China
Taiwan tops Beijing's agenda for Trump-Xi summit. Xi Jinping plans to put Taiwan at the top of the agenda when Donald Trump visits Beijing next month, raising concern in Taipei that Washington could soften or reframe its longstanding Taiwan policy in exchange for Chinese economic concessions. Beijing wants the U.S. to make a clearer opposition to Taiwan independence, while Taiwan is watching closely for any change in wording or signal of reduced support. U.S. officials say policy has not changed and stress continued backing for Taiwan, including major arms sales. Antoni Slodkowski and Ben Blanchard, Reuters, April 29
U.S. lawmakers warn China is top space rival as race to the moon intensifies. U.S. lawmakers and expert witnesses said China has become Washington’s most consequential competitor in space as both countries push toward crewed lunar missions. Testimony stressed that the contest extends beyond exploration to standards-setting, diplomacy, and influence across the Global South, where Beijing is expanding partnerships in satellites, launch services, and ground infrastructure. Lucy Quaggin, South China Morning Post, April 29
Foreign forces promoting ‘lying flat’ to undermine China’s economy: top anti-spy agency. China’s Ministry of State Security said foreign forces are using social media, funded media, and think tanks to spread “lying flat” ideas among young Chinese in an effort to weaken economic drive and social values. The agency argued that anti-overwork messaging is being amplified to deepen anxiety and discourage effort at a time of weak job prospects. Phoebe Zhang, South China Morning Post, April 28
Japan
Tanker operated by Japan’s Idemitsu Kosan passes through Strait of Hormuz. A tanker operated by a subsidiary of Idemitsu Kosan passed through the Strait of Hormuz without paying a toll and is heading to Japan with three Japanese nationals aboard. The vessel was carrying about 2 million barrels of crude and is expected to arrive in Nagoya in roughly three weeks. The transit offers a sign of movement through the waterway, though 41 Japan-related ships remain stranded in the Persian Gulf amid continuing disruption to a route crucial for Japan’s oil imports. Kyodo News, April 29
Japan PM Takaichi to depart Fri. for 5-day trip to Vietnam, Australia. Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi will visit Vietnam and Australia to deepen economic and security ties as Japan works to strengthen supply chains for energy and critical resources during Middle East turmoil and rising regional pressure from China. In Vietnam, she is expected to reaffirm the comprehensive strategic partnership and present her vision for a free and open Indo-Pacific. In Australia, talks will focus on raising strategic cooperation further as the two countries mark 50 years since signing their friendship and cooperation treaty. Kyodo News, April 28
South Korea
South Korea exports seen rising sharply again in April on chip boom: Reuters poll. South Korean exports are projected to have risen 45.3% year on year in April, extending growth to an 11th straight month as strong AI-driven chip demand continued to offset disruption from the Middle East conflict. Economists expect another record month in value terms after semiconductor exports jumped 182.5%. Imports are forecast to have increased 14.5%, while consumer inflation is seen accelerating to 2.6% on higher oil prices. Jihoon Lee, Reuters, April 29
South Korean appeals court increases jail term for former President Yoon in obstruction case. A Seoul appeals court raised Yoon Suk Yeol’s prison sentence to seven years from five over charges tied to his failed 2024 martial law declaration. The court found him guilty on additional counts, including using the presidential security service to block his arrest, fabricating official documents, and bypassing the required cabinet process for martial law. Yoon’s lawyers said he would appeal to the Supreme Court. Joyce Lee and Jack Kim, Reuters, April 29
Seoul continues consultations with Iran over South Korean vessels stranded in Strait of Hormuz: official. South Korea said it is actively pursuing ways to secure safe passage for 26 stranded vessels carrying more than 170 crew members, including consultations with Iran. Seoul reiterated support for freedom of navigation and vessel safety under international rules, and said bilateral talks with Tehran are continuing on that basis. A special envoy was sent to Iran earlier this month to help resolve the standoff. Park Boram, Yonhap News Agency, April 29
Presidential Security Service holds elite training for UAE agents in long-standing cooperation. South Korea’s Presidential Security Service completed a four-week training program in Seoul for 10 UAE agents assigned to presidential protection. The course combined basic security theory with advanced protection techniques and scenario-based response drills tailored to Emirati requirements. The program is the latest in a series of 14 training exchanges between the two sides since 2010. Yi Whan-woo, The Korea Times, April 29
North Korea
