Opinion

As Taiwan gears for the island nation’s 2024 Presidential Election, China has opened to people-to-people exchanges. This was initiated by former Taiwan president Ma Ying-jeou who was in mainland China for a 12-day private visit with 30 Taiwanese students.  This has been reciprocated by 36 students and faculty members from China’s universities upon Ma Ying-jeou Foundation for a nine-day visit. …

NATO summits and gatherings have drawn more attention since Russia invaded Ukraine, and the most recent summit in Vilnius, Lithuania, was no exception. The presence of four Asian-Pacific leaders—Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, New Zealand Prime Minister Chris Hipkins, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, and South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol—is noteworthy, even though the focus is still on NATO’s military …

Despite a warm and cordial reception of Antony Blinken in Beijing, the U.S. continues with its business-as-usual of “China-bashing”. The U.S Secretary of State said a realistic goal for American policy toward China is “finding a way to coexist peacefully” with the country it seeks to compete with from a position of strength.  Blinken explained this is more about getting …

The recent report highlighting the inclination of more than two-thirds of Asia-Pacific’s Gen Z and Millennials to opt for holidays closer to home, as featured in Travel Daily Media, reflects a shift in travel preferences and the changing dynamics of the tourism industry. This trend presents both opportunities and challenges for the travel sector, as it adjusts to meet the …

A recent article highlights the importance of collaboration and innovation in the Asia Web3 ecosystem. Web3, also known as the decentralized web, is an emerging technology paradigm that aims to redefine the way information is stored, shared, and accessed on the internet. The article emphasizes the unique opportunities and challenges faced by Asia in adopting Web3 technologies and the need …

The Wagner Group, a Russian private military contractor, has recently emerged and caused worries among Russia’s Asian partners. The group’s reported involvement in regional conflicts, as well as its potential to destabilize the region’s existing geopolitical balance, has caused fear and unease among neighboring countries. The report emphasizes Asian nations’ rising concern over the Wagner Group’s actions. With reported involvement …

There is no direct evidence that COVID-19 broke out from a Chinese laboratory in Wuhan, says an intelligence report that was released by U.S. officials on Friday. The report comes after lawmakers in the U.S. pressured intelligence officials to declassify information related to the Wuhan Institute of Virology (WIV), in China. The Congress, in a bill passed in March, had …

China is set to topple the US dollar’s global dominance as it allows more countries to settle payments in Chinese currency Yuan. Nearly a week ago, Pakistan utilized yuan to pay its international trade, an oil import deal with Russia. This was the first time for the Chinese currency to be used in a government transaction, highlighting a significant shift …

As the US navigates its complicated relationship with China, it is critical to realize the importance of engaging Southeast Asia on its own terms. Independent of the US-China conflict, the area is of enormous strategic, economic, and geopolitical significance.  Southeast Asia is strategically located, linking important trade routes and providing a gateway to the Indo-Pacific area. Beyond its conflict with …

The Pentagon launched today a number of innovative efforts targeted at challenging China’s developing supremacy in the area of artificial intelligence (AI), underlining the US commitment to retaining its technical advantage in the face of increased competition. With China making substantial advances in artificial intelligence research and development, American politicians and military strategists have been more worried about possible national …