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Asia & the Pacific
List of Asia & the Pacific articles
![A samurai in a helmet yells with his mouth open and eyes wild.](https://cdn.statically.io/img/foreignpolicy.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/seven-samurai-film-RYYMC8.jpg?w=800?quality=80)
At 70, ‘Seven Samurai’ Is Still Sharp After All These Years
How the newly remastered classic influenced films from “The Magnificent Seven” to “A Bug’s Life.”
![A Thai woman has her face painted with a Thai flag prior to the opening ceremony of the AFC Asian Football Cup in Bangkok on July 7, 2007.](https://cdn.statically.io/img/foreignpolicy.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/thai-flag-GettyImages-75257305.jpg?w=800?quality=80)
Southeast Asia in BRICS Is Good for the Global Order
The club’s expansion affirms the Global South’s hedging strategy—and sends a message to the great powers.
![Donald Sutherland and Jane Fonda speak or sing into a microphone on a stage in front of the U.S. flag, held by two smiling women.](https://cdn.statically.io/img/foreignpolicy.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Donald-Sutherland-FTA-Vietnam-activism-Jane-Fonda-AP7101010531.jpg?w=800?quality=80)
Donald Sutherland and the Soldiers Who Resisted Vietnam
The chameleonic actor was also an activist ahead of his time.
![Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid leaves a press conference in Kabul.](https://cdn.statically.io/img/foreignpolicy.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/taliban-afghanistan-spokesperson-GettyImages-2159790634.jpg?w=800?quality=80)
Engaging With the Taliban Can Only Go So Far
Nearly three years since the group took over in Afghanistan, the Doha process underscores how talking comes with trade-offs.
![U.S. and Chinese officials attend a bilateral meeting on the sidelines of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations foreign ministers' meeting in Jakarta.](https://cdn.statically.io/img/foreignpolicy.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/US-CHINA-ASEAN-SOUTHEASTASIA-GettyImages-1529392795-.png?w=800?quality=80)
Southeast Asia Wants U.S.-China Conflict to Stay Lukewarm
Leaders are worried about a fully hawkish Washington under a possible Trump term.
![Pro-divorce protesters take part in a demonstration in front of the Senate building in Pasay.](https://cdn.statically.io/img/foreignpolicy.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/PHILLIPINES-DIVORCE-GettyImages-1258301639.png?w=800?quality=80)
The Philippines May Finally Legalize Divorce
The power of the Catholic Church is slowly eroding.
![Afghan refugees carry their belongings after being deported back from Iran at the Islam Qala Border between Afghanistan and Iran, in the western Herat province, on May 30.](https://cdn.statically.io/img/foreignpolicy.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Afghan-refugees-Iran-GettyImages-2154706359.jpg?w=800?quality=80)
Afghan Asylum Seekers Face Hostility in Iran
As the country heads to a presidential run-off election, its largest immigrant population has featured prominently in the debate.
![Security personnel stand outside the entrance of the Japanese Embassy in Beijing on Aug. 29, 2023.](https://cdn.statically.io/img/foreignpolicy.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/china-japan-embassy-beijing-GettyImages-1630323658.jpg?w=800?quality=80)
In China, Tragedy Sparks Push Against Online Ultranationalists
The country mourns the death of a bus attendant who tried to stop a knife attack against a Japanese woman and her child.
![An older woman prepares to vote in the Mongolian parliamentary elections at a polling station in Mongolia's Tuv province on June 28.](https://cdn.statically.io/img/foreignpolicy.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/MONGOLIA-ELECTIONS-GettyImages-2158927671.png?w=800?quality=80)
Mongolia Is Walking a Fragile Democratic Path
With Russia on one side and China on the other, elections are a symbol of defiance.
![A group of political activists bundled up in warm clothing walks along a sidewalk in London while protesting a law in Hong Kong. Some of the demonstrators hold flags and handwritten cardboard signs.](https://cdn.statically.io/img/foreignpolicy.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/UK-HONGKONG-ELECTIONS-GettyImages-2100332166.png?w=800?quality=80)
Hong Kong’s Democratic Diaspora Is Embracing British Elections
A recently arrived voting bloc could decide seats in London.
![Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi shakes hands with U.S. President Joe Biden during the G-7 summit in Savelletri, Italy.](https://cdn.statically.io/img/foreignpolicy.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/modi-biden-india-g7-GettyImages-2156908842.jpg?w=800?quality=80)
Modi’s Third-Term Foreign Policy Looks the Same
New Delhi’s relations with the West—and especially Washington—are likely to stay the course.
![Iranian women arrive to cast their votes at a polling station during the presidential election in Tehran on June 28.](https://cdn.statically.io/img/foreignpolicy.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/iran-election-women-GettyImages-2158963025.jpg?w=800?quality=80)
What Will Elections in France, Iran, and the U.K. Mean for U.S. Foreign Policy?
As more countries prepare to go to the polls, Julian Assange is freed and Vladimir Putin cozies up to Kim Jong Un.
![A police officer adjusts the crime scene barricade tape at the blast site a day after a suicide attack on a van near the Confucius Institute in Karachi, Pakistan.](https://cdn.statically.io/img/foreignpolicy.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/pakistan-terrorism-china-confucius-GettyImages-1240266719.jpg?w=800?quality=80)
Pakistan Unveils New Counterterrorism Plan
The timing of the announcement suggests that China could play a role in the strategy.
