China
We never believe that any country can play the role of world policeman: Chinese FM on Venezuela situation. Foreign Minister Wang Yi said China opposes force in Venezuela and rejects any country acting as a “world policeman” or “international judge.” He spoke in Beijing at the China-Pakistan foreign ministers’ strategic dialogue with Ishaq Dar. China’s Foreign Ministry said the U.S. strike and seizure of President Nicolás Maduro and Cilia Flores violates international law and the UN Charter, and demanded their release and talks. Global Times, January 4
China taxes condoms, contraceptive drugs in bid to spur birth rate. China ended a tax exemption for contraceptive drugs and devices starting Jan. 1, applying a 13% value-added tax to condoms and pills. The change aims to lift births as the population fell for a third straight year in 2024. China has rolled out childcare subsidies and “fertility-friendly” measures, and leaders pledged to promote positive marriage and childbearing attitudes. Clare Jim, Reuters, January 2
Irish PM Martin to visit China as Beijing shores up EU ties. Ireland’s Prime Minister Micheál Martin will visit China from Sunday through Thursday, the first trip by an Irish Taoiseach since 2012, China’s foreign ministry said. He will meet President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Qiang in Beijing and then travel to Shanghai. China said it wants to use the visit to build political trust and expand mutually beneficial cooperation. Laurie Chen and Sam Li, Reuters, January 3
Japan
Takaichi avoids criticizing U.S. removal of Venezuela's Maduro. Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi avoided criticizing President Donald Trump’s strikes and capture of Venezuela’s president Nicolás Maduro, a move widely seen as violating international law. She wrote that Japan respects freedom, democracy and the rule of law. She said her government is prioritizing the safety of Japanese nationals while coordinating with relevant countries. Jesse Johnson, The Japan Times, January 4
In call, Takaichi and Trump agree to work toward spring visit to U.S. Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi and U.S. President Donald Trump agreed in a 25-minute call to arrange a spring visit by Takaichi to the United States. Takaichi said they discussed the Japan-U.S. alliance and cooperation on the economy and security, and confirmed coordination with partners, including Japan-U.S.-South Korea ties. She did not say whether China’s Taiwan drills came up, saying they exchanged Indo-Pacific views. Jesse Johnson, The Japan Times, January 2
South Korea
Budget minister pick faces growing pressure to step down as more allegations surface. Lee Hye-hoon, President Lee Jae Myung’s pick to lead the new Planning and Budget ministry, faced calls to step down. Opposition lawmakers cited an audio recording of her harshly reprimanding an intern and alleged her husband profited from land bought near Incheon International Airport before it opened. Some Democratic Party members objected to her past remarks supporting Yoon Suk Yeol’s failed martial law bid. Kim Eun-jung, Yonhap News Agency, January 3
Lee set for summit talks with China's Xi. President Lee Jae Myung arrived in Beijing for a four-day state visit and was set to meet Xi Jinping on Monday. The agenda includes North Korea coordination, expanded trade and investment, and cultural exchanges, with business leaders attending an economic forum. Lee may raise China’s Yellow Sea structures and face pressure on Taiwan while keeping South Korea’s One China stance. Kim Eun-jung, Yonhap News Agency, January 4
North Korea
N. Korea strongly denounces U.S. capture of Venezuela's Maduro. North Korea condemned a U.S. military strike that captured Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro, calling it the most serious form of sovereignty encroachment, KCNA reported. The foreign ministry said Washington’s hegemony-seeking act violated Venezuela’s independence after President Donald Trump said Maduro and his wife were seized. The statement demanded an end to the operation. Woo Jae-yeon, Yonhap News Agency, January 4
North Korea test-fires hypersonic missiles, KCNA says. North Korea test-fired hypersonic missiles on Sunday and Kim Jong Un oversaw the launch, KCNA reported. KCNA said the missiles struck targets about 1,000 km away over the sea east of the country, and Kim called the test key to maintaining or expanding the nuclear deterrent. South Korea said North Korea fired ballistic missiles as President Lee Jae Myung began a state visit to China. Heejin Kim and Joyce Lee, Reuters, January 4
Vietnam
PM calls for accelerated progress of projects in celebration of National Party Congress. Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính signed Dispatch 02/CĐ-TTg on Jan. 2 to accelerate investment projects ahead of the 14th National Party Congress. The government said 564 projects in 34 provinces involved more than VNĐ5.14 quadrillion, with about 74.6% from the private sector. He ordered faster construction, site clearance and materials supply, and called for inspections and audits to prevent corruption, waste and favoritism. Vietnam News, January 2
Thailand
