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 -5 June
China is recruiting Western spies on LinkedIn. Five Eyes has no answer.
On 5 June 2026, the Five Eyes alliance named China's Ministry of State Security in a joint advisory, but stopped short of naming a single recruited individual or announcing prosecutions.
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3 June
Asia’s defence ministers reject US call for more ships, more summits
At Singapore's Shangri-La Dialogue on May 30, Pete Hegseth pushed allies toward 3.5% defence spending while regional leaders argued the real risk is a shortage of trust, not arms—a split…
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2 June
Australia and Japan offer Pacific islands a third way between superpowers
A record A$2.2 billion in Australian aid paired with Japanese military hardware gives island nations an alternative to Beijing—but only if they ignore climate change.
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May- 2026 -31 May
Pentagon’s general warns Congress China will be ready for Taiwan by 2027
Admiral Samuel Paparo, commander of U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, told the Senate Armed Services Committee on March 21, 2026, that China's PLA is on track to achieve military readiness for forced…
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30 May
US defense chief softens China rhetoric while urging allies to boost military spending
US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth urged Asian allies to increase defence spending against China's military buildup while describing US-China relations as improved and omitting Taiwan from his prepared remarks. The…
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29 May
Vietnam warns of three converging crises destabilizing Asia-Pacific security at Shangri-La Dialogue
Vietnam's President To Lam warned at the 23rd Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore on May 31, 2026, that three converging crises — collapsing international order, eroding development models, and breakdown of…
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29 May
Japan permits lethal arms sales to Philippines as defense ties deepen in Tokyo
Philippine President Marcos Jr and Japanese PM Takaichi elevated bilateral ties to comprehensive strategic partnership on May 28, 2026, the 70th anniversary of normalized relations. Commitments include deepened maritime security…
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29 May
Iran restores internet to 53% capacity, signalling flexibility in ceasefire talks with Washington
Iran has partially restored internet access to 53% of normal traffic volumes after blackouts in January 2026 and during the US-Israeli military campaign. WhatsApp, Instagram, and Facebook remain blocked or…
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29 May
Trump’s Taiwan arms pause signals US security commitments are now negotiable with Beijing
The US has frozen a USD 14 billion arms sale to Taiwan after Trump discussed the island's weapons situation directly with Xi Jinping, breaking decades of protocol. South Korea, Japan,…
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28 May
Quad ministers unite on critical minerals and maritime surveillance as China watches closely
Quad foreign ministers from the United States, India, Japan, and Australia met in New Delhi on May 27, 2026, issuing a joint vision statement on Indo-Pacific maritime domain awareness, resilient…