![Dozens of Hindu devotees wait in line beneath a hazy blue sky near the newly opened temple of Ram Mandir in Ayodhya, India. Many of the pilgrims are dressed in orange.](https://cdn.statically.io/img/foreignpolicy.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/HINDU-TEMPLE-RAMMANDIR-CAMERAS-GettyImages-1956611628.png?w=800?quality=80)
Indian Temples Are Scanning Visitors’ Faces
Data privacy advocates fear a testing ground for mass religious surveillance.
![Brian Gu, co-president of Xpeng Inc., has his photo taken next to Xpeng G6 and X9 electric cars in Hong Kong.](https://cdn.statically.io/img/foreignpolicy.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/CHINA-EV-CARS-TARIFFS-GettyImages-2152791138.png?w=800?quality=80)
Western Protectionism Needs an End Date
Reliance on tariffs to shield against superior Chinese products is a trap.
![Russian President Vladimir Putin (left) stands at a table set with food and flowers and reads aloud from a sheet of paper as North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, seated, listens to him. The Russian and North Korean flags hang at the back of the room.](https://cdn.statically.io/img/foreignpolicy.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/KIM-NORTHKOREA-NUKES-GettyImages-2157787396.png?w=800?quality=80)
Learning to Live With a Nuclear North Korea
Insisting on denuclearization is a dead end in negotiations.
![Pro-Khalistan activists stage a demonstration demanding justice for Sikh separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar at the Golden Temple in Amritsar, India, on Sept. 29, 2023.](https://cdn.statically.io/img/foreignpolicy.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/india-canada-sikh-separatist-protest-GettyImages-1697427973.jpg?w=800?quality=80)
The West Eyes India’s Transnational Repression
As Modi begins his third term, the targeting of Sikh separatists abroad remains in the conversation.
![Indian National Congress party leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi arrive for a meeting in New Delhi on June 5.](https://cdn.statically.io/img/foreignpolicy.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/india-congress-gandhi-rahul-priyanka-GettyImages-2155556332.jpg?w=800?quality=80)
India’s Small Opposition Victory
They lost the election, but Rahul Gandhi and his allies may have voters’ attention.
![A China Coast Guard vessel sails near a Philippine military vessel in the disputed South China Sea.](https://cdn.statically.io/img/foreignpolicy.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/South-China-Sea-GettyImages-2054049407.jpg?w=800?quality=80)
China Tests U.S. Red Lines With Attacks on Philippine Vessels
The viability of the rules-based order is at stake in the South China Sea.
![Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz joke before a group photo during the G-7 summit in Savelletri, Italy, on June 14.](https://cdn.statically.io/img/foreignpolicy.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/modi-g7-kishida-scholz-GettyImages-2156902589.jpg?w=800?quality=80)
Modi Still Has Great-Power Ambitions for India
A new book traces the evolution of New Delhi’s quest for elusive global status.
![Chinese Premier Li Qiang watches uniformed members Australian military in dress uniform as they perform an honor guard gun salute with a cannon outside of the parliament building in Canberra. A cloud of smoke emerges from the mouth of the cannon, and the air is thick with smoke. Chinese and Australian flags are visible farther in the background.](https://cdn.statically.io/img/foreignpolicy.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/CHINA-COLDWAR-GettyImages-2157346385.png?w=800?quality=80)
The President Needs to Lead the Cold War on China
A comprehensive economic strategy can forestall Beijing.
![Taiwanese missile boats and smaller craft maneuver on the sea during a military drill in Kaohsiung, Taiwan.](https://cdn.statically.io/img/foreignpolicy.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/taiwan-china-us-GettyImages-1974183845.jpg?w=800?quality=80)
Will Taiwan’s Future Be Settled in Washington?
‘The Boiling Moat’ is more interested in American arguments than the country itself.
![U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin shakes hands with Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet during a meeting at the Peace Palace in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, on June 4.](https://cdn.statically.io/img/foreignpolicy.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/lloyd-austin-hun-manet-cambodia-GettyImages-2155358599.jpg?w=800?quality=80)
How the West Embraced Cambodia’s New Prime Minister
Hun Manet may appear more friendly and even-keeled than his father, but political repression continues apace.
![Sudanese refugees and South Sudanese returnees who have fled from the war in Sudan arrive at a transit camp in Renk on Feb. 14.](https://cdn.statically.io/img/foreignpolicy.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/GettyImages-2016309945.jpg?w=800?quality=80)
How to Solve the World’s Refugee Crisis
UNHCR’s Filippo Grandi on Sudan, Gaza, Ukraine, and more.
![Signage indicating directions at Nusantara, the future capital city of Indonesia, in East Kalimantan.](https://cdn.statically.io/img/foreignpolicy.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/INDONESIA-CAPITAL-NUSANTARA-GettyImages-1246024054.png?w=800?quality=80)
Indonesia’s New Capital Is a Mess of Trees and Dirt
Environmental questions linger over the Nusantara project.
![Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te, wearing a bomber jacket with an F-16 jet embroidered on it, has a serious expression as he listens to an army officer wearing camouflage battle fatigues and a helmet. The officer points at something with one hand as he speaks to Lai. Other people are visible standing nearby, slightly out-of-focus in front of outdoor greenery.](https://cdn.statically.io/img/foreignpolicy.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/taiwan-military-GettyImages-2154461144.jpg?w=800?quality=80)
The Taiwan Aid Bill Won’t Fix the Arms Backlog
To help Taipei, Washington needs to get smarter about weapons transfers.
![Farmers work in a rice field in Bulacan, Philippines.](https://cdn.statically.io/img/foreignpolicy.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/GOLDENRICE-PHILIPPINES-GettyImages-2149375794.png?w=800?quality=80)
Why Is the Philippines Blocking ‘Miracle Crops’?
Farmers’ fears over GMOs stem from past abuses.
![Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi sits on a stage decorated with flowers alongside a row of seated cabinet ministers. Modi's hands are raised as he claps. Greenery is visible beyond the stage.](https://cdn.statically.io/img/foreignpolicy.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/modi-sworn-in-cabinet-india-GettyImages-2156861222.jpg?w=800?quality=80)
How Will Modi Rule in Coalition?
The Indian leader’s new administration looks much the same, but he could face challenges to his Hindu nationalist agenda.
![India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi waves during a tour of the BAPS Hindu Mandir, the largest Hindu temple in the Middle East, at its inauguration ceremony on February 14, 2024 in Abu Dhabi.](https://cdn.statically.io/img/foreignpolicy.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/GettyImages-2002666224.jpg?w=800?quality=80)
Modi Tried, and Failed, to Homogenize Hindus
It’s not easy to play identity politics with a religion ineradicably divided by caste.
![Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi sits onstage at a party meeting. He crosses his arms and puts one hand over his face in contemplation as he watches the proceedings.](https://cdn.statically.io/img/foreignpolicy.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/modi-taiwan-india-GettyImages-2147791258.jpg?w=800?quality=80)
Modi’s Taiwan Ties Have Rattled China
India’s overtures to the island have coincided with a breakdown in its relationship with Beijing.
![Journalists watch election results in a media room set up outside an election vote-counting center in Mumbai.](https://cdn.statically.io/img/foreignpolicy.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/india-media-GettyImages-2155355902.jpg?w=800?quality=80)
India Deserves a Better Media
Mainstream news channels have been in thrall to Prime Minister Narendra Modi. A ragtag army of small independent media is helping to save democracy.
![A worker wearing a wide-brimmed hat stands amid a pile of cut logs with one hand resting on his hip and the other on his face. Dozens of logs are piled around him, and a taller pile looms in the background.](https://cdn.statically.io/img/foreignpolicy.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/MYANMAR-TIMBER-GettyImages-481642460.png?w=800?quality=80)
How Myanmar’s Wood Funds Its Brutal Military
Conflict timber flows to India and China.
![People pass a television showing footage of an attempted North Korean satellite launch during a news report at a train station in Seoul on May 28.](https://cdn.statically.io/img/foreignpolicy.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/North-Korea-balloons-South-Korea-military-tensions-GettyImages-2154452355.jpg?w=800?quality=80)
Tensions Flare Between North and South Korea
It started with dung-filled balloons and spiraled from there.
![Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi flashes victory signs at the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) headquarters to celebrate the party’s win in the country’s general election, in New Delhi.](https://cdn.statically.io/img/foreignpolicy.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/India-Modi-elections-GettyImages-2155410461.jpg?w=800?quality=80)
Why Modi Underperformed
India’s prime minister will balk at needing allies to stay in power, but coalition rule has proved to have benefits for large democracies.
![A China Coast Guard ship monitors a Philippine fisherman aboard his wooden boat in the South China Sea.](https://cdn.statically.io/img/foreignpolicy.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/South-China-Sea-GettyImages-2152606260.jpg?w=800?quality=80)
China’s South Sea Aggression Is Backfiring
Beijing is ramping up efforts to cow neighbors such as the Philippines in the South China Sea but is getting nowhere fast.
![Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, riding in a decorated truck, waves to supporters during his roadshow in Varanasi, India.](https://cdn.statically.io/img/foreignpolicy.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/modi-india-election-campaign-GettyImages-2152826842.jpg?w=800?quality=80)
Modi Hits a Roadblock
After a decade of always bouncing back, the Indian leader and his Bharatiya Janata Party suffer a setback at the ballot box.
![Singapore's incoming Prime Minister Lawrence Wong is seen from a distance beyond the crowd of seated attendees at his inauguration. in shows a crowd of people in the foreground and the presidential palace building the back. Wong stands at a table on a stage set up in front of a large official building, holding his right hand up as he is sworn in. The flag of Singapore hangs from a pole in behind the table.](https://cdn.statically.io/img/foreignpolicy.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/1-GettyImages-2152495307.jpg?w=800?quality=80)
What the West Can Learn From Singapore
Data shows that in key areas, Singapore is better at governing than the U.S. and Britain.
![Chinese Defense Minister Dong Jun sits onstage in front of a bright blue wall as he attends the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore. He wears a black military dress uniform and glasses, and one hand is raised to his face to adjust his microphone wire.](https://cdn.statically.io/img/foreignpolicy.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/china-dong-jun-shangri-la-GettyImages-2155063853.jpg?w=800?quality=80)
China Postures at Shangri-La
Military leaders’ aggressive rhetoric may say more about China’s domestic politics than its position in the Indo-Pacific.
![Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi waves a hand high above his head as greets a crowd of supporters lined against a parade route. Modi is dressed in the bright orange party color of the BJP, and the float is also decorated in bright orange.](https://cdn.statically.io/img/foreignpolicy.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/modi-india-election-GettyImages-2152827049.jpg?w=800?quality=80)
Modi’s Power Has Peaked
Election results in India suggest the ruling BJP will return to power, but with a reduced mandate that has surprised pollsters. The natural order of coalition rule is back.
![The prow of a boat is seen in the foreground two other vessles in the ocean in front of it. The horizon is tinted orange at sunset or sunrise.](https://cdn.statically.io/img/foreignpolicy.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/philippines-south-china-sea-war-GettyImages-2062181957.jpg?w=800?quality=80)
The South China Sea Risks a Military Crisis
The Philippine president drew a red line this week, but mutual restraint from Manila and Beijing can calm tensions.
![A span of dozens of folding seats of a stadium are seen beneath a mostly clear blue sky. The camera is tilted upward, showing the back wall of the stadium and the roof that hangs over the highest seats.](https://cdn.statically.io/img/foreignpolicy.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/texas-cricket-stadium-GettyImages-2155198683.jpg?w=800?quality=80)
The U.S. Tries Its Hand at Cricket
As the country co-hosts its first World Cup, the South Asian diaspora is already giving the sport a boost.
![Protesters step on a caricature of Chinese President Xi Jinping during a demonstration against Chinese maritime incursions in front of the Chinese consulate in Makati, Manila on April 9.](https://cdn.statically.io/img/foreignpolicy.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/china-philippines-us-GettyImages-2141959502-e1716995476671.jpg?w=800?quality=80)
How to Respond to China’s Tactics in the South China Sea
Beijing is testing the U.S.-Philippines alliance, and a new strategy is needed.
![Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is seen from behind as he raises both hands into the air to greets supporters during an election campaign rally in Kolkata. People crowd against a barrier in the background, waving their hands and taking photos on their cell phones.](https://cdn.statically.io/img/foreignpolicy.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/modi-india-election-campaign-GettyImages-2154515717.jpg?w=800?quality=80)
Modi’s Campaign Rhetoric Is Dangerous
With election results expected next week, the Indian prime minister is doubling down on anti-Muslim language.
![Filipino fishermen along with civilian volunteers arrive at a meeting point in the South China Sea on May 15.](https://cdn.statically.io/img/foreignpolicy.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/philippines-fishermen-south-china-sea-GettyImages-2152478937.jpg?w=800?quality=80)
The Philippines Needs Butter, Not Just Guns
To counter China, Washington must help its ally address economic issues.
![Elon Musk arrives to inaugurate a Starlink satellite unit at a community health center in Denpasar, Bali, Indonesia.](https://cdn.statically.io/img/foreignpolicy.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/elon-musk-indonesia-GettyImages-2153133508.jpg?w=800?quality=80)
Will Elon Musk Test the South Asian Market?
As the tech billionaire markets his Starlink internet service, the region presents an opening—as well as some challenges.
![A sign for the U.S.-based McKinsey & Company management consulting firm is seen on a wall in Geneva, carved in a serif font in an expanse of gray stone.](https://cdn.statically.io/img/foreignpolicy.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/CONSULTANCIES-INFORMATION-MCKINSEY-GettyImages-1239940060.png?w=800?quality=80)
Consulting Firms Have Stumbled Into a Geopolitical Minefield
The era of free-flowing information is over.
![Members of the media gather in front of a screen showing a live courtroom broadcast during the preliminary hearing in the trial of Kazakh former economy minister Kuandyk Bishimbayev, who was charged with "particularly cruel murder" and "torture" for killing his wife, at a court in Astana on March 11.](https://cdn.statically.io/img/foreignpolicy.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/kazakhstan-trial-saltanat-law-GettyImages-2067614265.jpg?w=800?quality=80)
How a Domestic Violence Trial Ended Kazakhstan’s Political Nihilism
The crushing of protests in 2022 spawned despair. A high-profile conviction has renewed hope that the law can actually bring justice.
![Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te and first lady Wu Mei-ju gesture after his inaugural speech at the Presidential Office Building in Taipei.](https://cdn.statically.io/img/foreignpolicy.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/taiwan-lai-ching-te-inauguration-GettyImages-2153272117.jpg?w=800?quality=80)
Taiwan’s New President Pledges Not to Yield to China
Lai Ching-te, inaugurated on Monday, received a relatively mild response from Beijing.
![A worker in a reflective vest and hard hat leans against the wheel of a truck used in nickel mining. The vehicle is massive, and the wheel alone is four or feet taller than the worker. The vehicle is parked on an expanse of packed dirt, but rocks and some vegetation are visible in the background.](https://cdn.statically.io/img/foreignpolicy.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/GettyImages-2037335996.jpg?w=800?quality=80)
Why a Small Pacific Island Territory Is Upending Nickel Prices
Violent riots in New Caledonia are having an outsized global impact on critical mineral supply chains.
![Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te at his party's headquarters in Taipei, Taiwan, on January 13.](https://cdn.statically.io/img/foreignpolicy.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Lai-Ching-te-election-GettyImages-1929805197.jpg?w=800?quality=80)
When Will Washington Get Serious About Taiwan?
Its long-standing attitude toward the island is based on a set of military and political foundations that no longer exist.
![A top-down view of a number of Taiwanese dishes on a dark table.](https://cdn.statically.io/img/foreignpolicy.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/taiwan-inauguration-menu-food-diplomacy-elizabeth-kao-1.jpg?w=800?quality=80)
Taiwan’s Dinner Table Diplomacy
One of the courses at Lai Ching-te’s inauguration banquet is rumored to be a playful nod to Xi Jinping.
![Three Pakistani farm workers stand in a wheat field, feeding piles of cut wheat into a mechanical thresher. One of the workers is resting on a bag of threshed wheat, preparing another empty bag. The sky overhead is blue and clear, and a ridge of trees is visible far in the distance.](https://cdn.statically.io/img/foreignpolicy.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/pakistan-wheat-farmers-GettyImages-2151147839.jpg?w=800?quality=80)
Pakistan Seeks More IMF Funding Amid Protests
The country has achieved a measure of economic stability, but it needs structural reforms—not just a bailout.
![New Singaporean Prime Minister Lawrence Wong (C) smiles next to President Tharman Shanmugaratnam (R) during the swearing-in ceremony at the Istana in Singapore.](https://cdn.statically.io/img/foreignpolicy.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/LAWRENCEWONG-SINGAPORE-GettyImages-2152499816.jpg?w=800?quality=80)
Singapore’s New Prime Minister Is Already Worried
A long-ruling party sees vulnerability as key to its own security and power.
![A man is seen from his profile behind glass, speaking into a microphone and holding a piece of paper.](https://cdn.statically.io/img/foreignpolicy.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Kazakhstan-trial-russia-domestic-violence-AP24127328424244.jpg?w=800?quality=80)
The Kazakh Murder Trial That Captivated Russia
Putin’s political project rests on normalizing violence—including domestic abuse.
![Following increased Chinese military exercises near the island, flares are fired during a Taiwanese military live-fire drill in Pingtung, Taiwan.](https://cdn.statically.io/img/foreignpolicy.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/taiwan-us-china-GettyImages-1243039879.jpg?w=800?quality=80)
China and the U.S. Are Numb to the Real Risk of War
The pair are dangerously close to the edge of nuclear war over Taiwan—again.
![Indonesians take part in a pro-Palestinian rally at the National Monument park in Jakarta on December 2, 2023.](https://cdn.statically.io/img/foreignpolicy.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/indonesia-israel-gaza-protest-GettyImages-1815430770.jpg?w=800?quality=80)
How Joe Biden Sabotaged the ‘Rules-Based Order’
By denying that Israel has violated international humanitarian law in Gaza, Washington is discrediting itself and the order that it claims to uphold.
![Voters wait to cast their ballots outside a polling station during the third phase of voting for the India's general election in Sadashivapura village in Karnataka, India.](https://cdn.statically.io/img/foreignpolicy.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/india-election-karnataka-voting-GettyImages-2151292276.jpg?w=800?quality=80)
India’s Battleground State
Electoral predictions in Karnataka underscore the challenge Modi and the BJP face to reaching a national supermajority.
![A locally produced drone is seen on display during a media tour at the National Chung-Shan Institute of Science and Technology in Taiwan.](https://cdn.statically.io/img/foreignpolicy.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/GettyImages-1248205491.jpg?w=800?quality=80)
Taiwan Wants Suicide Drones to Deter China
Taipei is seeking U.S.-made loitering munitions to help deter or ward off a potential Chinese invasion.
![Vietnamese electric vehicle brand VinFast displays the VF7 EV during the Indonesia International Motor Show in Jakarta on Feb. 24.](https://cdn.statically.io/img/foreignpolicy.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/INDONESIA-ELECTRICVEHICLES-GettyImages-2028608519.png?w=800?quality=80)
Indonesia Bets Big on Electric Vehicles
Jakarta’s latest development gamble hinges on the green transition.
![Narendra Modi holds an SLR camera to his eye. He is wearing glasses and flanked by men.](https://cdn.statically.io/img/foreignpolicy.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/modi-camera-GettyImages-83658485.jpg?w=800?quality=80)
The Chilling of the Fourth Estate After 10 Years of Modi
The Indian prime minister has demonstrated that there is only one form of journalism he likes.
![Two people walk past a sign for TikTok on a wall. Scribbles on the sign annotate the TikTok logo with the words "young," "trending," and "viral" in English along with characters in Chinese.](https://cdn.statically.io/img/foreignpolicy.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/china-tiktok-us-ban-GettyImages-2075608549.jpg?w=800?quality=80)
Washington Keeps Choosing the Wrong Moment to Challenge China
The TikTok ban shows how decisions end up rushed—after being ignored.
![U.S. President Joe Biden speaks about the situation in Kabul, Afghanistan from the East Room of the White House on August 26, 2021 in Washington.](https://cdn.statically.io/img/foreignpolicy.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/GettyImages-1336558174.jpg?w=800?quality=80)
The Original Sin of Biden’s Foreign Policy
All of the administration’s diplomatic weaknesses were already visible in the withdrawal from Afghanistan.
