China
Chinese President Xi Jinping arrives in Tibet for landmark anniversary. Xi Jinping arrived in Tibet to mark the region’s 60th anniversary as an autonomous region, becoming the first Chinese president to attend the once-a-decade commemorations. The appearance also highlights the political significance of Tibet within broader domestic governance priorities and symbolic statecraft. Xinlu Liang, South China Morning Post, August 20
Japan
Ishiba announces initiatives to develop trade, investment in Africa. Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba outlined an Indian Ocean–Africa economic zone to link African markets with regional partners and support integration and industrial growth. Plans include using ODA to build distribution networks, creating a matching body for cross-border business partnerships, and advancing the Nacala Corridor to connect mineral-rich interiors to east-coast ports. Forty-nine African countries are expected at TICAD 9 through August 22, with roughly 300 cooperation MOUs anticipated. Azusa Kato, The Asahi Shimbun, August 20
South Korea
Lee vows to pursue 3-stage denuclearization plan for N. Korea. President Lee Jae Myung outlined a phased approach: an initial freeze of nuclear and missile programs, followed by reductions, then dismantlement, pursued through dialogue with Pyongyang and close U.S. coordination ahead of talks in Tokyo with Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba. The plan aims to build conditions for progress via active inter-Korean engagement while maintaining alliance alignment. Kim Eun-jung, Yonhap News Agency, August 21
Gov't unveils steps to support 'voluntary' restructuring of petrochemical industry. Seoul announced a roadmap to address oversupply, move toward higher-value products, improve firms’ finances, and cushion regional impacts, anchored by principles requiring simultaneous complex-wide moves, company self-rescue, and a comprehensive support package. Industry targets include up to 3.7 million tons of naphtha cracking capacity cuts, with detailed restructuring plans due by year’s end and potential aid via finance, tax, R&D, and regulatory reforms. Kim Na-young, Yonhap News Agency, August 20
North Korea
N. Korea's Kim hails ground commanders of troops deployed in Russia's war on Ukraine. Kim Jong-un met commanders returning from the Kursk front, praised their leadership of overseas combat units, and described the military as “the most powerful army in the world,” while planning a first commendation ceremony for personnel on the mission. KCNA briefed him on operations and deployments, including senior General Staff figures reported active early in the war. Park Boram, Yonhap News Agency, August 21
India
India test-fires nuclear-capable ballistic missile, with eye on China. New Delhi said the Agni-5 launch in Odisha validated all operational and technical parameters, with the system expected to reach targets across China once fully operational, against a backdrop of strained U.S.-India ties and regional rivalries. Context includes tariff pressures from Washington and India’s participation in the Quad as security dynamics intensify. The Straits Times, August 21
Vietnam
Việt Nam, Australia convene 7th Foreign Ministers' Meeting in Hà Nội. Ministers Bùi Thanh Sơn and Penny Wong reviewed the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, highlighted advances across six pillars, and reaffirmed targets to lift two-way trade to US$20 billion and double investment under the EEES, supported by expanded ODA. Cooperation priorities include climate, green growth, energy transition, digital transformation, and maritime stability consistent with UNCLOS, alongside a new policy consultation mechanism and a joint press statement. Viet Nam News, August 20
Myanmar
Myanmar Junta Claims Capture of Demoso From Karenni Forces. The regime said it retook Demoso after 16 days under Operation Yan Naing Min, pushing back Karenni resistance groups; opposition figures reported continued control of strategic positions and ongoing clashes toward Nanmekhon and Hpruso. The advance follows Mobye’s recapture and broader efforts since May 2024 to reopen key routes across southern Shan and Karenni states. The Irrawaddy, August 20
Indonesia
Indonesia, Japan explore opportunities for migrant workers. Deputy Minister Christina Aryani discussed expanding placements with Indonesia’s Embassy in Tokyo, citing employer demand and worker attributes while flagging challenges: language gaps and inadequate insurance for departures. By end-2024, 199,000 Indonesians worked in Japan, mainly in manufacturing, construction, care, agriculture, fisheries, and food processing; officials plan stronger coordination to improve protections and skills readiness. ANTARA News, August 21
Mount Semeru erupts on Wednesday, spewing 800 meters ash column. At 7:21 a.m. local time, Semeru emitted an 800-meter ash plume drifting southwest–west; earlier eruptions were recorded overnight amid fog, with another 700-meter plume at 5:38 a.m. The volcano remains at Alert Level II, with restrictions along Besuk Kobokan and within three kilometers of the crater, due to risks from pyroclastic flows, lava, and ejected material. ANTARA News, August 20
