China
South Sudan, China pledge to deepen oil cooperation, expand educational exchanges. Foreign Minister Monday Semaya Kumba met Ambassador Ma Qiang in Juba to reaffirm bilateral ties. Both sides pledged deeper oil cooperation, citing Chinese participation in exploration, production, and infrastructure. They also agreed to expand educational collaboration and scholarship opportunities for South Sudanese students. Xinhua, February 19
China says it won’t seek reciprocity with South Africa on zero-tariff policy. Ambassador Wu Peng said South African goods will enter China tax-free without reciprocity. He said Beijing will extend zero-tariff access to 53 African nations from May 1. The terms eased Pretoria’s concerns as U.S. tariffs pushed countries to diversify markets. Jevans Nyabiage, South China Morning Post, February 19
Merz aims to talk about future cooperation on trip to China. Chancellor Friedrich Merz said he will travel to China next week to discuss cooperation. Merz said U.S. tariff policy is not Europe’s approach and warned the EU can defend itself. He called for an outstretched hand toward partners while maintaining EU unity against unwanted measures. Maria Martinez, Reuters, February 18
Japan
Japan’s ruling LDP taps scandal-hit ex-minister for key party post. The Liberal Democratic Party named former industry minister Yasutoshi Nishimura its election strategy chief. It was the first key-post appointment of a lawmaker linked to the slush funds scandal since it surfaced in 2023. Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s party won a Lower House supermajority on Feb. 8 after weak results in 2024 and 2025. Kyodo News, February 19
CRA not a brake for LDP-JIP, but ‘an entirely separate vehicle’. Centrist Reform Alliance leader Junya Ogawa said his party will not serve as a brake on Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s coalition. He said it aims to replace the ruling bloc as the vehicle voters ride to change government. Ogawa made the remarks on a Wednesday evening TV program. Eric Johnston, The Japan Times, February 19
Most hope constitutional revision debate will advance, poll finds. A Jiji Press poll found 51.4% expect parliamentary debate on constitutional revision to gain momentum after the LDP’s landslide. Another 23.1% did not expect progress and 25.5% were unsure. The Feb. 8 election gave the LDP a two-thirds Lower House majority needed to propose an amendment. The Japan Times, February 19
South Korea
Ex-President Yoon sentenced to life imprisonment over martial law bid. A Seoul court sentenced former President Yoon Suk Yeol to life in prison over the 2024 martial law bid. The court convicted him of leading an insurrection by deploying troops to cripple the National Assembly. Special prosecutors had sought the death penalty, and the sentencing was broadcast live on national television. Lee Haye-ah, Yonhap News Agency, February 19
Life sentence for ex-president triggers political backlash. A Seoul court sentenced former President Yoon Suk Yeol to life in prison over his 2024 martial law bid. Ruling Democratic Party leader Jung Chung-rae called the sentence too light and demanded the death penalty. The People Power Party held back its stance, while Mayor Oh Se-hoon and floor leader Song Eon-seog apologized. Jung Da-hyun, The Korea Times, February 19
PPP floor leader apologizes after ex-president Yoon receives life sentence in insurrection trial. PPP floor leader Song Eon-seok apologized after a court sentenced ex-president Yoon Suk Yeol to life in prison. He said the party will distance itself from forces that undermine the constitutional order. DP leader Jung Chung-rae called the ruling too lenient and pushed bills to restrict pardons for insurrection. Kim Eun-jung, Yonhap News Agency, February 19
North Korea
North Korea's Kim opens 9th Party Congress citing economic achievements. Kim Jong Un opened the Workers’ Party’s ninth congress, saying the economy overcame recession and met major goals. KCNA said 5,000 party members attended as officials submitted new five-year plans across sectors. Analysts are watching for possible leadership title changes and whether daughter Ju Ae receives a role. Heejin Kim and Joyce Lee, Reuters, February 19
Vietnam
Vietnamese Party leader meets US trade representative in Washington. Party General Secretary To Lam met U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer in Washington. Lam invited Trump and US firms to APEC Economic Leaders’ Week in Vietnam in 2027. Greer said reciprocal trade talks have made major progress and are entering a decisive phase. Vietnam News, February 19
Thailand