![A historic photograph shows a group of workers surrounding a man who is weighing opium at a factory.](https://cdn.statically.io/img/foreignpolicy.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/1-opium-british-colonialism-india-china-drug-trade-GettyImages-1354468705.jpg?w=800?quality=80)
The Opioid High of Empire
Two new books turn a spotlight on how the colonial past lives on in unacknowledged ways.
![Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi walks down a flight of steps as he exits his plane upon arriving in Sri Lanka. Raisi is a man in his 60s with a white beard and glasses. He wears a black turban and a sheer black robe over an off-white shirt. The side of the plane is white, with stripes in the red and green of the Iranian flag.](https://cdn.statically.io/img/foreignpolicy.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/iran-raisi-visit-sri-lanka-GettyImages-2149400475.jpg?w=800?quality=80)
Iran Makes a Play in South Asia
President Ebrahim Raisi’s recent trip to the region was an opportunity for Iran to showcase its engagement amid instability in the Middle East.
![A view of dump trucks loaded with nickel ore at a mining site in Southeast Sulawesi, Indonesia on Aug. 3, 2023.](https://cdn.statically.io/img/foreignpolicy.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/indonesia-nickel-ev-supply-GettyImages-1595691689.jpg?w=800?quality=80)
Without Indonesia’s Nickel, EVs Have No Future in America
The IRA and Senate opposition to a free trade deal with Jakarta are undermining the United States’ green transition.
![Supporters of the main opposition Republican People’s Party take part in a post-election rally in Ankara, Turkey.](https://cdn.statically.io/img/foreignpolicy.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/TURKEY-OPPOSITION-GettyImages-2130235407.png?w=800?quality=80)
Turkey’s Democracy Is Down but Not Out
An invigorated opposition is ready for a constitutional fight.
![From left: Robert Downey Jr.—who plays several roles—Duy Nguyen as Man, Hoa Xuande as the Captain, Fred Nguyen Khan as Bon, and Sandra Oh as Sofia Mori.](https://cdn.statically.io/img/foreignpolicy.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/sympathizer-vietnam-hbo-1.jpg?w=800?quality=80)
HBO’s ‘The Sympathizer’ Leans Into the Tragic Absurdity of the Vietnam War
The series lampoons the military, academia, and Hollywood portrayals of the era.
![Chinese President Xi Jinping waits in front of a painting of the Great Wall at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing.](https://cdn.statically.io/img/foreignpolicy.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/1-imperial-china-xi-Jinping-history-GettyImages-1026454152.jpg?w=800?quality=80)
Xi’s Imperial Ambitions Are Rooted in China’s History
Myths of peacefulness belie a record as expansionist as any other power.
![Chinese President Xi Jinping sits at a wood-paneled desk, shuffling through paper documents as he presides over a meeting of the National People's Congress in Beijing. Xi is a middle-aged man wearing a black suit and red tie, and he wears a serious expression as he reads the documents.](https://cdn.statically.io/img/foreignpolicy.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/XI-CHINA-ECONOMY-GettyImages-2067279983.png?w=800?quality=80)
Xi Jinping Has Tough Economic Choices Ahead
China is likely to pick security over prosperity.
![Bank of Japan (BOJ) Gov. Kazuo Ueda speaks during a press conference after a two-day meeting at the BOJ headquarters.](https://cdn.statically.io/img/foreignpolicy.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/BANK-JAPAN-INFLATION-GettyImages-2088776056.png?w=800?quality=80)
Japan’s Big Bet on Interest Rates May Not Pay Off
A vote of confidence in the future may be undercut by a lukewarm economy.
![A worker picks fruit at a farm at the Malkia kibbutz.](https://cdn.statically.io/img/foreignpolicy.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/ISRAEL-WORKERS-PALESTINIAN-INDIAN-GettyImages-1722248200.png?w=800?quality=80)
Israel Is Desperate to Replace Palestinian Farmhands
Newly arrived Indian workers say abuse is common.
![Taiwan’s reserve soldiers take part in military training during a two-week education convocation at a local Taoist temple in Hsinchu, Taiwan.](https://cdn.statically.io/img/foreignpolicy.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/GettyImages-2088922563.jpg?w=800?quality=80)
Congress Helps Steer Taiwan Toward the ‘Porcupine Strategy’
The national security bill gives Biden more leverage to tell Taiwan what weapons to buy.
![Protesters speak with police during a demonstration dubbed 'Fabewoso - Bring it on' to raise awareness about the high rate of corruption in the country, in Accra on May 26, 2017.](https://cdn.statically.io/img/foreignpolicy.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/ghana-elections-corruption-GettyImages-688705928.jpg?w=800?quality=80)
What Ghana Can Learn From Taiwan
As vote-buying corrupts the country’s politics, the West African nation could learn from Taipei’s effective crackdown on the practice.
![Journalists gather at the courtyard of the Supreme Court of India in New Delhi on Oct. 17, 2023.](https://cdn.statically.io/img/foreignpolicy.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/india-supreme-court-GettyImages-1729059649.jpg?w=800?quality=80)
India’s Courts Must Keep Their Autonomy
A recent ruling on campaign finance reflected a judicial independence that will be key to checking Modi’s power if he wins a third term.
