China
China’s Xi makes rare public reference to recent military purges. President Xi Jinping acknowledged corruption probes within China’s military and said anti-graft efforts had strengthened the armed forces. The investigations removed senior Central Military Commission vice chairmen and left key posts vacant. Xi praised rank-and-file troops for loyalty as China accelerates military modernization. Ryan Woo, Reuters, February 11
China accuses U.S. of seeking to revive its nuclear test programme. China rejected U.S. claims that it conducted a nuclear test in 2020 and said the allegation serves as a pretext for Washington to resume testing. The dispute follows remarks by a U.S. arms control official after the New Start treaty expired, leaving no binding limits on U.S. and Russian arsenals. Beijing said it signed the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty after its last test in 1996. Zhao Ziwen, South China Morning Post, February 11
China vows to ‘do what it can’ as U.S. blockade leaves Cuba with just weeks of oil. China said it will support Cuba as a U.S. blockade halts Venezuelan oil shipments and leaves the island with reserves for only 15 to 20 days. Beijing condemned Washington’s measures as inhumane but did not detail specific assistance, saying steps depend on bilateral consultations. Cuba has cut public sector hours and suspended aviation fuel supplies as power outages and shortages worsen. Igor Patrick, South China Morning Post, February 11
Japan
CRA soul-searching begins with vote to elect new leader. The Centrist Reform Alliance moved to elect a new leader after winning just 49 seats in the general election, down from 167 before the vote. Lawmakers agreed to hold a leadership ballot ahead of Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s reconfirmation, with Junya Ogawa and Takeshi Shina declaring their candidacies. Former co-leaders Yoshihiko Noda and Tetsuo Saito resigned, apologizing for the party’s electoral defeat. Gabriele Ninivaggi, The Japan Times, February 11
South Korea
Minor Rebuilding Korea Party agrees to put off merger talks with ruling party. The minor Rebuilding Korea Party accepted the ruling Democratic Party’s proposal to form a cooperation committee ahead of June local elections while postponing merger talks until after the vote. Leader Cho Kuk said his party would clarify whether the proposed solidarity implies a coalition or symbolic coordination. President Lee Jae Myung’s office said the merger is a matter for the parties to decide. Kim Eun-jung, Yonhap News Agency, February 11
Lee to host luncheon with leaders of ruling, opposition parties Thursday. President Lee Jae Myung will host a luncheon with leaders of the Democratic Party and the People Power Party to seek bipartisan cooperation. Discussions are expected to cover economic issues, trade negotiations with the United States and pending legislation tied to a $350 billion investment pledge. Lee urged parliament to expedite key bills amid tariff pressures and global uncertainty. Kim Eun-jung, Yonhap News Agency, February 11
North Korea
N. Korea elite unit commanders embezzled soldier funds. North Korea’s Defense Ministry found commanders of the 91 Metropolitan Defense Corps misappropriated funds collected from soldiers and their families to renovate barracks and study rooms. Inspectors discovered more than half of the money raised over five years had no paper trail and less than 10% was used as intended. Soldiers expressed anger as heating problems persisted while commanders spent funds on lavish meals and imported goods. Jeong Seo-yeong, Daily NK, February 11
N. Korea targets corrupt university prosecutors. North Korea’s Supreme Prosecutor’s Office activated a dormant legal provision allowing the replacement of prosecutors accused of shielding elite students in exchange for bribes. The order followed a Central Committee inspection that found a prosecutor minimized a university case to protect officials’ children. Kim Jong Un demanded strict enforcement of the law, warning that corrupt prosecutors must be removed within three days of an application. Jeong Seo-yeong, Daily NK, February 11
Thailand
Thailand’s election commission faces pressure over vote transparency. Thailand’s Election Commission faced scrutiny after allegations of irregularities in vote counting across several constituencies. Opposition parties sought recounts, while social media posts showed discrepancies between polling station tallies and official records. The commission said it received 113 complaints and is investigating, as preliminary results showed Bhumjaithai leading with 193 seats. Panu Wongcha-um and Panarat Thepgumpanat, Reuters, February 11
