Asia Watch Archive

The Philippines House of Representatives voted to impeach Vice President Sara Duterte, a move likely to inflame the feud between the Duterte camp and that of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.

The impeachment, based on allegations of misusing public funds and threatening Marcos Jr. and other senior government officials, will face a tougher vote in the Senate. Duterte denies the allegations, claiming they are politically motivated.

On Wednesday, U.S. President Donald Trump arrived in Beijing for his long-awaited summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping. Both leaders are prioritizing stability in the relationship and extending the trade truce they reached at the APEC meetings in South Korea last October.

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) will invest a staggering US$70 billion to boost energy and digital infrastructure across the region – US$50 billion for a Pan-Asia Power Grid Initiative and another US$20 billion for technology and digital connectivity.

International diplomacy over the past week has been a study in contrasts: from Washington, inconsistent messaging and stop-start measures to resolve the crisis in Iran; from the Indo-Pacific, clarity of purpose by leaders looking to shore up ties with regional partners around shared interests.

On May 1, Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi touched down in Vietnam for a three-day visit that culminated in agreements on space, digital transformation, and green growth.

On Monday, India and New Zealand signed a free trade agreement (FTA) that took just nine months to negotiate, a win for both sides and a potential model for Canada in forging its own trade deal with India.

Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong travelled to China, Japan, and South Korea this week on a trip triggered by the conflict in the Middle East and Australia’s energy vulnerabilities.

South Korean President Lee Jae Myung made state visits to India and Vietnam this week to deepen ties with two of Asia’s fastest-growing economies and reduce dependence on Seoul’s traditional U.S.–China trade binary.

In 2024, an estimated 37 per cent of South Korean goods exports were destined for either mainland China or the U.S., while 10.8 per cent went to Vietnam and India.

One of Asia's largest military exercises kicked off on Monday in the Philippines, bringing together 17,000 personnel from seven countries for land, sea, air, space, and cyberspace drills designed to project strength and solidarity as regional tensions heat up.

China is working with Pakistan to end the conflict in the Middle East to reinforce its image as a “responsible and stable” global power, but other diplomatic manoeuvres risk undermining that goal and China’s relations with the U.S. and Gulf states.

Ottawa is making inroads towards its goal of doubling non-U.S. exports over the next decade, thanks in part to blossoming Canada–China trade, practical co-operation on the ground, and warming ties between Canadian provinces and Beijing.

Southeast Asians are most worried about climate change, major-power rivalry, and the U.S.’s volatile foreign policy, according to an annual pulse-check of regional elites.

On Tuesday, the ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute, a research centre in Singapore, released its State of Southeast Asia 2026 Survey.

China hosted the leader of Taiwan’s main opposition party this week for the first time in a decade, sidelining Taiwan’s democratically elected government and reigniting debates in Taipei over the ‘right’ approach to China: dialogue, deterrence, or a mix of both.

French President Emmanuel Macron showed this week that uncertain times call for unconventional tactics, as he embarked on rare trips to Tokyo and Seoul to mine untapped partnerships in the Indo-Pacific.

Canadian finance minister François-Philippe Champagne is in China on a four-day visit that wraps Saturday, following up on Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney’s landmark January trip to the country.

Hope for Canada–China ties hit a high point in January when Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney visited China, the first trip to the country by a Canadian prime minister since 2017.

Australia and the European Union signed a historic deal this week, liberalizing bilateral trade, weakening American and Chinese leverage over both, and cementing a crucial middle-power partnership.

Trade talks between Brussels and Canberra started in 2018 but collapsed in 2023; Australia wanted to export more beef and lamb to Europe, while the EU wanted lower tariffs on manufactured goods and better access to Australian critical minerals. This time around, both sides were ready to compromise.

On Sunday, millions of Vietnamese voters headed to the polls to select the 500 deputies of Vietnam’s unicameral National Assembly, in addition to members of provincial and commune-level People’s Councils.

On Friday, Taiwan’s Legislative Yuan unanimously approved a plan to allow the government to sign a US$9-billion arms deal with the U.S., easing concerns that further delays would push Taiwan to the back of the production queue. The four arms packages include anti-tank missiles, howitzers, rocket systems, and Javelin missiles.

The war in the Middle East continues to spill over into Asia, as countries grapple with sensitive diplomatic issues and elevated oil prices.

On March 4, an American submarine torpedoed an Iranian warship, IRIS Dena, in international waters off the coast of Sri Lanka, killing at least 87 sailors. From February 15–25, IRIS Dena was participating in India-led naval exercises, alongside navies from 40 other countries, including the U.S.

China’s ‘Two Sessions,’ dual meetings of top Chinese Communist Party (CCP) members, brought thousands of delegates to Beijing to greenlight plans for the year ahead and the government’s 15th Five-Year Plan, spanning 2026–30.

The weeklong sessions of the National People’s Congress (NPC), China’s “rubberstamp” legislature of 2,900, and the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, an advisory body of 2,170 representatives, concluded today.