![Construction cranes are seen near the construction site of the Venture Global LNG plant in Plaquemines Parish south of New Orleans, Louisiana.](https://cdn.statically.io/img/foreignpolicy.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/LNG-US-CHINA-GettyImages-1741633597.png?w=800?quality=80)
Is the U.S. Preparing to Ban Future LNG Sales to China?
The Department of Energy’s “temporary pause” opens the door.
![New Zealand’s then-Prime Minister Chris Hipkins and South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol attend the 2023 NATO Summit in Vilnius, Lithuania, on July 12, 2023.](https://cdn.statically.io/img/foreignpolicy.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/new-zealand-nato-GettyImages-1535790855-e1713859549247.jpg?w=800?quality=80)
New Zealand Becomes the Latest Country to Pivot to the U.S.
Beijing’s bullying tactics have pushed Wellington into Washington’s welcoming arms.
![Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi speaks during part of the opening ceremony of "Make in India" week in Mumbai on February 13, 2016.](https://cdn.statically.io/img/foreignpolicy.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/GettyImages-509961256.jpg?w=800?quality=80)
Modi’s ‘Make in India’ Didn’t Make Jobs
India’s prime minister could win reelection without having fixed his country’s unemployment crisis.
![New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern passes Al-Noor Mosque in Christchurch, New Zealand, on March 22, 2019, after a gunman opened fire there on March 15.](https://cdn.statically.io/img/foreignpolicy.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Ardern-Christchurch-GettyImages-1137457374.jpg?w=800?quality=80)
The Terrorist Threat the West Still Ignores
Domestic far-right terrorism has been increasingly internationalized—and requires a coordinated response.
![Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi waves to supporters at an election campaign event in Guwahati, India.](https://cdn.statically.io/img/foreignpolicy.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/modi-india-election-GettyImages-2147856769.jpg?w=800?quality=80)
The World’s Biggest Election Is Set to Begin
In India, the question is not whether Modi and his party will win but by how much.
![Indias Prime Minister Narendra Modi addresses the nation from the ramparts of the Red Fort during the celebrations to mark countrys Independence Day in New Delhi on August 15, 2022. - India marked the 75th anniversary of independence on August 15 with Modi giving a speech from Delhi's historic Red Fort, hung with freedom fighters' pictures and guarded by robot elephants. (Photo by Money SHARMA / AFP) (Photo by MONEY SHARMA/AFP via Getty Images)](https://cdn.statically.io/img/foreignpolicy.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/GettyImages-1242514057_caf4fe-e1713384619277.jpg?w=800?quality=80)
Why Modi Is So Popular
Soon likely to win a third term, India’s prime minister has shaped the country in profound ways.
![Members of the Pan-Malaysian Islamic Party pray outside the Palace of Justice (background), as they await the Federal Court’s decision on Kelantan state’s sharia law criminal enactment, in Putrajaya.](https://cdn.statically.io/img/foreignpolicy.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/MALAYSIA-ISLAM-LAW-GettyImages-1988742927.png?w=800?quality=80)
Court Victory Disturbs Malaysia’s Balancing Act on Islamic Law
A new federal ruling has Islamists up in arms.
![North Koreans stand next to a banner that reads “Tens of millions of people pledge to defy death for defending country!” as they attend a mass rally to mark the “Day of Struggle Against U.S. imperialism” in Pyongyang on June 25, 2023.](https://cdn.statically.io/img/foreignpolicy.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/North-Korea-nuclear-Biden-US-Asia-GettyImages-1259065241.jpg?w=800?quality=80)
North Korea Is Ghosting the Biden Administration
Experts say it’s a question of when, not if, Pyongyang will carry out its seventh nuclear weapons test.
![A group of people on motorbikes ride on the street in front of a massive microchip fabrication plant. The company name, TSMC, is displayed in large red letters on the front of the building.](https://cdn.statically.io/img/foreignpolicy.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/taiwan-microchip-taichung-GettyImages-1708749142.jpg?w=800?quality=80)
The Chipmaking World Hedges Its Taiwan Bets
Earthquake or not, building semiconductor factories off the island has become a global imperative.
![U.S. President Joe Biden and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida stand for their national anthems during an arrival ceremony at the White House in Washington, D.C.](https://cdn.statically.io/img/foreignpolicy.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/biden-kishida-GettyImages-2147028142.jpg?w=800?quality=80)
The Question Looming Over Biden’s White House Summit: Where Are the Exit Ramps?
As the leaders of Japan and the Philippines present a united front with America, China is getting stronger, too.
![Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi holds up a placard of a lotus, the symbol of the Bharatiya Janata Party, during a campaign road show in Chennai, India.](https://cdn.statically.io/img/foreignpolicy.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/india-modi-election-campaign-GettyImages-2144466231.jpg?w=800?quality=80)
How Pakistan Plays Into India’s Elections
Allegations that the Modi government orchestrated extrajudicial killings on Pakistani soil will give another boost to the ruling party.
![U.S. Air Force personnel stand on a Boeing C-17 Globemaster III as it prepares to deliver aid intended for the Gaza Strip at El Arish International Airport.](https://cdn.statically.io/img/foreignpolicy.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/USAID-EGYPT-GAZA-GettyImages-1825439599.png?w=800?quality=80)
U.S. Foreign Aid Is Broken but Fixable
Donald Trump’s threats to cut all spending can spur actual changes.
