Japan
Defense Ministry to seek record 8.8 trillion yen for fiscal 2026. Japan’s Defense Ministry plans a ¥8.8 trillion request, prioritizing unmanned systems under a new “Shield” coastal defense initiative and allocating over ¥200 billion for drones and related gear, with rapid imports from partners such as Turkey, the U.S., and Australia. The plan supports goals to lift total defense-related spending to 2% of GDP by fiscal 2027 and includes counterstrike and stand-off capabilities. Budget requests are due to the Finance Ministry by the end of August. Mizuki Sato, The Asahi Shimbun, August 19
Survey: 54% of voters OK with Ishiba staying as prime minister. A nationwide poll found 54% say Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba need not resign after July’s Upper House setback; 36% want him to step down. Cabinet approval rose to 36% as disapproval dipped to 50%. Nearly half of respondents opposed LDP efforts to oust him, and 76% of LDP supporters said he should remain. Among unaffiliated voters, 53% favored him staying. The Asahi Shimbun, August 18
South Korea
Ex-first lady’s detention extended to Aug. 31. A court extended former first lady Kim Keon Hee’s detention by 10 days, requiring indictment by the end of the month with no further extension permitted. The arrest warrant cites suspected stock manipulation, interference in 2022 by-election and 2024 general-election nominations, and receipt of luxury gifts via the Unification Church through a shaman in return for favors. Prosecutors have questioned her twice; a third session is set for Thursday. Yoo Cheong-mo, Yonhap News Agency, August 20
North Korea
Kim’s sister criticizes Lee for peace overture, says Seoul not diplomatic partner. Kim Yo-jong rejected President Lee Jae Myung’s conciliatory signals, declaring the ROK cannot be a diplomatic partner and denouncing ongoing Ulchi Freedom Shield drills as aggression. She dismissed gradual trust-building as a “pipe dream,” alleged Seoul’s enduring confrontational intent, and said the ROK is examining plans to eliminate the DPRK’s nuclear and missile capabilities early and expand strikes into its territory. Park Boram, Yonhap News Agency, August 19
N. Korea to hold plenary session of parliamentary next month. The Supreme People’s Assembly will convene Sept. 20 to address a grain management act, review an intellectual property rights act, and implement a city management act, KCNA reported. Attention centers on the prospect of a constitutional revision codifying South Korea as the “primary hostile state,” after Kim Jong-un ordered such changes last year and Kim Yo-jong recently urged similar language. Park Boram, Yonhap News Agency, August 19
California man gets 8 years for shipping weapons to North Korea. Shenghua Wen, 42, received an eight-year prison term after admitting he shipped weapons and ammunition to North Korea and acted as an unregistered foreign agent. He pleaded guilty to conspiring to violate the International Emergency Economic Powers Act. Investigators say he sent two containers from Long Beach via Hong Kong in 2023, was wired about $2 million, bought an FFL business called Super Armory for $150,000, disguised cargo, and later had 50,000 rounds seized from his home. AP News, August 19
India
Modi meets China’s top diplomat as Asian powers rebuild ties. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi met Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, praising “steady progress” and noting movement on de-escalation, delimitation and boundary affairs after a yearslong standoff. Recent steps include a patrols pact, limited troop withdrawals, revived official visits, easing trade and visa issues, and work to restore direct flights; Modi is expected to see Xi Jinping in China later this month at the SCO summit. Sheikh Saaliq and Rajesh Roy, AP News, August 19
Vietnam
Minister of Public Security holds phone talks with Chinese counterpart. Vietnam’s Public Security Minister Lương Tam Quang and China’s Wang Xiaohong discussed deeper security cooperation, noting gains against transnational crime, drug trafficking, fugitive arrests, victim rescue, and illegal migration. Quang highlighted the Ministerial crime-prevention meeting, Deputy-minister security dialogue, and 3+3 talks; backed Mekong–Lancang law-enforcement cooperation; and invited Wang to co-chair the ninth ministerial. Relations intensified after high-level visits in 2024 and 2025. Viet Nam News, August 19
Thailand
Paetongtarn absent from cabinet meeting again. Suspended Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra skipped a second consecutive weekly cabinet session while preparing to testify before the Constitutional Court in an ethics case tied to a leaked phone call. She and two other ministers took leave; she has avoided press exchanges for three weeks. The court will hear her on Thursday and aims to rule Aug. 29; she has been suspended since July 1. The case involves remarks in a call released by Hun Sen, for which she apologized, describing a border-dispute negotiating tactic. Mongkol Bangprapa, Bangkok Post, August 19
Suing Cambodian leader for war crimes necessary, says 2nd Army chief. Lt Gen Boonsin Padklang criticized Cambodian troops’ conduct toward ASEAN observers at Chong An Ma, reaffirmed Thailand’s border stance, and cited the 2000 MOU barring construction before demarcation. He welcomed China’s offer to mediate land-mine clearance and warned the issue could be internationalized if Phnom Penh refuses. He supported legal action against Cambodia’s leader for war crimes tied to damage in Thai civilian areas and pledged to aid evidence collection. Nation Thailand, August 19
Philippines