Kazakhstan
President Tokayev to Pay Official Visit to Kyrgyz Republic This Week. Kassym-Jomart Tokayev will visit Bishkek on August 22 for talks with President Sadyr Japarov to strengthen allied ties and attend the Supreme Intergovernmental Council, focusing on trade, investment, transport, and water cooperation, following earlier ministerial discussions on boosting economic links. Nargiz Raimbekova, The Astana Times, August 20
Afghanistan
Bus crash in northwestern Afghanistan kills 79, including 19 children. A bus returning Afghans from Iran collided with a truck and a motorbike in Herat province around 8:30 p.m. Tuesday, sparking a fire that killed at least 79 people and injured two, according to the Interior Ministry. Images showed a charred vehicle as Taliban personnel inspected the scene. Officials say poor roads and driver negligence contribute to frequent deadly accidents. Authorities also report mass returns: nearly 1.8 million Afghans from Iran in recent months, additional deportations from Pakistan and Turkey, and thousands of prisoners repatriated this year. AP News, August 20
East Asia
The Real China Model: Beijing’s Enduring Formula for Wealth and Power. Massive state support since “Made in China 2025” combined with deep infrastructure investments into powerful grids, transport, and digital networks have propelled China’s dominance in EVs, batteries, solar, drones, and automation, reinforced by a 70-million skilled industrial workforce and aggressive entrepreneurship. Structural flaws persist: waste, corruption, overcapacity, deflation, and stifled services. Yet the model’s resilience suggests rivals must invest in their own industrial foundations rather than rely on controls alone. Dan Wang and Arthur Kroeber, Foreign Affairs, August 19
Serving the people by controlling them: How the party is reinserting itself into daily life. Beijing fuses Mao-era mobilization with digital surveillance and party-led services to entrench CCP norms, expanding cells in private firms and communities through the new Central Society Work Department, grid management, and the “Fengqiao experience.” Vast resources fund grassroots monitoring, patriotic campaigns, and volunteer mobilization to engineer loyalty and “readiness to struggle,” despite fiscal pressures and limited buy-in. Implications include tighter party steerage of corporate governance and greater ideological conformity. Nis Grünberg, Katja Drinhausen, and Alexander Davey, MERICS, August 20
With real estate’s heyday over, China hunts for its next growth engine. A prolonged property downturn since the “three red lines” in 2020 has cascaded through interiors, furniture, and construction, with bankruptcies, investigations, and tighter budgets crushing margins. The sector once underpinned as much as 30% of economic activity; Guangdong’s growth has lagged amid weaker demand. Firms are cutting costs, digitizing, and testing overseas channels while government stabilization leans on lower mortgages, project whitelists, and guaranteed delivery instead of broad stimulus, signaling a pivot toward improving existing urban stock. Liu Sha, ThinkChina, August 20
China’s critical minerals chokehold sparks Quad action. China’s control of over 90% of rare earth magnet processing, combined with new export curbs and six-month licensing, triggered shipment collapses, factory disruptions, and stockpiling in Baotou. Quad foreign ministers launched a Critical Minerals Initiative in July 2025 to co-finance mining, processing, and stockpiles; early moves include Japan–Australia lithium cooperation and India’s expedited approvals and IREL partnerships with Japan and South Korea. Progress faces divergent standards, environmental timelines, capacity gaps, and financing hurdles that could slow diversification. Manish Vaid, East Asia Forum, August 21
Southeast Asia
Vietnam’s demographic decline narrows development pathway. Sub-replacement fertility (1.9) and eventual labor force shrinkage that is projected to be 3.6 million fewer workers by 2060, constrain catch-up growth despite present momentum. With 5–6% annual per-capita gains, Vietnam could still reach high-income status before the mid-century peak, but weak private enterprise, geopolitics limiting exports, and climate risks complicate the path. Costly pronatalist incentives have underperformed elsewhere; effective responses require social change; greater male participation in caregiving, workplace flexibility, and support that eases trade-offs for parents. David Dapice, East Asia Forum, August 20
Increasing Government Efficiency in Malaysia through a New Act. Malaysia targets 95% online public services by 2030 and has enacted the Government Service Efficiency Commitment Act 2025 to streamline bureaucracy, cut regulatory burden by 25% every three years, and rate service delivery. The Chief Secretary gains broad powers, extending reporting to statutory bodies and local governments, potentially centralizing authority. Weak oversight with self-reporting, non-mandatory tabling to Parliament, creates accountability gaps; linking ratings to funding raises stakes. Stronger parliamentary scrutiny could turn a broad framework into genuine cultural change. Tricia Yeoh, FULCRUM, August 20