Poll deadlock threatens. Analysts said Thailand’s upcoming general election is likely to end in a hung parliament, with the People’s Party and Bhumjaithai locked in a tight race and Pheu Thai positioned as kingmaker. Experts said border tensions with Cambodia boosted the incumbent BJT, while undecided voters—over 40%—could still swing the result. A repeat coalition with BJT, Pheu Thai, and Klatham appears most likely. Nattaya Chetchotiros, Bangkok Post, January 4
EC urged to streamline votes. Former election commissioner Somchai Srisutthiyakorn urged the Election Commission to revise rules so Feb. 8 voters verify identity once and receive three ballots for the election and referendum. Current procedures require two separate identity checks and a separate referendum ballot box. The EC Office said 1,264,103 people registered for early voting from Dec. 20 to Jan. 3, and there will be no advance referendum voting. Bangkok Post, January 4
Myanmar
Myanmar to free 6,186 prisoners in Independence Day amnesty during election. Myanmar’s military government said it will free 6,186 prisoners, including 52 foreigners, in an Independence Day amnesty during the phased election. State media said sentences nationwide will be cut by one-sixth, excluding convictions for murder, rape, terrorism, corruption, and arms- or drug-related crimes. Authorities did not say whether political detainees would be released. Reuters, January 4
Myanmar general linked to Rohingya atrocities loses bid for election. Former Lt. Gen. Aung Aung, Shan State chief minister and USDP candidate in Taunggyi, lost to Pa-O National Organisation candidate Nan Kyin. Aung Aung commanded Light Infantry Division 33 during the 2017 Rohingya crackdown and faces sanctions abroad for alleged war crimes. Nan Kyin won by more than 10,000 votes, but PNO’s militia ties mean little political change. Kyaw Zin Win, Myanmar Now, January 2
Cambodia
Cambodia accuses Thai military of breaching ceasefire, seizing border territory. Cambodia accused Thailand’s military of violating a ceasefire by occupying the Boeung Trakuon border area in Banteay Meanchey with troops and heavy machinery. Governor Oum Reatrey said forces used excavators to level homes and surrounded four villages with containers and barbed wire. Officials said 1,479 families were displaced and 1,365 homes destroyed, and they opened a temporary center at Kandol pagoda. Khmer Times, January 4
Laos
Party congress to open Tuesday, set 5-year development direction, elect new leadership. The Lao People’s Revolutionary Party will open its 12th National Congress Jan. 6-8 to elect leaders and set priorities for 2026-2030. Politburo member Kikeo Khaykhamphithoune said 834 delegates and 388 guests will attend, representing 421,865 party members. Delegates will adopt four draft documents, including the 10th five-year socio-economic plan, before electing a Central Committee that will choose the party secretary general and Politburo. Vientiane Times, January 5
Laos prepares for February vote amid regional election year. Laos will hold elections on Feb. 22 to choose members of the National Assembly and provincial councils. A 21-member National Election Committee chaired by National Assembly President Xaysomphone Phomvihane will oversee the vote, and citizens 18 and older can participate unless legally restricted. Authorities are compiling candidate lists for 175 assembly seats, up from 164 in the current legislature. Namfon Chanthavong, The Laotian Times, January 2
Philippines
Probe Marcos on flood control scandal, Lacson urged. Makabayan bloc lawmakers urged Sen. Panfilo Lacson to investigate President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. over alleged flood-control bribery and to question former Public Works and Palace officials when Blue Ribbon hearings resume. The call followed Lacson’s vow to step up his anti-corruption campaign in 2026 after Congress ratified the 2026 General Appropriations Act, now under presidential review. Red Mendoza, The Manila Times, January 4
Singapore
Singapore and the U.S. reaffirm partnership, look forward to deepening cooperation. Prime Minister Lawrence Wong and U.S. President Donald Trump spoke on Jan. 2 and noted that 2026 marks 60 years of diplomatic ties. They reaffirmed security and economic ties and said they will expand cooperation in artificial intelligence, cybersecurity and civilian nuclear power. Channel News Asia, January 2
WP to form disciplinary panel to determine if Pritam Singh breached party constitution. The Workers’ Party will form a disciplinary panel to decide whether chief Pritam Singh breached the party constitution after the High Court upheld his conviction for lying to a parliamentary committee. The executive committee ordered the panel on Jan. 3 and gave it three months. The party will hold a special cadre conference after the report and issue notice within two weeks. Samuel Devaraj, The Straits Times, January 3
Taiwan