North Korea's Kim praises soldiers who committed suicide to evade capture in Ukraine. Kim Jong Un praised North Korean soldiers who chose self-destruction or suicide rather than be captured while fighting Ukrainian forces in Russia’s Kursk region, publicly affirming an extreme battlefield code. He described the dead as heroes at a memorial ceremony and said surviving troops were also patriots. North Korea is estimated to have sent 14,000 troops to Kursk, where South Korean, Ukrainian, and Western officials say more than 6,000 were killed. Brenda Goh, Reuters, April 28
North Korea’s China consulates hit with sweeping inspection, pre-dawn raids. North Korean auditors searched consulate residences in China before dawn and scrutinized foreign-currency operations for missing funds and ideological laxity. The raids followed the consulates’ growing role in trade and mineral exports, leaving staff shaken and more cautious. Seulkee Jang, Daily NK, April 29
North Korea mobilizes officials as drought threatens crop production. North Korea is intensifying efforts to limit drought damage ahead of the rice planting season, describing conditions as unusually severe for this time of year. Officials from multiple ministries and the state planning and science bodies have been dispatched to supply farms and secure irrigation water. Premier Pak Thae-song also urged stricter adherence to agricultural procedures as the country tries to protect output amid chronic food shortages. Woo Jae-yeon, Yonhap News Agency, April 30
Seoul’s surveillance of North Korea unaffected by U.S. intelligence-sharing restrictions: source. South Korea said partial U.S. limits on intelligence-sharing have not weakened its surveillance of North Korea because its own satellite assets remain effective. A government source said a military surveillance satellite launched in November is set to become fully operational this month, bringing the total to five, while the Arirang 7 multipurpose satellite is scheduled for deployment in July. The issue arose after Washington objected to a minister’s public reference to Kusong as a uranium enrichment site. Woo Jae-yeon, Yonhap News Agency, April 28
Thailand
Thaksin granted parole without EM bracelet, release set for May 11. A Justice Ministry panel approved Thaksin Shinawatra’s parole after he served the qualifying portion of his sentence, clearing his release from Klong Prem Central Prison on May 11. He will remain under probation until Sept. 9. The same report later noted that he must wear an EM bracelet until his sentence ends. The Nation, April 29
Election Commission gears up for three high-profile polls. Thailand’s Election Commission said it is ready for simultaneous June 28 elections for Bangkok governor, Bangkok Metropolitan Council seats, and Pattaya mayor. Officials are applying lessons from February’s general election, expanding training for poll workers, and targeting 75% turnout in contests expected to draw strong local interest. Bangkok Post, April 29
PP maps out plans for ‘shadow cabinet’. The opposition People’s Party said its new shadow cabinet will meet weekly to scrutinize government decisions and propose alternatives. Its work is organized around economic affairs, state reform, quality of life, and national security, with immediate focus on relief measures, the Land Bridge project, electricity pricing, and clean air legislation. Aekarach Sattaburuth, Bangkok Post, April 29
Myanmar
Hundreds of Myanmar CSOs demand ASEAN reject pseudo-civilian regime. More than 200 civil society groups urged ASEAN to deny legitimacy to Myanmar’s new military-dominated administration, exclude its representatives from top-level meetings, and work instead with democratic forces. The letter also called for cutting weapons and aviation fuel supply chains and bypassing the regime to deliver humanitarian aid. The Irrawaddy, April 28
Russian, Thai officials visit Myanmar for trade, investment talks. Myanmar’s regime hosted Russian and Thai delegations in Naypyitaw for talks on trade, investment, energy, tourism, and cross-border commerce as Western governments continue sanctions and withhold recognition. The discussions reflected the junta’s effort to deepen economic ties with regional partners, including possible baht-denominated trade and further energy cooperation with Russia. Maung Kavi, The Irrawaddy, April 29
Laos
Laos, Lithuania sign new cooperation agreement to boost diplomatic ties. Laos and Lithuania signed an agreement creating a formal consultation mechanism between their foreign ministries and agreed to expand cooperation in trade, investment, tourism, environmental protection, clean energy, digital transformation, and unexploded ordnance clearance. Laos also welcomed Lithuania’s support through EU development programs. Phoudasack Vongsay, The Laotian Times, April 29
U.S. sets preliminary 22.46% duty on Lao solar imports. The U.S. imposed a preliminary 22.46% anti-dumping duty on Lao solar imports, bringing Laos’ combined preliminary tariff burden to about 103% when earlier subsidy-related duties are included. The measure is part of a wider case involving India and Indonesia, with final determinations due later this year. Phoudasack Vongsay, The Laotian Times, April 28