![South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol speaks during the 104th Independence Movement Day ceremony in Seoul on March 1, 2023.](https://cdn.statically.io/img/foreignpolicy.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/South-Korea-elections-GettyImages-1470396189.jpg?w=800?quality=80)
Everyone Is on Edge for South Korea’s Legislative Elections
Conservatives fear extinction, but the opposition is deeply divided.
![U.S. President Joe Biden and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida walk side-by-side on a red carpet as they pass by members of a Japanese honor guard wearing matching white dress uniforms and standing at attention with their rifles at their sides.](https://cdn.statically.io/img/foreignpolicy.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/biden-kishida-GettyImages-1240847520.jpg?w=800?quality=80)
It’s Too Soon for Biden and Kishida to Take a Victory Lap
Three uncomfortable questions still hang over the U.S.-Japan alliance.
![Spring-2024-FP-Site-Cover-32](https://cdn.statically.io/img/foreignpolicy.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Spring-2024-FP-Site-Cover-32.png?w=800?quality=80)
The India Issue
Illiberal, democratic, and rising: How a middle power is reshaping the world order.
![Four book covers of: India Is Broken, Price of the Modi Years, City on Fire: A Boyhood in Aligarh, and Midnight’s Borders: A People’s History of Modern India.](https://cdn.statically.io/img/foreignpolicy.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/india-reading-list-books.png?w=800?quality=80)
4 Books to Understand Modern India
Is the world’s most populous country booming or broken?
![An illustration shows a crowded street in India overlaid with charts showing population growth, Internet use, and unemployment rates.](https://cdn.statically.io/img/foreignpolicy.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/India-5-charts-2024.jpg?w=800?quality=80)
5 Charts That Explain India
From average incomes to internet usage, New Delhi is still at the point where growth could really take off—or not.
![An illustration shows the face of a man reflected in a pond. Around him are lilypads covered with lotus flowers.](https://cdn.statically.io/img/foreignpolicy.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/becoming-indian-amitav-kumar-tara-anand-illustration.jpg?w=800?quality=80)
Becoming Indian
A novelist considers how his sense of national identity has changed.
![A grid of photos shows 15 portraits of India's Gen Z.](https://cdn.statically.io/img/foreignpolicy.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/India-Genz-prarthna-Singh-HP.jpg?w=800?quality=80)
Meet India’s Generation Z
The people who will shape the country’s next decades came of age during the Modi era.
![An illustration shows a tiger chasing a dragon up an economic indicator line against a graph paper background. The dragon is turning to snarl at the tiger.](https://cdn.statically.io/img/foreignpolicy.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/india-economy-china-middle-power-reshidev-rk-illustration.jpg?w=800?quality=80)
Is India Really the Next China?
The case for its economic ascent is strong, but government policies still stand in the way.
![A photo illustration shows a crowd of people filling the face of India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi.](https://cdn.statically.io/img/foreignpolicy.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/India-modi-crowd-matthieu-bourel-foreign-policy-illustration-homepage.jpg?w=800?quality=80)
The New Idea of India
Narendra Modi’s reign is producing a less liberal but more assured nation.
![Security officials walk with dogs in Tiananmen Square.](https://cdn.statically.io/img/foreignpolicy.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/CHINA-BELTANDROAD-GettyImages-1730511574.png?w=800?quality=80)
China Is Gaslighting the Developing World
Beijing’s promises of equality are a guise for hegemony.
![Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen attends the inauguration ceremony for Taiwan-made warships in Yilan.](https://cdn.statically.io/img/foreignpolicy.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/taiwan-navy-ship-tsai-GettyImages-2105340826.jpg?w=800?quality=80)
It’s Debatable’s Greatest Hits
In their 100th column, Matt and Emma revisit clashes over Taiwan, Ukraine, Iran—and how to deter an alien invasion.
![An illustration shows a drawn portrait of S. Jaishankar's head and shoulders atop a patterned carpet. Behind him standing stairs is a full length image of Narendra Modi. At left Is Xi Jinping and at right is Joe Biden. A temple and cloudy sky is behind Jaishankar's head. The scene is framed by Indian symbols. The term "Bharat" is written in Hindi above his head.](https://cdn.statically.io/img/foreignpolicy.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Jaishankar-india-profile-site-3-2.jpg?w=800?quality=80)
Modi’s Messenger to the World
How the diplomat-turned-politician S. Jaishankar became the chief executor of India’s assertive foreign policy.
![U.S. President Joe Biden and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi take part in an arrival ceremony outside the White House on June 22, 2023.](https://cdn.statically.io/img/foreignpolicy.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/modi-biden-india-GettyImages-1500629673.jpg?w=800?quality=80)
U.S.-India Ties Remain Fundamentally Fragile
If New Delhi and Washington leave frictions to fester, they could ultimately derail future cooperation.
![Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe arrives for the third Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation in Beijing.](https://cdn.statically.io/img/foreignpolicy.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/GettyImages-1730507535-1.jpg?w=800?quality=80)
Sri Lanka Hones Its Balancing Act
Colombo has demonstrated its own brand of strategic autonomy on issues from Russia’s war in Ukraine to China’s global footprint.