Democrats won’t bend on coalition. Democrat Party leader Abhisit Vejjajiva said his party will strictly adhere to campaign conditions when deciding whether to join a coalition government. He outlined three principles, including rejecting ties to grey capital, opposing dominance by a single family and avoiding divisive politics. Abhisit urged the Election Commission to disclose full vote data to restore confidence and ensure transparency. Mongkol Bangprapa, Bangkok Post, February 11
People’s Party leadership change possible. The People’s Party may replace its leader and executive board if key figures face suspension over a pending Supreme Court case. Secretary-General Sarayut Jailak said a general meeting in March or April will determine the party’s response and future direction. Spokesman Parit Wacharasindhu could assume leadership if current leaders are barred. Chairith Yonpiam, Bangkok Post, February 11
Myanmar
Min Aung Hlaing boasts of ‘successful’ poll as critics question 54% turnout claim. Myanmar junta chief Min Aung Hlaing claimed 54.22% turnout in the regime’s three-phase election, calling it higher than in many democracies. Analysts said the figure was inflated because voting was canceled in many conflict-hit areas and opposition parties were dissolved. Official results showed the military-backed USDP won 72.09% of seats, while 166 unelected military appointees will occupy 28% of the new parliament. Myo Pyae, The Irrawaddy, February 11
Cambodia
Cambodia, China launch regular trade dialogue to clear obstacles for investors. Cambodia and China held their first public-private trade dialogue in Phnom Penh to address business challenges and strengthen economic cooperation. Officials and representatives from about 80 Chinese firms discussed taxation, customs, logistics, energy and labor issues, agreeing to meet every six months to track progress. Chinese investors accounted for 54.25% of CDC-approved projects in 2025, totaling about $10 billion. Meng Seavmey, Cambodianess, February 11
Philippines
Philippines urges China to keep tone ‘calm’ as rhetoric heats up. The Philippine foreign ministry urged the Chinese Embassy in Manila to adopt a calm and professional tone amid escalating exchanges over maritime disputes. The Senate passed a resolution condemning embassy statements criticizing Philippine officials. Both countries remain locked in confrontations in the South China Sea. Karen Lema, Reuters, February 11
Chinese ambassador seeks stable ties between China, Philippines. Chinese Ambassador Jing Quan called for stabilizing China-Philippines relations through deeper dialogue, expanded cooperation and stronger people-to-people exchanges. Speaking at a Chinese New Year reception in Manila, he highlighted centuries of cultural ties and pledged to advance bilateral initiatives. Jing said his priority is ensuring steady progress in relations despite ongoing maritime tensions. Javier Joe Ismael, The Manila Times, February 11
PH undeterred by China’s retaliatory moves in word war vs legislators. Malacañang said the Philippines will continue using diplomatic channels to address the West Philippine Sea dispute despite China’s retaliatory measures. Beijing barred 16 officials from the Kalayaan Island Group after local authorities declared the Chinese envoy persona non grata. The Palace reaffirmed a firm stance on sovereignty while stressing that the Department of Foreign Affairs will handle the issue. Kristina Maralit and Bernadette E. Tamayo, The Manila Times, February 12
Indonesia
Indonesia reviews visa-free deal with UAE to boost umrah travel. Indonesia is reviewing a reciprocal visa waiver and expanded aviation cooperation with the United Arab Emirates to support umrah travel and mobility. Minister Yusril Ihza Mahendra cited growing bilateral ties across healthcare, education, renewable energy and defense, alongside plans for new direct flights by Etihad and Emirates. Data show 1.4 million Indonesians traveled for umrah through licensed operators in 2024, while Saudi figures recorded 1.8 million pilgrims. Bambang Ismoyo, Jakarta Globe, February 11