Laos signs feasibility agreement for two new expressway sections to Chinese border. Laos signed a feasibility agreement with China’s Hunan Banying Industrial Group for two new sections of the Vientiane-Boten Expressway, extending the route from Vang Vieng to Luang Prabang and Oudomxay. The project advances a 440-km corridor to the Chinese border and is intended to complement the Laos-China Railway. Thongsavanh Souvannasane, The Laotian Times, April 29
Philippines
Philippine vice president faces impeachment vote in Congress after panel find probable cause. The House justice committee unanimously found probable cause to impeach Vice President Sara Duterte, moving the case toward a plenary vote when Congress resumes next month. Backing from one-third of lawmakers would send the complaint to a Senate trial, where conviction would remove her from office and bar her from politics for life. She is accused of misusing public funds, amassing unexplained wealth, and threatening President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and his relatives. Duterte denies wrongdoing and says the case is politically motivated. Nestor Corrales, Reuters, April 29
Evidence for threat, sedition not ‘foundation for probable cause,’ says Sara’s lawyer. Sara Duterte’s lawyer said the House hearing relied on curated or spliced material, opinion, and guesswork rather than evidence, and argued the allegations should be resolved in proper legal forums instead of through what he called a fishing expedition. Red Mendoza, The Manila Times, April 30
Sara Duterte camp hits hearing, calls evidence ‘curated, spliced’. Sara Duterte’s counsel said the House justice panel failed to establish a sufficient case, arguing that materials on inciting to sedition and grave threats lacked context and improperly implied guilt. The criticism came after the committee unanimously found probable cause in the impeachment complaints. Isabelle Pechay, Philippine Daily Inquirer, April 30
Indonesia
Indonesia military court begins trial of officers allegedly behind acid attack on activist. Military prosecutors charged four intelligence officers over an acid attack on KontraS activist Andrie Yunus, seeking sentences of up to 12 years. Prosecutors said the officers targeted him after he protested legal changes expanding the military’s role in civilian posts. The March attack left Andrie permanently scarred, with burns to 20% of his face and body and severe damage to one eye. Stanley Widianto, Reuters, April 29
Taiwan
Taiwan minister says she visited second islet in disputed South China Sea. Ocean Affairs Council Minister Kuan Bi-ling said she visited Zhongzhou Reef as well as Itu Aba during last week’s trip to Taiwan-held territory in the Spratlys, marking the first visit by a Taiwanese minister in seven years. She said the mission involved environmental and humanitarian drills, including a beach cleanup, and insisted Taiwan would not back down on sovereignty. Vietnam protested the visit, but Kuan said it would not create regional tension. Ben Blanchard, Reuters, April 29
China again touts benefits of union with Taiwan, Taipei rebuffs. Beijing said Taiwan’s economy would gain new vitality and stronger growth potential under “peaceful reunification,” arguing that access to China’s market could reinforce the island’s business environment. Taipei rejected the message, saying China should address its own economic and social problems first. President Lai Ching-te said only stronger self-defense can secure peace and warned that unification presented as peace would bring lasting trouble, while accusing China of intensifying gray-zone and military pressure around the Taiwan Strait. Beijing newsroom and Ben Blanchard, Reuters, April 29
Turkmenistan
Turkmen gas is back on Turkey’s agenda. Turkey is renewing calls for a trans-Caspian pipeline after losing Iranian gas imports and facing sharply higher prices amid Persian Gulf turmoil. The idea would send Turkmen gas to Turkey and Europe, but major obstacles remain, including cost, political risk, and uncertainty over Turkmenistan’s willingness to prioritize westbound exports over its deeper energy relationship with China. David O’Byrne, Eurasianet, April 29
Kyrgyzstan
Kyrgyzstan establishes new trade route to Pakistan via China. Kyrgyzstan completed a pilot truck shipment from Bishkek to Karachi along the Karakoram Highway, opening a new route to a seaport through China and bypassing Afghanistan. Officials called the corridor strategically important for trade and logistics. The test also suggests Central Asian states are pursuing alternatives while Afghan transit plans remain uncertain and politically complicated. Eurasianet, April 29
East Asia
US allies in Asia forge a new web of defense partnerships. Asian US allies are expanding defense ties with each other as doubts grow about Washington’s capacity and reliability after the Iran war. Balikatan drills show deeper Philippine cooperation with Japan, Australia, New Zealand, France, and Canada, alongside US systems aimed at South China Sea and Taiwan contingencies. Japan, South Korea, and middle powers may supply arms, technology, and security links in a fluid regional order. Richard Heydarian, Nikkei Asia, April 28
