Asia Pacific / Politics | FOCUS Apr 6, 2021

China tests Biden with South China Sea tactic that misled Obama

It appears that Beijing is probing whether Biden will take action after pledging to work with allies to deter Chinese assertiveness.

Asia Pacific Mar 10, 2021

Brawling Myanmar monks show Buddhist nationalists backing coup

Buddhist monasteries are usually known as places of solace and meditation. But one in Myanmar’s biggest city became the site of an ugly brawl in the aftermath of the Feb. 1 military coup.

Asia Pacific Mar 3, 2021

Southeast Asia rebuffs U.S. sanctions on Myanmar, giving generals a lifeline

On Tuesday, ASEAN foreign ministers sought to balance calls for the release of Aung San Suu Kyi with avoiding any interference in the country’s internal affairs.

Asia Pacific Feb 13, 2021

Myanmar faces wider business fallout after Kirin retreat

Companies and investors are weighing the impact of a military coup that has thrust the once-thriving nation into a state of emergency.

Asia Pacific Feb 3, 2021

Myanmar army’s next problem: Defeating Aung San Suu Kyi in an election

Myanmar’s army has plenty of examples in Asia of powerful elites that write rules favoring the establishment at election time.

Asia Pacific Jan 20, 2021

As Thailand’s troubles grow, the king moves to bolster his image

Looming over myriad crises is the months of rallies where protesters have openly criticized the monarchy, Thailand’s most powerful institution.

World Dec 10, 2020

COVID-19 scare on cruise ship shows perils of resuming tourism

Singapore’s ill-fated attempts to enliven tourism underscore the difficulties of getting any sort of travel up and running — even in a nation with few community cases.

Asia Pacific / Politics Nov 6, 2020

Aung San Suu Kyi set to win again even as Myanmar’s economic dreams fade

Suu Kyi’s first year in office saw foreign direct investment hit $9.4 billion, a record, but that dropped down to $5.5 billion in the last financial year that ended on Sept. 30.

Asia Pacific / Politics Nov 1, 2020

Malaysia’s once-peripheral king emerges as major political force

For Malaysia, where one coalition ruled for six straight decades until the 2018 election, it’s relatively new for the monarch to play such a prominent role in politics.