New KMT chair hopes to take peace message to Beijing while on Taiwan political tightrope. KMT chair Cheng Li-wun said she wants to visit Beijing in early 2026 and meet Xi Jinping to signal a new direction for cross-strait ties. Vice-chairman Lee Chien-lung said March is most likely, and Cheng said she must travel before local elections in the second half. Supporters said the trip could ease tensions, but critics warned it could signal alignment with Beijing amid rising pressure. Lawrence Chung, South China Morning Post, January 4
Kazakhstan
President signs amendments banning dissemination of “LGBT propaganda”. Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev signed nine amendments on Dec. 30 banning information about “non-traditional sexual orientation” and extending restrictions to education, culture, advertising, media and cinema. Supporters said the ban protects children, while activists and lawyers warned vague rules will chill speech and deepen discrimination. Officials said violations bring about $150 fines and up to 10 days detention for repeat offenses. Alexander Thompson, Eurasianet, January 2
East Asia
When Trump says ‘G2’, does he mean U.S.-China co-governance. The G2 idea, promoted in the 2000s and discussed by Barack Obama during the financial crisis, resurfaced after Donald Trump called his October 2025 meeting with Xi Jinping in Busan a G2 meeting. Trump frames world politics around bargains between powerful leaders and favors channels that bypass allies and multilateral forums. Under this approach, G2 signals U.S. primacy in a two-power format, with China cast as the sole rival worth sustained negotiation and burden sharing. Beijing links G2 to institutional equality, shared rulemaking, and global obligations. China avoids those duties, keeps strategic flexibility, and protects a UN-focused, Global South posture. The mismatch keeps G2 as rhetoric. Deng Yuwen, ThinkChina, January 2
Japan’s politics will face further pressure in 2026. The 2024 and 2025 elections ended stable Liberal Democratic Party rule, leaving Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi with a narrow Lower House majority and no Upper House majority with Ishin. Diet politics moves toward bargaining across parties, raising legislative volatility. Inflation, a weak yen, and uneven real wage gains strain households, while a Bank of Japan policy shift has yet to lift living standards. Demographic decline raises social security costs as 21.8 million people are 75 or older. Defence outlays approach 2 percent of GDP amid Taiwan Strait tensions and Chinese activity near Japan’s southwestern islands, tightening trade-offs with welfare. Uncertainty in ties with the United States and China drives hedging in supply chains and security. Yasuo Takao, East Asia Forum, January 3
Japan’s fiscal push leans too much on short-term relief. Japan’s economy stayed strong in 2025 after the Trump tariff shock. Inflation and population decline drive policy pressure. Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, appointed 21 October, created a Population Strategy Headquarters as births and fertility hit record lows. Japan ranks 118 of 148 on the World Economic Forum gender index, and higher female leadership is tied to labor use and growth. A shrinking GDP would weaken the tax base under high public debt, so pro-growth policy dominates. The fiscal 2025 supplementary budget totals 18.3 trillion yen, with half for cost-of-living support. Tax cuts, cash benefits, and utility subsidies lift debt while productivity and real wages lag. Rising long-term rates add fiscal risk. Masahiko Takeda, East Asia Forum, January 4
The message North Korea sends by rotating its troops in Russia. North Korea sent 11,000 troops to fight for Russia in the Kursk region and is preparing troop rotation, with evidence of arms moving in both directions across the border since November. Intelligence reports say the troop initiative came from Pyongyang. Losses of 1,000 to 3,800 since November equal 9 to 35 percent casualties, which can erode cohesion and offensive capacity. Rotation can avoid an embarrassing withdrawal and preserve battlefield experience. The deployment supports deeper strategic alignment with Moscow and aims to secure reciprocal backing during any Korean Peninsula crisis. North Korea has shipped ammunition and artillery systems, while reports cite Russian transfers of S-400 air defence and fighter jets. Estimates place the military deal above $7 billion. Olena Guseinova, Lowy Institute, January 7
South Asia
Cyclone Ditwah tempers Sri Lanka’s post-budget optimism. Sri Lanka’s 2025 recovery brought GDP growth of 4.9 and 5.4 percent in the second and third quarters, core inflation of 2.4 percent in November, and reserves of US$5.9 billion. The NPP government kept the IMF program and presented a 2026 budget targeting a 2.5 percent primary surplus and 15.4 percent revenue-to-GDP, with welfare spending and public hiring. Cyclone Ditwah struck in late November and early December 2025, with more than 600 dead or missing, over 91,000 homes damaged, and nationwide disruption. A World Bank assessment put damage at US$4.1 billion. IMF and Indian emergency funds followed, plus a Rebuilding Sri Lanka Fund. Policy needs include rapid domestic relief funding, a costed reconstruction plan with multilateral monitoring, and a growth strategy beyond stabilisation. Ganeshan Wignaraja, East Asia Forum, January 3