Yodchanan may not take ministry post. Pheu Thai prime ministerial candidate Yodchanan Wongsawat may skip a cabinet post in a Bhumjaithai-led government. His parents, Somchai and Yaowapa, visited Thaksin Shinawatra at Klongprem prison after the Election Commission endorsed all 400 constituency MPs. Red-shirt supporters urged Pheu Thai to join the coalition and back charter amendments, and Prasert Jantararuangtong said cabinet talks have not started. Aekarach Sattaburuth, Bangkok Post, February 19
Myanmar
Junta airstrikes, troop deployments follow ex-resistance leader’s surrender in Sagaing. Myanmar junta forces launched airstrikes and sent reinforcements into Sagaing Region after BNRA leader Bo Nagar surrendered in Pale Township. Helicopters evacuated Bo Nagar’s family, and gyrocopters bombed areas around Pale and Yinmabin, officials said. NUG sources said 150 BNRA troops surrendered to PDF units after raids and warned the regime could strike resistance bases. The Irrawaddy, February 19
Thailand, Myanmar junta discuss border trade, energy cooperation. Thai Foreign Minister Sihasak Phuangketkeow met Myanmar junta counterpart Than Swe in Phuket to discuss reopening border trade. He said Thailand wants to bridge Myanmar back to ASEAN and offered to facilitate border talks with ethnic groups. The sides discussed PTT interest in offshore gas, support for Thai businesses, and cooperation against online scams and drugs. The Irrawaddy, February 19
Laos
Seven new ambassadors present credentials to Lao president. Thongloun Sisoulith received credentials from ambassadors of Thailand, Finland, Egypt, Georgia, Austria, Lithuania, and Slovakia. He urged more trade, investment, and tourism and asked them to promote opportunities beyond Vientiane. He also appointed Lao ambassadors to the United Kingdom, Cambodia, and Kuwait and tied diplomacy to leaving least developed country status in 2026. Phoudasack Vongsay, The Laotian Times, February 18
Philippines
PH opens migrant workers office in Oman. The Department of Migrant Workers opened a Migrant Workers Office and Resource Center in Muscat. The facility will provide welfare assistance, contract verification, OWWA services, Assistance-to-Nationals support and temporary shelter. Officials said the expanded office strengthens on-site support for about 45,000 overseas Filipino workers in Oman. Aric John Sy Cua, The Manila Times, February 19
Duterte waives right to attend ICC confirmation hearing. Rodrigo Duterte asked to skip the ICC confirmation hearing, citing health problems and age. Lead counsel Nicholas Kaufman said Duterte dictated and signed a waiver statement because he could not execute it himself. Duterte said he does not recognize ICC jurisdiction and called his transfer to The Hague a kidnapping. Franco Jose C. Baroña and Kristina Maralit, The Manila Times, February 19
ICC prosecution opposes Duterte bid to skip confirmation hearing. ICC prosecutors opposed Rodrigo Duterte’s request to waive his appearance at the Feb. 23 confirmation hearing. Deputy Prosecutor Mame Mandiaye Niang said rejecting the court’s jurisdiction is not grounds to stay away. The filing said judges have found Duterte physically and mentally fit and asked that his request be denied. Charie Abarca, Philippine Daily Inquirer, February 20
Indonesia
Indonesia, U.S. sign agreement on reciprocal trade, Indonesian ministry says. Indonesia and the United States signed a reciprocal trade agreement after months of negotiations, the ministry said. Minister Airlangga Hartarto and U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer signed after Washington cut tariffs to 19% from 32%. President Prabowo Subianto traveled to Washington for the deal and a Board of Peace leaders’ meeting. Stanley Widianto, Reuters, February 20
Indonesia still counting how much it would donate to Gaza Peace Board. Indonesia has not set an amount for its cash contribution to Trump’s Board of Peace. Mulachela said Prabowo pledged to contribute, but the government has not set terms. Trump has asked members to pay $1 billion to stay beyond three years and said pledges exceed $5 billion. Jayanty Nada Shofa, Jakarta Globe, February 19
Singapore
Singapore PM Lawrence Wong to visit Malaysia on Feb 20 at the invitation of PM Anwar Ibrahim. Wong will visit Malaysia on Feb. 20 at Anwar’s invitation. Anwar will host a buka puasa meal and Wong will return the same day. Malaysia’s foreign ministry said they will discuss bilateral cooperation and the Leaders’ Retreat outcomes. Channel News Asia, February 19
Kazakhstan
Kazakh PM meets India’s Prime Minister Modi at India AI Impact Summit 2026. Kazakhstan PM Olzhas Bektenov met India’s Narendra Modi in New Delhi on Feb. 19. They discussed trade, energy, agriculture and AI cooperation as 2025 trade reached $923.3 million, officials said. Bektenov told summit delegates that Kazakhstan aims to be a regional digital hub and invited tech firms to partner. Aida Haidar, The Astana Times, February 19