Prabowo to visit U.S. for tariff deal, Board of Peace summit. President Prabowo Subianto will visit the United States in mid-February to sign a reciprocal tariff agreement and attend the inaugural Board of Peace summit. Indonesia’s current 19% US import tariff was reduced from 32% during negotiations, which have reached the final legal drafting stage. The deal will expand US market access while granting tariff exemptions for Indonesian goods not produced domestically, including palm oil and coffee. ANTARA News, February 11
Taiwan
Taiwan says budget delay risks ‘rupture’ in line of defence against China. Taiwan’s defence minister warned that delaying a $40 billion special military budget risks undermining collective deterrence in the Indo-Pacific. President Lai Ching-te urged the opposition-controlled parliament to approve the plan, which has U.S. backing. Taiwan reported renewed Chinese military activity near the island. Yimou Lee and Ben Blanchard, Reuters, February 11
Taiwan to send team to assess U.S. rare-earth deposits. Taiwan will dispatch officials to evaluate U.S. rare earth deposits and determine whether the elements meet the island’s industrial needs. Economy Minister Kung Ming-hsin said Taiwan could refine imported materials and aims to expand capacity to meet half of domestic demand. Taiwan consumes about 1,500 metric tonnes annually, with usage projected to rise to 2,000 tonnes. Jeanny Kao and Ben Blanchard, Reuters, February 11
TPP denies blocking Cabinet defense bill, claims defense highest priority. The Taiwan People’s Party denied obstructing the Cabinet’s special defense budget and said arms procurement will be its top legislative priority. Caucus whip Chen Ching-lung said the party supports sending the bill to the committee for joint review alongside its own draft. The TPP said it backs strengthening asymmetric warfare capabilities but opposes granting blank authorization without detailed budget scrutiny. Chen Chun-hua and James Thompson, Focus Taiwan, February 11
Taiwan could be defense breach if special budget not passed: Defense chief. Defense Minister Wellington Koo warned Taiwan could become a weak link in Indo-Pacific collective defense if the Legislature fails to pass a NT$1.25 trillion special defense budget. The eight-year plan would fund major weapons purchases and joint programs with the United States to bolster air defense and asymmetric capabilities. President Lai Ching-te urged swift approval, calling the bill a key indicator of Taiwan’s resolve. Joseph Yeh, Focus Taiwan, February 11
Bangladesh
U.S. moves to counter China in Bangladesh, plans to pitch defence alternatives. The United States plans to offer Bangladesh U.S. and allied defence systems as alternatives to Chinese hardware amid concerns over Beijing’s growing influence. Ambassador Brent T. Christensen said Washington will work with whichever government emerges from Thursday’s election. He also urged broader international support for Rohingya refugees sheltered in Bangladesh. Krishna N. Das, Reuters, February 11
Bangladesh votes in landmark election after Gen Z revolution. Bangladesh began voting in its first election since the 2024 ouster of Sheikh Hasina in a youth-led uprising. More than 2,000 candidates are contesting 300 parliamentary seats, with opinion polls giving an edge to the Bangladesh Nationalist Party. Voters are also deciding on constitutional reforms, including a two-term limit for the prime minister and the creation of a neutral interim government. Krishna N. Das, Ruma Paul and Tora Agarwala, Reuters, February 11
Kazakhstan
Kazakhstan to launch AI fund backed by National Bank. Kazakhstan will establish an Artificial Intelligence Fund capitalized by the National Bank to finance priority digital and educational projects. Deputy Prime Minister Zhaslan Madiev said investments could yield a fivefold return and add up to 1.5% of GDP annually. President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev called AI a pillar of the country’s new economic model while warning that technology must not excuse poor management. Dmitry Pokidaev, The Times of Central Asia, February 11
Kazakhstan calls March 15 referendum on new constitution. Kazakhstan announced a March 15 referendum on a draft constitution that could allow President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev to seek another term. The proposal would replace the bicameral parliament with a single chamber and reinstate the vice-presidency while keeping a single seven-year presidential term. Officials said a new constitution could reset term limits, though no final decision has been made. Felix Light and Mariya Gordeyeva, Reuters, February 11
