Power
The world’s next decade is being decided in rooms most Western readers never see. These are the elections, alliances, and military standoffs across Asia-Pacific — and what each one costs the West.
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Jun- 2026 -27 June
America’s Southeast Asia problem has a Northeast Asia solution
When the US pools resources with Japan, South Korea, and Australia, their combined trade share with ASEAN (25.9%) exceeds China's (19%), but only if four democracies can act as one…
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25 June
South Korea’s arms sales to Southeast Asia remain a vendor relationship, not a partnership
Seoul has doubled its share of global defense exports in five years, but converting frigate and fighter deals into lasting strategic ties requires training and co-production work it has not…
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25 June
Asia’s defense factories are now supplying the West
Military spending across Asia reached $573 billion in 2025 as South Korea and Japan shifted from buyers to builders, filling Western production gaps drained by Ukraine and Middle East operations.
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22 June
Seoul arrives first to claim its place in Middle East rebuilding
South Korea formed a reconstruction task force weeks before any ceasefire deal, positioning Korean firms ahead of rivals while rejecting any Hormuz toll as a matter of principle.
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21 June
Asia is arming Japan to balance China, not fear it
Defense deals with the Philippines, Australia, and Indonesia signal regional acceptance of Tokyo's military buildup, even as Beijing warns of remilitarization.
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17 June
America’s hospital ship returns to Southeast Asia with a strategic message
The USNS Mercy departed San Diego on May 27 with 300 personnel to visit Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Vietnam and East Timor over five months, deliberately shifting focus from the…
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16 June
Iran war rewired Asia’s trade. The strait reopening won’t undo it.
A 60-day ceasefire window reopened the Strait of Hormuz, but the brief blockade exposed how a single chokepoint controls a third of global seaborne oil and 90% of Asian LNG…
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16 June
Sri Lanka became a scam hub by leaving its doors open
Chinese-run networks fleeing Southeast Asian crackdowns have relocated to Colombo, exploiting tourist visas and weak SIM registration to target Western victims with forged investment schemes.
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15 June
Iran and America both claim victory. That’s the problem.
The ceasefire text halts a war that closed the Strait of Hormuz, but Tehran and Washington describe the deal so differently that neither side admits what it conceded.
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14 June
Thailand’s throne succession is now live. The law forbids discussing it.
Princess Bajrakitiyabha's death leaves a 21-year-old half-brother as presumptive heir, but a century-old Palace Law gives the king sole power to name his successor—and Section 112 criminalizes public debate about…
