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 -9 June
North Korea found a buyer for its war. Sanctions collapsed.
Moscow's demand for artillery shells has generated up to $14.4 billion for Pyongyang, enabling 3.7% GDP growth while 15,000 troops fight in Ukraine at a one-in-three casualty rate.
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7 June
US and Iran clash in the Gulf as Israel fights on Lebanon’s border
American forces destroyed six Iranian drones over the Strait of Hormuz on June 6 while Tehran launched ballistic missiles at Kuwait and Bahrain, and Israeli troops engaged Hezbollah across the…
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5 June
Japan is arming Southeast Asia with ships tailored to each threat
On June 5, Tokyo and Jakarta agreed to begin talks on transferring used Asagiri-class destroyers—3,500-ton air-defense capable hulls—while offering lighter Abukuma-class ships to Manila, signaling Japan's shift from aid donor…
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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…