China's technological ambitions hinge on property market. China’s push into AI, semiconductors, electric vehicles, and robotics depends on funding weakened by the property collapse. Land sales once financed local subsidies, guidance funds, and bank credit that powered industrial policy. EVs show both gains and waste, with bankrupt firms leaving large debts. Shrinking local revenue, thin bank margins, and export barriers may force Beijing toward central spending, private enterprise, and narrower technology ambitions. Andrew Collier, Nikkei Asia, April 29
Xi softens his Taiwan messaging, setting a potential trap for Trump in Beijing. Xi Jinping’s meeting with KMT leader Cheng Li-wun marked a change from calls for reunification toward opposition to Taiwanese independence, a frame aimed at moderates in Taiwan and abroad. Beijing gave Cheng room to promote engagement while asserting that dialogue requires acceptance of its prerequisites. The approach casts cross-Strait ties as a domestic issue and may leave Trump’s silence open to Chinese interpretation. Claus Soong, Merics, April 28
Europe’s renewed China outreach balances competition and cooperation. European leaders are renewing outreach to China as tensions with Washington, economic pressure, and de-risking debates reshape foreign policy. Recent visits produced mixed results, from modest UK and German outcomes to stronger Canadian engagement. Germany favors managed competition and cooperation, while Spain and Portugal seek deeper ties. Divergent threat views, trade exposure, elections, and investment concerns will limit EU unity despite Brussels’ push for coordination. Marian Seliga, East Asia Forum, April 29
The Real Threat to Taiwan. China could coerce Taiwan through a quarantine that asserts customs control over ships, flights, weapons, components, and movement without launching an invasion. Such pressure would move escalation burdens to Washington while exposing markets, allies, and civilians to crisis. The United States lacks joint plans for economic response, evacuation, resupply, and messaging. Deterrence requires political coordination, military readiness, strategic modernization, and phased decoupling with allies. Eyck Freymann, Foreign Affairs, April 29
The Taiwan Evacuation Trap. A Taiwan crisis could force Washington to choose between early evacuation, late evacuation, no evacuation, or quiet drawdown, each carrying grave risks. Foreign civilians deter Chinese strikes, but their presence creates moral and political exposure. Taiwan’s island geography, limited flights, no allied evacuation doctrine, and Chinese gray-zone pressure would complicate any exit. The evacuation gap reflects a broader lack of an integrated crisis strategy. Eyck Freymann, Foreign Policy, April 29
South Korea no longer holds the cards against the North. South Korea’s old strategy of isolating North Korea no longer works because China and Russia now back Pyongyang more openly, sanctions bite less, and U.S. overstretch has weakened Seoul’s leverage. Past chances for limited arms-control deals were missed. Any new approach will require accepting that Seoul no longer holds the upper hand. Khang Vu, The Interpreter, April 30
Don't Swat the Scholars. China’s state social sciences newspaper warned media against interference in academic disputes while urging supervision of public power, affairs, and order. The warning shows the constraints on Chinese journalists under Xi Jinping, where reporting on senior power remains blocked and smaller investigations can be framed as harmful. CASS, a state institution, used boundary language to protect scholars while leaving the triggering dispute unnamed. David Bandurski, China Media Project, April 28
Japan and China Are Edging Dangerously Close to Conflict. Japan’s latest Taiwan Strait transit drew sharp Chinese condemnation, patrols, and warnings after Tokyo’s stronger support for Taiwan. Beijing links the passage to historical grievances, the embassy incident in Tokyo, and Japan’s shift in defense policy under Sanae Takaichi. Both sides frame their moves as defensive while reading the other as aggressive. Close encounters, radar locks, or commander misjudgments could turn friction into conflict. Deng Yuwen, Foreign Policy, April 28
Japan’s non-nuclear norm under pressure. Japan’s nuclear debate reflects concern over US extended deterrence rather than a settled move toward nuclear weapons. Institutional barriers, treaty commitments, and anti-nuclear sentiment rooted in Hiroshima and Nagasaki still impose costs on policy change. Pressure may produce adjustments in conventional defense, alliance coordination, and nuclear sharing discussions. A Japanese nuclear turn would strain China ties, Korean peninsula security, US alliance policy, Australia’s stance, and non-proliferation norms. Wakana Mukai, East Asia Forum, April 28
Japan's hydrogen pivot is a detour from real decarbonisation. Japan’s energy transition gives hydrogen and ammonia a central role despite their projected 1 percent contribution by the 2030s. Policy support reflects energy security, industrial strategy, and the influence of utilities and heavy industry. Renewable advocates call for solar, offshore wind, grid reform, and coal phase-out. Continued ammonia co-firing risks locking in thermal assets, slowing modernization, and weakening Japan’s climate leadership across Asia and within G7 climate commitments. Pinar Temocin, East Asia Forum, April 29
