Why Wagner revolt is such a nightmare to Xi Jinping

China fears Putin's demise could force a major shift in Indo-Pacific policy

16 July 2023
A man walks past a Geely Atlas Pro at a dealership in Moscow. Geely has seen sales volume soar in Russia this year.
Trade

Chinese cars and TVs stream into Russia after South Korean exodus

Hyundai, Samsung, LG pull back from market following Ukraine invasion

7 July 2023
Truckers wait near Pakistan's border with Afghanistan during a temporary closure in February. Islamabad authorized formal barter trade in June, aiming to ease pressure on foreign reserves.
Economy

Pakistani barter trade with Afghanistan, Iran, Russia stuck in neutral

Plan to ease forex pressure met with disinterest amid strained Taliban ties

6 July 2023
U.S. Treasury Department officials in June asked banks and regulators in Hong Kong to help identify high-tech American items from being shipped to Russia via the city. 
Semiconductors

U.S. Treasury warned Hong Kong banks on tech exports to Russia

Officials, others pressed to comply with curbs on shipments of 'dual-use' goods

6 July 2023
An oil tanker sails near Nakhodka, Russia: Crude oil from Russia accounted for about 40% of India's total feedstock imports for its refineries in May.
Opinion

India's Russian oil buying spree isn't anything to worry about

Discounts may not last, but New Delhi can always return to usual suppliers

6 July 2023
Russian President Vladimir Putin attends an online summit of leaders of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization from the Kremlin on July 4.
International relations

Putin claims unity, Xi slams decoupling at India-hosted SCO talks

Online meeting comes days after Wagner uprising shook Moscow and the region

4 July 2023
The DJI Mavic 3 Cine Drone shown here could be used in Ukraine to gather intelligence on the battlefield, according to a Japanese expert. (Source photos by Getty Images and AP)
Ukraine war

Special report: Russia buying civilian drones from China for war effort

Moscow relying on 'dual use' equipment and third-party exporters

1 July 2023
Russia recently raised its growth forecast for this year, but the short-lived Wagner uprising and a slowdown in China could derail the fragile recovery. (Source photos by AP and Reuters)
Economy

China slowdown, Wagner rebellion overshadow Russian economy

Recent signs of improvement mask myriad weak points, experts say

28 June 2023
A Russian flag flies on board a ship during a rehearsal for the Navy Day parade in St. Petersburg, Russia.
International relations

Russian warships sail in waters just off Taiwan

Rare move comes as regional tensions already run high

28 June 2023
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen speaking at the Ukraine Recovery Conference in London on June 21.
Ukraine war

Europe weighs using frozen Russian assets to rebuild Ukraine

Von der Leyen says EU and Japan aim to 'upgrade' security ties at July summit

27 June 2023
Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping attend a welcome ceremony at the Kremlin on March 21. (File photo by Reuters) 
Ukraine war

China fears Russia chaos after Wagner uprising

Revolt seen as wake-up call for Beijing as a weakened Putin may trigger further insurgencies

27 June 2023
Participants celebrate a spring equinox festival in Almaty, Kazakhstan. The country is seeking to attract businesses leaving Russia. 
Ukraine war

Kazakhstan woos over 400 Western firms exiting Russia

Exodus by businesses lifts Central Asian economy

27 June 2023
Russian soldiers stand at the edge of a highway that leads to Moscow on June 24.
Ukraine war

Wagner uprising unnerves Russia's partners across Asia

Some leaders left to parse how to prevent challenges to their own power

26 June 2023
The Russian flag flies in front of the Great Hall of the People during a visit to Beijing by Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin in May.
26 June 2023
Japanese machinery manufacturer Nikken built a demining machine based on an excavator that can clear trees before searching for landmines. (Photo courtesy of Nikken)
Ukraine war

In Ukraine, Japanese company brings expertise to clear land mines

While West sends weapons, Tokyo aims to help reconstruction efforts

25 June 2023
A fighter of Wagner private mercenary group flashes a victory sign in a street near the headquarters of the Southern Military District in the city of Rostov-on-Don, Russia on June 24.
Ukraine war

Wagner fighters will not face any action: Kremlin

Spokesperson Peskov declines to elaborate on concessions made to warlord Prigozhin

25 June 2023
A commercial port in Vladivostok. Despite sanctions, semiconductors and other targeted goods and technologies have continued to make their way into Russia.
International relations

EU takes aim at Chinese companies in new Russia sanctions

11th package focuses on curbing chips and other shipments via third countries

24 June 2023
Members of the Ukrainian military prepare a mobile air defense missile system outside Kyiv on June 16. The Ukrainian counteroffensive has faced major headwinds.
Ukraine war

U.S., China, India and others to hold talks on Ukraine war

Zelenskyy seeks meeting with Global South countries not taking part in sanctions

23 June 2023
Russian President Vladimir Putin and former Georgian Prime Minister Bidzina Ivanishvili. The latter made his fortune in Russia after the collapse of the Soviet Union. (Source photos by Reuters)
Comment

Vladimir Putin turns Georgia into a 'hybrid warfare' test ground

Despite setbacks in Ukraine, Moscow eager to reassert power in old Soviet sphere

19 June 2023
There were at least 89 sales of semiconductors to Russia that involved Japanese manufacturers from Feb. 24, 2022 to March 31, 2023, according to Nikkei analysis.
Trade

Japan-made semiconductors skirt sanctions to enter Russia

Domestically made chips avoid export controls via China and other countries

19 June 2023
Workers check the deck of the Russian oil tanker Pure Point, carrying crude oil for delivery to Pakistan, sits at anchor in Karachi on June 13.
Economy

Pakistan pins hopes on Russian energy imports shrouded in secrecy

Government says deals in yuan will bring economic relief; experts aren't so sure

16 June 2023
Chinese yuan and Russian ruble banknotes. The yuan is emerging as an alternative to the dollar now that financial sanctions in the wake of Russia's invasion of Ukraine have kicked Russia out of the dollar settlement network.
Ukraine war

Russia pays Sakhalin dividends in Chinese yuan

Western sanctions on Moscow cast shadow on dollar hegemony

15 June 2023
Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, right, met with President Vladimir Putin in Moscow on Russia's Victory Day in May. (Pool via Reuters)
Opinion

Kazakhstan's backdoor trade with Russia must be stopped

Time for sanctions over funneling of restricted goods to support war in Ukraine

15 June 2023
Houses stand submerged in Kherson on June 7 after the Nova Kakhovka dam breached.
Interview

Russia broke international law by destroying Ukraine dam: ambassador

Envoy to Japan calls alleged attacks on civilians in flooded areas 'genocide'

14 June 2023
Georgia’s capital, Tbilisi, from a hill above the old town. (Photo by William Mellor)
International relations

Guns, graffiti and geopolitics on the edge of Asia

Russia threat lingers over Georgia after 2008 invasion that preceded Ukraine war

13 June 2023