Asia Geopolitics

A Mid-Year Check on US Asia Policy

Goodbye INDOPACOM and hello Middle Eastern distractions.Today on The Diplomat’s Asia Geopolitics podcast hosts Ankit Panda (@nktpnd) and Katie Putz (@LadyPutz) take stock of U.S. Asia policy at the midpoint of 2026, discussing the recent renaming of INDOPACOM and last month’s Shangri-La Dialogue. What are the perception of U.S. Asia policy among regional players amid recurrent distractions caused by conflicts in the Middle East and the uncertain future of US-China relations.You can subscribe to The Diplomat’s Asia Geopolitics podcast on Apple Podcasts and Spotify; and watch the episode on YouTube.

A Fragile Framework Deal for Iran, What’s Next?

Today on The Diplomat’s Asia Geopolitics podcast hosts Ankit Panda (@nktpnd) and Katie Putz (@LadyPutz) take a look at the fragile framework reached between the U.S. and Iran and how it fits stylistically into U.S. President Donald Trump’s dealmaking and diplomatic record. You can subscribe to The Diplomat’s Asia Geopolitics podcast on Apple Podcasts and Spotify; and watch the episode on YouTube.

Understanding Cambodia's Scam Economy, with Jacob Sims

Today on The Diplomat’s Asia Geopolitics podcast host Katie Putz is joined by Jacob Sims, a columnist for The Diplomat, a Visiting Fellow at Harvard University’s Asia Center, and a leading expert on transnational crime and human rights in Southeast Asia. Sims is the author of a series of essays for The Diplomat focused on the cyberscam economy in Cambodia which landed The Diplomat its first appearance as a finalist in the Society of Publishers in Asia -- or SOPA --2026 Awards for Editorial Excellence. The winners will be announced on June 18 but today we have Sims on the podcast to talk about Cambodia’s scam economy, its global reach and its domestic roots.You can subscribe to The Diplomat’s Asia Geopolitics podcast on Apple Podcasts and Spotify; and watch the episode on YouTube.

Southeast Asia’s Mandalas of Multialignment

Prashanth Parameswaran joins the Asia Geopolitics podcast to explain how multialignment shapes Southeast Asia’s foreign policy and the region’s strategic importance.Today on The Diplomat’s Asia Geopolitics podcast hosts Ankit Panda (@nktpnd) and Katie Putz (@LadyPutz) are joined by an old friend, Prashanth Parameswaran -- now a senior columnist at The Diplomat and a fellow at the Institute for Indo-Pacific Security -- to discuss his latest book, “Mandalas of Multialignment: Hedging Bets in Southeast Asia Grand Strategy Spheres, Foreign and Security Policy Webs, and Global Geopolitics and Geoeconomics.” In the realm of geopolitics, few regions are as dynamic and strategically significant as Southeast Asia. Amid intensifying rivalry between the United States and China, Southeast Asia is critical.You can subscribe to The Diplomat’s Asia Geopolitics podcast on Apple Podcasts and Spotify; and watch the episode on YouTube.

The Geopolitics of the Trump-Xi Meeting

Today on The Diplomat’s Asia Geopolitics podcast hosts Ankit Panda and Katie Putz are joined by Editor-in-Chief Shannon Tiezzi to preview U.S. President Donald Trump’s visit to China, where he’s meeting with Chinese leader Xi Jinping. There’s a bevvy of possible agenda items, but Taiwan, trade and Iran are the most likely -- and most important -- matters to track.You can subscribe to The Diplomat’s Asia Geopolitics podcast on Apple Podcasts and Spotify; and watch the episode on YouTube.