Tokayev urges move from ideological globalism to pragmatic cooperation. Tokayev wrote that global institutions face gridlock and declining trust and that a new order must rest on law and responsibility. He cited Trump’s Board of Peace as a tool to sustain the Gaza ceasefire and finance reconstruction. He said Kazakhstan joined to support a two-state solution and deepen U.S. cooperation on critical minerals. Dana Omirgazy, The Astana Times, February 19
Turkmenistan
Gurbanguly Berdymuhamedov’s unannounced visit to Florida draws attention. Gurbanguly Berdymuhamedov, Turkmenistan’s former president and Halk Maslahaty chairman, visited Florida Feb. 16-18, and Turkmen media gave few details. He arrived in Fort Lauderdale on a government Boeing 777, and local observers reported possible stabilizer damage as the jet sat for days. U.S. media said the trip overlapped with Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago stay. Vagit Ismailov, The Times of Central Asia, February 19
East Asia
No easy way out of China’s slowdown. China enters 2026 with pressure from the US–China trade war, a property bust that began in 2021, and slower potential growth as an upper-middle-income economy. Real estate and infrastructure exceed 31 percent of GDP, and falling property prices weaken household wealth, confidence, and consumption. Weak domestic demand has pushed China toward exports and away from imports, producing a 2025 trade surplus above US$1 trillion even with higher US tariffs. Other economies have raised barriers as exports move toward their markets. China has answered with tariffs and controls on critical minerals, adding risk to value chains. Beijing is investing in R&D, AI, and renewables as the 15th Five-Year Plan begins. Linda Yueh, East Asia Forum, February 19
Many countries launch new trade measures – but China’s exports just keep growing. In 2025, 52 of the 70 largest economies launched new trade defenses against China, yet China’s trade surplus rose 20 percent to $1.2 trillion as industrial overcapacity drove exports. Exports to the United States fell after high US tariffs, but sales expanded elsewhere. Many governments slowed new measures as US tariffs hit them, moving incentives toward China. Canada reversed course through a January deal that allows 49,000 Chinese EVs to be imported tariff-free in exchange for improved access for farm and seafood exports. A smaller group, including India, Brazil, Turkey, and Mexico, added more barriers based on industrial strategies and geopolitical aims. Slower global defense efforts give Beijing room while domestic demand remains weak. Jacob Gunter and Claus Soong, MERICS, February 19
Why the IMF’s newest report finds that the yuan is undervalued. An IMF assessment released February 18 finds the yuan undervalued by 16 percent, the widest gap since 2011, as China’s property bust and weak recovery depress prices and wages. Producer prices have fallen for 40 months, leaving inflation low and making exports competitive, while the real exchange rate fell 15 percent over four years. China’s current account surplus reached 3.7 percent of GDP, above the 0.9 percent level the IMF model expects for a middle-aged economy, implying a larger misalignment than initial estimates. Questions about returns on China’s foreign assets add uncertainty. The IMF urges a fiscal package that turns spending from industrial subsidies toward pensions, health care, poverty relief, and property support, paired with a later retirement age. The Economist, February 19
Energy Dominance With Chinese Characteristics. China has moved from oil and gas dependence to leadership in clean energy, producing wind turbines and solar panels at scale, controlling battery supply chains, exporting electric vehicles, and building nuclear reactors. Power accrues from building and integrating energy systems that support electrification, AI, and military platforms, areas where US grids depend on Chinese equipment and materials. Beijing built a dense manufacturing ecosystem through subsidies, research funding, industrial parks, grid investment, and workforce development, using domestic deployment to cut costs and expand influence in the global South with systems and financing. China’s 2024 Energy Law treats energy as an integrated strategic domain and backs renewables, storage, and fossil fuels to increase resilience. US policy centered on fossil exports risks ceding leadership in electrified infrastructure. Carolyn Kissane, Foreign Affairs, February 19
