https://www.cfr.org Content about Asia from the Council on Foreign Relations. en-us Fri, 12 Jun 2026 02:49:39 GMT https://www.cfr.org/articles/the-self-immolation-of-thich-quang-duc https://www.cfr.org/articles/the-self-immolation-of-thich-quang-duc A Buddhist’s monk protest in South Vietnam shocked the world. Thu, 11 Jun 2026 15:36:53 GMT Article Council on Foreign Relations https://www.cfr.org/articles/the-1871-u-s-expedition-to-korea-and-the-battle-of-ganghwa-shinmiyangyo https://www.cfr.org/articles/the-1871-u-s-expedition-to-korea-and-the-battle-of-ganghwa-shinmiyangyo A U.S. naval expedition sent to open relations with Korea went awry after U.S. forces fired on overmatched Korean troops. Wed, 10 Jun 2026 14:23:34 GMT Article Council on Foreign Relations https://www.cfr.org/event/filling-the-missing-middle-to-scale-energy-breakthroughs-public-private-and-philanthropic-solutions https://www.cfr.org/event/filling-the-missing-middle-to-scale-energy-breakthroughs-public-private-and-philanthropic-solutions A gap in private funding for companies and projects inhibits energy innovation in the United States. This “missing middle” slows or blocks technologies that could help the energy system become more secure, affordable, and sustainable, and weakens U.S. firms relative to Chinese and other international competitors. Join CFR’s Climate Realism Initiative as it launches Financing […] Thu, 14 May 2026 00:00:00 GMT Event Council on Foreign Relations https://www.cfr.org/articles/scaling-chinas-hidden-intervention-in-the-foreign-exchange-market https://www.cfr.org/articles/scaling-chinas-hidden-intervention-in-the-foreign-exchange-market Is China’s actual intervention even larger than I thought? Fri, 05 Jun 2026 00:12:12 GMT Article Council on Foreign Relations https://www.cfr.org/articles/chinas-platform-economy-is-an-ai-deployment-engine-the-u-s-is-still-looking-for-its-own https://www.cfr.org/articles/chinas-platform-economy-is-an-ai-deployment-engine-the-u-s-is-still-looking-for-its-own OpenClaw deployment brought China’s advantages into focus: fiercely competitive platforms, a coordinated regulatory apparatus, and a tech-literate, engaged public. Washington can still close the deployment gap if it builds public trust in AI and reasserts itself in setting global standards. Mon, 01 Jun 2026 23:40:37 GMT Article Council on Foreign Relations https://www.cfr.org/articles/time-to-stop-forecasting-chinas-surplus-away https://www.cfr.org/articles/time-to-stop-forecasting-chinas-surplus-away China could run a 10 percent of GDP external surplus if its savings rate stays over 40 percent of GDP. Mon, 01 Jun 2026 21:17:11 GMT Article Council on Foreign Relations https://www.cfr.org/articles/democracies-are-scrambling-to-respond-as-transnational-repression-worsens https://www.cfr.org/articles/democracies-are-scrambling-to-respond-as-transnational-repression-worsens Authoritarian governments are reaching across borders to silence their critics—and increasingly doing it together. Democracies have started fighting back. They need to move faster. Mon, 01 Jun 2026 20:02:18 GMT Article Council on Foreign Relations https://www.cfr.org/articles/trump-shouldnt-give-china-a-veto-on-taiwan-arms-sales https://www.cfr.org/articles/trump-shouldnt-give-china-a-veto-on-taiwan-arms-sales President Trump’s decision to pause arms sales to Taiwan will embolden China and weaken deterrence. Thu, 28 May 2026 18:20:40 GMT Article Council on Foreign Relations https://www.cfr.org/articles/us-india-relations https://www.cfr.org/articles/us-india-relations 1947 – 2026 Since India’s independence, ties with the United States have weathered Cold War–era distrust and estrangement over India’s nuclear program. Relations have generally warmed in recent decades and cooperation has strengthened across a range of economic and political areas. Thu, 28 May 2026 15:08:48 GMT Article Council on Foreign Relations https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/episode/japan-rearms-guns-vs-butter-global-defense-spending-boom https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/episode/japan-rearms-guns-vs-butter-global-defense-spending-boom As governments around the world ramp up defense spending, a new era of rearmament is reshaping economies, markets, inflation, and politics. This episode examines Japan’s dramatic shift away from its postwar pacifist identity amid rising tensions with China, ongoing conflicts in the Middle East, and growing uncertainty around the global security role of the U.S. Wed, 27 May 2026 00:00:00 GMT Podcast Council on Foreign Relations https://www.cfr.org/articles/the-future-of-american-strategy-weaponizing-interdependence https://www.cfr.org/articles/the-future-of-american-strategy-weaponizing-interdependence A short essay, originally published by CFR’s Future of American Strategy Initiative, on how power in the international economic system has evolved and lessons from a year when Trump weaponized access to U.S. demand while Xi weaponized access to Chinese supply. Tue, 26 May 2026 17:43:40 GMT Article Council on Foreign Relations https://www.cfr.org/articles/marco-rubio-goes-to-india-in-repair-mode https://www.cfr.org/articles/marco-rubio-goes-to-india-in-repair-mode U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s four-day visit to India comes after a year of nosediving relations. He will attempt to revive ties that appear rudderless after decades of progress. Thu, 21 May 2026 21:03:57 GMT Article Council on Foreign Relations https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/episode/what-trump-and-xi-didnt-settle-in-beijing https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/episode/what-trump-and-xi-didnt-settle-in-beijing We Discuss: Mentioned on the Episode: “Joint Statement Following Discussions with Leaders of the People’s Republic of China (Shanghai Communiqué)” U.S. Department of State, Office of the Historian “President Reagan’s Six Assurances to Taiwan” Congressional Research Service “Readout of President Joe Biden’s Meeting with President Xi Jinping of the People’s Republic of China” The White […] Wed, 20 May 2026 00:00:00 GMT Podcast Council on Foreign Relations https://www.cfr.org/articles/the-trump-xi-summit-what-it-means-for-southeast-asia-and-south-asia https://www.cfr.org/articles/the-trump-xi-summit-what-it-means-for-southeast-asia-and-south-asia A long-awaited meeting produced modest stability but no grand deals—for Southeast Asia and South Asia, it could have been worse, but the region has reacted with significant worry about the summit’s outcomes. Tue, 19 May 2026 14:21:56 GMT Article Council on Foreign Relations https://www.cfr.org/articles/china-and-the-u-s-agreed-to-strategic-stability-in-beijing-they-dont-define-it-the-same-way https://www.cfr.org/articles/china-and-the-u-s-agreed-to-strategic-stability-in-beijing-they-dont-define-it-the-same-way The Beijing summit did not resolve U.S.-China competition. Instead, it gave the rest of the world reason to worry about a new uncertainty: whether U.S.-China “strategic stability” will restrain rivalry, conceal it, or turn it into a bilateral bargain over their heads. Mon, 18 May 2026 20:24:16 GMT Article Council on Foreign Relations https://www.cfr.org/articles/scaling-intelligence-the-security-foundations-beneath-americas-ai-ambitions-are-cracking https://www.cfr.org/articles/scaling-intelligence-the-security-foundations-beneath-americas-ai-ambitions-are-cracking Artificial intelligence diffusion is stress-testing the assumptions that underpin U.S. cybersecurity. Inspecting those foundations isn’t a precaution against scaling AI—it’s the precondition for doing it with confidence. Mon, 18 May 2026 13:16:21 GMT Article Council on Foreign Relations https://www.cfr.org/articles/finding-china-and-the-u-s-tic-data https://www.cfr.org/articles/finding-china-and-the-u-s-tic-data A technical post with an important update to my estimate of China’s true holdings of U.S. bonds. Mon, 18 May 2026 12:16:27 GMT Article Council on Foreign Relations https://www.cfr.org/backgrounders/contentious-us-china-trade-relationship https://www.cfr.org/backgrounders/contentious-us-china-trade-relationship President Donald Trump’s trade war with China that began in his first administration has created ripple effects throughout the global economy. But experts say complete decoupling of the world’s two biggest economies is likely impossible. Fri, 15 May 2026 18:56:00 GMT Backgrounder Council on Foreign Relations https://www.cfr.org/articles/beyond-taiwan-a-decent-peace-at-the-trump-xi-summit https://www.cfr.org/articles/beyond-taiwan-a-decent-peace-at-the-trump-xi-summit CFR President Michael Froman analyzes the form and substance of this week’s highly anticipated meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping. Fri, 15 May 2026 18:36:32 GMT Article Council on Foreign Relations https://www.cfr.org/event/media-briefing-making-sense-of-the-trump-xi-summit https://www.cfr.org/event/media-briefing-making-sense-of-the-trump-xi-summit CHANG: Good morning, everyone, I know folks are filing into our virtual session right now, so we’ll have a running introduction here. My name is Ben Chang. I’m the vice president of global communications here at the Council on Foreign Relations. Welcome to today’s briefing on the outcomes of the Trump-Xi Summit, featuring five of […] Wed, 13 May 2026 00:00:00 GMT Event Council on Foreign Relations https://www.cfr.org/articles/why-are-more-u-s-allies-exploring-ties-with-china https://www.cfr.org/articles/why-are-more-u-s-allies-exploring-ties-with-china As the United States becomes a less reliable trade and security partner, several U.S. allies are seeking to keep an open door with China—but experts caution these moves are neither sustainable nor realistic. Thu, 14 May 2026 20:49:42 GMT Article Council on Foreign Relations https://www.cfr.org/articles/trump-xi-talks-are-underway-in-beijing https://www.cfr.org/articles/trump-xi-talks-are-underway-in-beijing Welcome to the Daily News Brief, CFR’s flagship morning newsletter summarizing the top global news and analysis of the day.  Top of the Agenda Trump and Xi hailed the potential for a positive turn in relations during talks in Beijing today—though each side emphasized different points afterward. Xi said Taiwan is the most important issue in […] Thu, 14 May 2026 14:27:08 GMT Article Council on Foreign Relations https://www.cfr.org/articles/how-trump-should-approach-ai-talks-with-china-targeted-dialogue-maximum-pressure https://www.cfr.org/articles/how-trump-should-approach-ai-talks-with-china-targeted-dialogue-maximum-pressure At the upcoming Trump-Xi summit, Beijing will not negotiate in good faith on AI safety. A narrowly scoped dialogue paired with maximum pressure on export controls is the only way to shift Beijing’s calculus and secure long-term AI safety. Wed, 13 May 2026 15:45:00 GMT Article Council on Foreign Relations https://www.cfr.org/articles/trumps-trip-to-beijing https://www.cfr.org/articles/trumps-trip-to-beijing Welcome to the Daily News Brief, CFR’s flagship morning newsletter summarizing the top global news and analysis of the day.  Top of the Agenda Trump arrives in China today with a delegation of administration officials and CEOs for high-stakes talks on trade and international security. The two countries have walked back last year’s full-throttle economic war, though […] Wed, 13 May 2026 15:00:30 GMT Article Council on Foreign Relations