Asia - South China Morning Post

Malaysia has urged Norway to help expedite a refund for the cancelled missile procurement deal, with Defence Minister Mohamed Khaled Nordin insisting that Oslo cannot absolve itself of responsibility.

Khaled said he had recently met Norway’s defence minister and conveyed Malaysia’s position that the Norwegian government’s refusal to approve an export licence was the cause of the issue.

“The source of everything is Norway’s decision not to approve the export licence to Malaysia. Therefore, Norway...

Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr’s net satisfaction rating has hit an all-time low, with observers citing deep-seated economic anxieties as the main driver behind the slump – even as expanded media exposure has helped boost awareness of his foreign policy initiatives.

The latest Social Weather Stations survey put Marcos’ net satisfaction rating at minus 15 in March: a 12-point drop from minus 3 in November 2025 and the worst figure of his presidency, eclipsing the previous nadir of...

Discrimination towards foreign residents in Japan has expanded from Koreans and Kurds to Muslims as their population is estimated to have nearly doubled in recent years, according to observers and community members.

Misinformation and hate speech are spreading on Japanese social media and mosques are receiving a barrage of abusive phone calls and emails.

Some are asking why they are suddenly being targeted. Others are afraid to leave their homes.

Muslims in Japan, including foreign residents and...

A top US general’s description of South Korea as a “dagger in the heart of Asia” aimed at China has laid bare the differences in how Washington and Seoul view their alliance and Beijing.

US Forces Korea commander General Xavier Brunson made the blunt remarks in a podcast interview hosted by the US Army War College on May 22, drawing a backlash both from Beijing and from Seoul itself.

South Korea’s presidential office said on Saturday that it was “aware” of Brunson’s remarks and that close...

We have selected seven stories from the SCMP’s coverage of Asia over the past week that resonated with our readers and shed light on topical issues. If you would like to see more of our reporting, please consider subscribing.

1. Russia’s military activity has Japan fearing a dual-front war

Japan’s call to maintain “impeccable” defences on its northern frontier reflects Tokyo’s deepening concern over growing Russian military activity in the region, analysts say.

2. Rising costs in Singapore spur...

Japan is slipping towards a banana shortage crisis, the latest disruption linked to the Middle East conflict.

The reason: the country ships in the tropical fruit while it is still green, then ripens it in rooms filled with ethylene before bunches reach store shelves. Supplies of the naphtha-derived gas are running low in an economy that imports more than 90 per cent of its crude oil.

Japan bought about 1 million tonnes of bananas last year, making the fruit one of the country’s most important...

Asia’s fuel needs may take priority over the strategic risks of relying on oil from heavily sanctioned Russia, according to experts.

Currently, there is little political appetite to treat the surge of Moscow’s crude flowing eastward through a “dark fleet” of tankers as a potential security issue.

The US-Israeli war on Iran has caused the price of Brent crude – the benchmark measure – to spike to above US$100 since March, although talks with Washington have seen the price soften in recent days to...

For decades, Asia’s ambitions in outer space were closely associated with scientific discovery, technological prestige and national symbolism. Space programmes were designed to demonstrate engineering capability, economic modernisation and geopolitical influence.

Today, outer space is undergoing a deeper transformation. It is no longer viewed merely as a frontier for exploration; increasingly, it is seen as a strategic domain tied to sovereignty, economic security and geopolitical...

Japan’s patience with Britain as a defence partner is being tested after reports that funding shortfalls in London could delay a next-generation fighter jet that both countries are developing with Italy.

The Global Combat Air Programme, or GCAP, is intended to deliver a new fighter for the three countries by 2035, but The Telegraph reported on Saturday that the aircraft could be delayed by several years because of uncertainty over Britain’s defence spending plans.

The report has raised concerns...

“You have absolutely no idea of what you’re talking about. The whole point of Pax Silica is to partner with countries who are good at doing different things because everyone wins from a secure supply chain,” wrote US Undersecretary of State for Economic Affairs Jacob Helberg on a social media website in response to an online critic of the US strategic initiative with the Philippines.

The spirited exchange came after Manila’s reported rejection of a request to extend diplomatic immunity to US...