Starlink, China and the governance of low Earth orbit. China filed International Telecommunication Union applications in December 2025 for satellite constellations exceeding 200,000 satellites, in an orbital environment shaped by mass commercial deployment. Over 10,000 active satellites support communications, navigation, and military operations, with most launched since 2019. Starlink became embedded in Ukraine’s communications and shows how access can be enabled or restricted through operational decisions. Chinese firms such as GalaxySpace are moving to standardized, higher-volume production that must meet launch schedules and ITU timelines, while rocket access limits deployment. SpaceX couples rockets and satellites through vertical integration, while China coordinates across state-backed firms. Governance frameworks reward early expansion and offer few tools for congestion, so China files to keep options and reduce dependence on foreign systems. Monique Taylor, East Asia Forum, February 18
Why Are Chinese EVs So Cheap? EVs made in China sell for less than models built in Europe or the United States, and subsidies explain only part of the gap. Cost comparisons with Tesla’s China operations show Chinese automakers gain from vertical integration, scale, and lower overhead tied to China-based R&D and administration. BYD’s grants create a per-vehicle edge in the hundreds of dollars, while supplier markups avoided through in-house production create savings in the thousands. Long supplier payment terms cut financing needs and move the strain to suppliers, prompting Beijing to tighten rules. Licensing and compliance practices also reduce costs. Estimated per-vehicle advantages reach about $4,700 for BYD versus Tesla in China, which shapes tariff debates and forces Western OEMs toward deeper localization or retreat. Gregor Williams, Rhodium Group, February 19
Why Chinese hawks cheer Takaichi's win. Japan’s Liberal Democratic Party won a House of Representatives supermajority, giving Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi a strong mandate for a tougher security line toward China. The vote signals public support for continued reinterpretation of Japan’s pacifist framework and movement toward a normal military posture. Washington views a stable, right-leaning Japan as a key Indo-Pacific anchor that can share burdens along the first island chain. Chinese nationalist hardliners welcome the result because it validates a narrative of resurgent Japanese militarism and frames future frictions as a historical reckoning. Beijing is expected to treat the mandate as proof of a national choice for confrontation, narrowing space for de-escalation. Steps such as constitutional revision, strike capabilities, and Taiwan-related involvement could lock the region into a cycle of miscalculation. Deng Yuwen, ThinkChina, February 19
Southeast Asia
Who Owes the Nation? Youth, Gender and Conscription in Southeast Asia. Conscription remains a charged issue across Southeast Asia, with youth attitudes shaped by national history and political context. A 2024 ISEAS survey of 3,081 undergraduates found that strong opposition was highest in Thailand and Indonesia, with lower strong opposition in Singapore and Vietnam. Vietnam, Laos, and Singapore frame service as a rite of citizenship linked to deterrence and past conflict, while Malaysia runs a voluntary PLKN 3.0 program and the Philippines debates reviving cadet training. Cambodia plans to activate a draft law in 2026 for men aged 18 to 30. Nation-building claims face criticism tied to civil-military gaps, corruption, and unequal treatment. Debates extend to gender and whether women should serve. Evelyn Li Xinruo, FULCRUM, February 19
South Asia
Nepal’s economy after the Gen Z protest. Youth-led protests in September 2025 damaged property and cut investment confidence, yet Nepal has avoided macro instability. Inflation stood at 2.42 percent in January 2026, foreign exchange reserves reached US$22.47 billion, and remittances rose 32.3 percent to US$7.50 billion in the first half of the fiscal year. Current account and balance of payments surpluses contrast with weak private sentiment, foreign direct investment below 1 percent of GDP, and subdued credit growth. Non-performing loans reached 5.42 percent, and ample liquidity has not translated into productive lending as firms doubt policy predictability and property rights. Pandemic-era credit flowed into real estate and trading, while job shortages and migration feed youth frustration. Restoring confidence calls for contract enforcement, time-bound investment approvals, financial sector reform, and job-linked industrial policy. Nischal Dhungel, East Asia Forum, February 19