Beyond the Indus

How are Central Asia's militaries changing?

’s  podcast hosts Ankit Panda () and Katie Putz () are joined by Michael Hilliard, director of defense and security analysis at the Oxus Society for Central Asian Affairs, to discuss trends in Central Asian militaries.

If you’re an iOS or Mac user, you can also subscribe to The Diplomat’s Asia Geopolitics podcast ; if you use Windows or Android, you can subscribe , or .

If you like the podcast and have suggestions for content, please leave a review and rating on iTunes and TuneIn. You can contact the host, Ankit Panda, .

Chinese plans for Myanmar could have far reaching consequences in 2025.

Michael Martin, adjunct fellow with the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, D.C., returns to Beyond the Mekong amid speculation that China and Myanmar's military junta are preparing to establish a “joint security company” to protect Beijing’s interests in the war-torn country.

The junta has reportedly formed a committee to prepare an MoU for establishing a security company, which could be dispatched into Rakhine State, where fighting this year has been intense and the U.N. that two million people are facing “the dire prospect of famine."

Rakhine is also the starting point of Beijing’s 771-kilometer oil and gas pipelines, which stretches across the country and are a crucial energy source for the Chinese economy. A joint security company to protect the corridor could include Chinese boots on the ground and the sale of weapons and special equipment.

It’s a strategy with the potential to reshape the military equation after the junta suffered dramatic territorial losses over the past year to anti-regime forces, consisting of ethnic armed organizations, the People’s Defense Force and the National Unity Government in exile.

Martin has spent two decades as a specialist policy advisor on Myanmar alongside China, Hong Kong, and Vietnam. His work includes a 15-year tenure with the Congressional Research Service of the Library of Congress, where he provided political and economic analysis.

He spoke with The Diplomat’s Luke Hunt about Chinese intentions for Myanmar and the need to protect its interests in the country, regardless of which side emerges victorious in a bloody civil war that has lasted almost four years and claimed an estimated 50,000 lives.

Where does the U.S.-China relationship go from here?

’s Asia Geopolitics podcast host Ankit Panda () is joined by Shannon Tiezzi, 's editor-in-chief, to discuss prospects for U.S.-China relations under the second Trump administration.

Click the play button above to listen. If you’re an iOS or Mac user, you can also subscribe to ’s Asia Geopolitics podcast ; if you use Windows or Android, you can subscribe , or .

If you like the podcast and have suggestions for content, please leave a review and rating on iTunes and TuneIn. You can contact the host, Ankit Panda, .

Is China preparing to put boots on the ground to protect its investments in the country?

The veteran Asia correspondent is expecting another “carnival of chaos” after Trump returns to the White House.

How will the second Trump administration approach Asia?

’s  podcast hosts Ankit Panda () and Katie Putz () discuss the outcome of the 2024 U.S. presidential election and its implications for Asia.

If you’re an iOS or Mac user, you can also subscribe to The Diplomat’s Asia Geopolitics podcast ; if you use Windows or Android, you can subscribe , or .

If you like the podcast and have suggestions for content, please leave a review and rating on iTunes and TuneIn. You can contact the host, Ankit Panda, .

A trip down the 1970s hippie-trail led the American author to a lifelong relationship with the country and its people.

A logistics specialist discusses economics, poverty and the nuts and bolts of climate change in Southeast Asia.

Why do Southeast Asian farmers get paid so little? How can people respond to the immediate impact of climate change? What must governments in ASEAN do if they’re serious about cross-border trade? Why is Cambodia building a 180-kilometer canal at a cost of $1.7 billion?

Chris Catto-Smith is a logistics specialist, a career which began with the Royal Australian Air Force in the 1970s. He moved to the private sector and then took his experience to Southeast Asia and the Pacific Islands encouraging disadvantaged communities to develop value chains and new routes to markets.

He spoke with The Diplomat’s Luke Hunt in Melbourne, where he explained the issues confronting farmers and fisherfolk who are struggling to make ends meet and discussed what needs to be done in regards to the devastating impacts of climate change.

Catto-Smith’s business principles are aligned with Corporate Social Responsibility, also known as CSR, which allows him to utilize consulting income to offset pro-bono development work. It’s a new model which allows him the freedom to select and support projects of his choice.

Within the region where he works, climate change and severe storm damage have emerged as immediate problems, particularly in Vietnam, where he spent the COVID-19 years. During the pandemic, he began rethinking how to deal with the major issues confronting Southeast Asia – and getting goods to market.

That includes the provision of cold storage, transport, clean water, sanitation, and health and education facilities, as well as the logistics needed in remote areas, where crops are grown but basic necessities are wanting and the infrastructure and post-harvest skills needed for the market are lacking.