Duterte's defense team files comment opposing impeachment motion. Vice President Sara Duterte’s legal team filed a comment against the House motion urging the Supreme Court to reconsider its ruling voiding her impeachment; spokesman Michael Wesley Poa withheld details under the sub judice rule. The Court had found the articles unconstitutional for breaching the one-impeachment-per-year limit. Duterte traveled via Paris en route to The Hague to meet Filipinos and visit her father; her office said the trip is personally funded and authorized. Red Mendoza, The Manila Times, August 19
Uzbekistan
Afghanistan, Uzbekistan Sign Contracts for Four Energy Projects Worth $243 Million. Afghanistan’s DABS signed $243 million in contracts with Uzbekistan for four electricity projects to expand lines and substations and build new infrastructure over 18 months; a 10-year power purchase agreement was also concluded. The ceremony in Kabul included Acting Deputy PM Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar and Uzbek Energy Minister Jurabek Mirzamakhmudov. DABS said the projects are vital for reliable supply. Nargiz Raimbekova, The Astana Times, August 19
New Zealand
A New Zealand soldier admits to espionage in historic military court case. A serving soldier admitted attempted espionage, marking the country’s first spying conviction; his name and the foreign state were suppressed. Court documents say he tried in 2019 to pass military directories, maps, security assessments, ID and network credentials, but communicated with an undercover police officer monitoring extremist groups. He also pleaded guilty to dishonest computer access; sentencing will follow within days, with each count carrying up to 7–10 years. Charlotte Graham-McLay, AP News, August 19
Northeast Asia
The new rural dream: China’s urbanites seek greener pastures. Urban professionals are relocating to villages like Yucun, drawn by lower living costs, cleaner environments, and improved transport and connectivity. Local schemes recruit “rural CEOs” to run industries and services, with pilots offering salaries from RMB 150,000 plus performance bonuses; digital-nomad communities with shared workspaces aim to build youth eco-communities and revitalise underused assets. Early cohorts of “new villagers” are forming longer-term communities, though integration and sustained planning remain challenges. Yush Chau, ThinkChina, August 19
As US tariffs bite, China and India need each other more than ever. Expanding US tariffs and associated trade frictions are raising effective import costs, squeezing both Chinese and Indian exporters and increasing incentives for bilateral economic cooperation. With duties on some flows exceeding 30% when combined with other measures, each side has pragmatic reasons to stabilise ties and coordinate where interests align, even amid strategic distrust. High-level engagement, including Narendra Modi’s planned visit to China, reflects recognition that trade complementarities can cushion external shocks. Amitendu Palit, ThinkChina, August 19
To Take Gaokao or Not To Take Gaokao. Gaokao participation reached 13.35 million in 2025, yet an expanding share of students pursue overseas degrees—over one million in 2022, including ~300,000 in the US. Three case studies from Suzhou illustrate motivations for studying abroad: better academic fit, improved job prospects, and a more open learning environment. While Gaokao remains vital for many families, rising competition and stress push some toward international tracks to complement hard skills with broader development. Edison Chen, U.S.-China Perception Monitor, August 19
Okinawan rights ignored as military crimes persist. A recent trial of a US marine over sexual assault has reignited anger in Okinawa, which hosts over 70% of US forces in Japan while comprising just 0.6% of national land. Critics cite a pattern of violence, environmental harm, and impunity under the Status of Forces Agreement. Recognising Okinawans as an indigenous nation under international law and proposes reviving community-based jury trials to bolster accountability and local sovereignty claims. Hiroshi Fukurai, East Asia Forum, August 20
China’s Data Still Doesn’t Add Up. China’s customs-based goods surplus surged in H1 2025 (near $600 billion; ~$100 billion/month), yet the current-account balance of payments slipped in Q2, widening unexplained gaps between customs and BOP data. An estimate of a more realistic current-account surplus around $1 trillion (~5% of GDP) and note state-bank settlement patterns consistent with yuan appreciation pressures and ongoing intervention. Brad W. Setser and Michael Weilandt, Council on Foreign Relations, August 19
Southeast Asia
Scarborough Shoal Incident Might Raise Tensions. A PLAN destroyer and a China Coast Guard cutter collided on 11 August while chasing a Philippine Coast Guard vessel near Scarborough Shoal, breaching COLREG and CUES guidelines and likely causing casualties aboard the CCG ship. Beijing and Manila issued competing accounts, while the event signaled a rare, direct PLAN role in grey-zone operations and, for the Philippines, violated a 2012 understanding against deploying naval vessels at the shoal. The episode heightens risks as ASEAN–China Code of Conduct talks drag on. Ian Storey and Aries A. Arugay, FULCRUM, August 19
Grooming New Champions: To Lam Prepares for Private Sector-Led Growth in Vietnam. Vietnam’s Politburo adopted Resolution 68 to elevate the private sector as the economy’s “most important force,” pivoting from SOEs and FDI toward nurturing large private “national champions.” Measures include a dedicated law, a prime minister–led committee, easier access to land and credit, and sharply limited inspections, with a target of at least 20 globally competitive firms by 2030. Supporters expect productivity gains; critics warn about cronyism and governance risks, underscoring the need for transparent, rules-based implementation. Nguyen Khac Giang, FULCRUM, August 19