East Asia
Asia’s capitalists will need to fight for their revolution. Japan’s 2015 governance code and related reforms lifted shareholder returns and drew activists who pushed buybacks, divestments, and higher payouts. A new prime minister, Sanae Takaichi, signals a pivot toward employees and revisions that could slow the transition to shareholder focus. Much of Asia still has weak disclosure, insider dealing, deferential boards, and low free float because families and states control firms. Ageing populations raise the cost of supporting retirees without stronger equity returns. South Korea has added fiduciary duties, dividend incentives, and proposals to cancel repurchased shares. China has introduced duties for controlling owners, audit committees, disclosure when shares trade below book value, and market-value targets for state firms. Voluntary programs in South-East Asia have delivered limited change, prompting tougher free-float rules in Indonesia. The Economist, February 11
Closing ranks: Russia-China energy cooperation amid escalating confrontation with the West. Fossil fuels remain the core of Russia-China economic ties and have gained weight after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. China provides Russia with foreign currency and budget support through energy purchases, while China benefits from cheaper supplies and reduced exposure to disruption risks. In 2024, crude oil, hard coal, and natural gas made up two-thirds of Russia’s exports to China, worth USD 85 billion, with China buying nearly half of the Russian hydrocarbons sold abroad. Cooperation faces limits from US sanctions in 2025 that cut Russian oil exports to China and slow Power of Siberia 2 talks. China expands domestic output, electrifies demand, and keeps import diversification. Maciej Kalwasinski and Filip Rudnik, MERICS, February 11
Hainan is China's island of the future. China has turned Hainan into the Hainan Free Trade Port, an offshore frontier that targets services and cross-border human exchange. The port promises five freedoms: trade, investment, capital flows, people movement, and travel. Hainan is an independent customs territory with visa-free entry for 87 nationalities, online processing, visa-on-arrival channels, and new visa types tied to health visits and cruise tourism. The model aims to make Hainan a convention hub and a base for tourism, finance, medical and wellness care, education, digital logistics, and space services. Plans include experimental treatment access, joint research ventures, a space launch and satellite services hub, and financial openings through free-trade accounts that support wider yuan and digital yuan use while limiting contagion risk. Lauren Johnston, Nikkei Asia, February 11
is PRC legal reform ahead of public opinion? China’s amended Public Security Administration Punishments Law codifies sealing notices of petty administrative violations, a change that draws anger because drug use falls under the law. The dispute highlights the divide between crimes with permanent records and administrative violations that carry no prison sentence. Sealing grew from efforts to curb background checks that pushed police to issue certificates listing minor infractions, until 2016 guidance narrowed what could be disclosed. Online criticism reflects fears of hidden addiction in safety-sensitive jobs and suspicion that elites will escape consequences. Legal scholars and officials say sealing excludes crimes and regulated professions still face checks. Police handle eight million administrative violations each year, and stigma can block work, harm families, and build resentment, so privacy protections aim for rehabilitation and stability. CHINA POLICY, February 12
Chinese EVs ... made in the USA? Chinese automakers lead on EV scale and cost, but a 100 per cent US tariff and a connected-vehicle rule block sales of models that use Chinese-owned software or hardware, with deadlines in March 2026 and 2029. Overcapacity in China has driven BYD to sell models at US$8,000. Canada’s plan to admit 50,000 Chinese EVs a year at a lower tariff and Trump’s comments about letting China build in the United States have revived talk of US factories. Geely has signaled a US entry within 2 to 3 years, with market talk of Volvo capacity in South Carolina. Reports of Ford talks with Xiaomi surfaced, and Ford has a CATL battery licensing deal in Michigan. EVs took under 8 per cent of US new car sales. Henry Storey, Lowy Institute, February 11
