Banyan

Our columnist offers perspective on Asian politics, economics, and culture


Asia

How South-East Asia can weather the Trump trade typhoon

The complacent region could use an outside jolt

Asia

What Narendra Modi’s third term may look like

Reading the tea leaves of parliaments past

Asia

Yes sir: a bizarre initiation ritual for Indonesia’s cabinet

The newly-inaugurated president sends his ministers to boot camp

Asia

Japan is remarkably open to AI, but slow to make use of it

The land of Doraemon embraces the new technology in theory but not in practice

Asia

Myanmar’s military junta has conjured up a crazy currency system

Desperate for cash, the Tatmadaw is distorting foreign-exchange markets

Asia

Has Narendra Modi lost his mojo?

Two state elections suggest that India’s prime minister is no longer such a vote-winner

Asia

Who will become Japan’s next prime minister?

The three leading candidates offer very different visions

Asia

The private sector won’t save America’s Indo-Pacific policy

More needs to be done to repair the economic relationship with South-East Asia

Asia

Youngsters are fleeing Japan’s once-mighty civil service

Why would anyone sane and talented work for it?

Asia

Welcome to India, where the streets have four names

Constantly renaming cities, roads and stations is pointless and counterproductive

Asia

Why does the West back the wrong Asian leaders?

The supposed bastions of liberalism need to fix their picker

Asia

If a China and America war went nuclear, who would win?

After 45 days of conventional fighting nukes would be tempting, wargamers suggest