Southeast Asia
Rethinking Economic Integration as a Strategic Hedge. ASEAN members see deeper regional integration as a hedge against protectionism, US-China rivalry, and coercive pressure. Survey results show a shift from external partnerships toward internal cohesion. The bloc still relies on ASEAN+3 supply chains and faces weak intra-regional trade links, uneven productive capacity, and technology gaps. Stronger institutions, human capital, trade facilitation, and regional alignment are needed to turn integration into resilience. Kristina Fong Siew Leng, FULCRUM, April 29
Southeast Asia's data center boom is running into a power crunch. Southeast Asia’s data center expansion faces a power constraint as AI demand drives capacity toward tripling by 2030. Legacy grids, cooling needs, coal-heavy systems, and uneven regulations threaten investment and sustainability goals. Operators are pursuing floating facilities, industrial retrofits, smart building tools, secondary markets, regional corridors, long-term power agreements, and broader energy mixes. Future leaders will be markets that provide reliable, scalable, clean electricity. Sandeep Sethi, Nikkei Asia, April 28
Indonesia–China partnership more fragile than it appears. Under Joko Widodo, China became central to Indonesia’s investment, exports, nickel processing, and electric vehicle ambitions. Prabowo Subianto first deepened ties through South China Sea talks, a 2+2 mechanism, and battery cooperation. His later trade agreement with Washington introduced digital, trade, and critical mineral clauses that may restrict Chinese-backed projects. The partnership rests on thin institutions, short-term bargains, and pressure from US-China rivalry. Klaus Heinrich Raditio and Ardhitya Eduard Yeremia, East Asia Forum, April 28
Corporal Punishment in Thai Schools. Thailand’s 2025 legal ban on corporal punishment has not ended violent discipline in schools because enforcement, oversight, and cultural attitudes remain weak. Surveys show many children still face physical punishment, while recent cases in Lopburi and Chonburi prompted action only after public attention. Meaningful reform requires teacher retraining, trusted reporting channels, stronger school monitoring, and student participation to protect children’s bodily integrity and rights. Panarat Anamwathana, FULCRUM, April 28
To Lam’s visit to China: charting a ‘new era’ in Sino-Vietnam ties. To Lam’s April visit produced 32 agreements and signaled closer Vietnam-China cooperation in railways, AI, 5G, and security dialogue. The shift reflects Hanoi’s need for capital, technology, and infrastructure links that China can provide, but it also raises risks of economic leverage, cybersecurity exposure, and greater strain in Vietnam’s ties with the U.S. and EU. Phan Xuan Dung, FULCRUM, April 30
South Asia
India’s Demographic Dividend Is a Test of Governance. India’s youthful population offers growth potential, but the payoff depends on governance, health, education, jobs, and gender inclusion. The demographic window is in its middle phase and may peak between 2030 and 2040 before aging pressures rise. States face different paths, from older southern economies to younger northern ones. Policy must match local needs, expand labor participation, improve skills, and prepare care systems. Apoorva Jadhav, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, April 28
How Pakistan Became the Iran War’s Unlikely Peace Negotiator. Pakistan has become a key mediator between the United States and Iran, hosting talks and carrying proposals after years of isolation. Islamabad’s role reflects wider diplomatic gains with Central Asia, the Middle East, Europe, Australia, Canada, and Washington. The Trump administration values Pakistan’s regional links, rare earths, and leverage as US-India ties weaken. Pakistan has used praise, deals, and security access to rebuild influence. Joshua Kurlantzick, Council on Foreign Relations, April 28
Where Is Pakistan Again? The World Bank’s move of Pakistan from South Asia to MENAAP changes how lenders, investors, and institutions assess its economy. Pakistan now sits beside conflict-exposed Middle Eastern peers instead of faster-growing South Asian neighbors. The change may affect benchmarks, debt pricing, programs, and data systems. Gulf remittances, deposits, and trade ties explain the change, but war risks now shape Pakistan’s new regional frame. Bobby Ghosh, Foreign Policy, April 29
India’s Bangladesh gamble. India’s appointment of politician Dinesh Trivedi as high commissioner to Bangladesh breaks with the usual practice of sending career diplomats and reflects a bet that his Bengal roots and political instincts can help repair strained ties. But Dhaka is pressing New Delhi on energy supplies, Hasina’s extradition, and water-sharing, while also using closer ties with China and Pakistan as leverage. Shanthie Mariet D’Souza, The Interpreter, April 30