What to Watch as China Prepares Its Digital Yuan for Prime Time. China’s e-CNY has processed over 3.4 billion transactions worth 16.7 trillion renminbi by November 2025, after a large jump since 2023. A management and measurement framework that took effect on January 1 moves the project from digital cash toward integration with the regulated financial system. The People’s Bank of China has built domestic and international operations centers and links the e-CNY to a multipolar monetary vision that reduces reliance on a dominant currency. Domestic rollout uses tax rebates, subsidies, and insurance payments, and interest-bearing features to boost uptake, while raising privacy concerns. Cross-border pilots target tourism and border trade, and the mBridge wholesale platform has processed over four thousand transactions worth $55.49 billion, with most settlements in e-CNY. Alisha Chhangani, China Observers, February 11
Taiwan’s year on the fault lines. Political gridlock defined 2025 as recall campaigns failed to unseat opposition lawmakers and voters rejected attempts to reset the post-2024 balance in the Legislative Yuan. The word scam signaled collapsing social trust as fraud losses per person reached 20 times Japan’s level and wage stagnation outside electronics pushed households toward risky schemes. Real GDP rose 8.6 per cent, driven by artificial intelligence demand and a semiconductor sector worth over US$165 billion in 2024, yet it employs 6.5 per cent of workers and median wages sit near 60 per cent of peer economies. Energy policy deadlock threatens the silicon shield, while Beijing pressure and Trump’s demand for 10 per cent defence spending strain strategy and budgets. Wen-Chi Yang, East Asia Forum, February 11
Southeast Asia
Brunei confronts the limits of its growth model. Brunei enters a decisive decade for Wawasan 2035 as its hydrocarbon-led welfare model faces weaker energy revenues, operational disruptions, and fiscal deficits that draw down reserves. Aging upstream assets and late-life infrastructure raise costs, while decarbonization reduces long-run demand and trade uncertainty threatens exports. Reform priorities focus on diversification through private sector growth, with the state moving from employer to enabler and using trade agreements to attract capital and technology. Non-hydrocarbon exports under the Brunei Halal brand, plus petrochemicals and fertilisers, show paths for value addition. Human capital reforms target graduate unemployment through vocational tracks, apprenticeships, and reskilling. A rules-based fiscal framework aims to protect sustainability and equity. Anthony Tan and Poh Lynn Ng, East Asia Forum, February 11
Beyond Non-Recognition: Myanmar’s Elections Leave ASEAN In a Bind. Myanmar’s three-phase elections have entrenched military rule under a new constitutional government and face rejection from many observers and the diaspora. ASEAN debates whether to keep the junta outside summitry until cooperation with the Five-Point Consensus or to resume engagement without eroding ASEAN Charter norms. Members split into three camps: one treats the vote as a transition marker and seeks reintegration, another warns that acceptance would reward atrocities and weaken accountability, and a third keeps non-recognition while pursuing bilateral ties, including restored accreditation and election observation by Vietnam and Cambodia. A conditional offer under the Five-Point Consensus would trade reduced violence and dialogue with non-military actors for a return to ASEAN meetings. China endorses the vote and India avoids endorsement or condemnation. Sharon Seah, FULCRUM, February 11
South Asia
As Bangladesh Votes, Few Women Are on the Ballot. Bangladesh’s Feb. 12 election features few female candidates despite women’s role in the 2024 protest movement and a July Charter pledge to raise nominations. Women account for under 4% of candidates, short of the 5% target, and 30 of 51 parties fielded no women. The Bangladesh Nationalist Party, positioned for gains after the Awami League ban, nominated 10 women, many tied to former male lawmakers. The gap sits beside strong gains in female literacy, labor force participation, and export earnings from women in garment factories. Rising influence for Jamaat-e-Islami adds pressure on debates over national identity and women’s rights, as clerical groups mobilize against proposed reforms on property and inheritance. Salil Tripathi, Foreign Policy, February 11