One year after Bangladesh’s July uprising: A nation waits in uncertainty (July 7, 2025, Asia News Network)
As the calendar wheels into July once more, we approach the first anniversary of the great civic insurrection that unseated what was, by any measure, one of the most enduring authoritarian regimes in South Asia’s history. Yet, as we mark this sacred milestone, the grand celebrations, what really grips us is a creeping unease, a quiet admission that much remains undone.
The disinformation paradox gripping the Philippines (June 28, 2025, East Asia Forum)
The Philippines reveals democracy's digital paradox. The Marcos administration, which rose to power through disinformation campaigns, now attempts to counter pro-Duterte disinformation networks using legal apparatus. Two liberal senators' midterm success offers hope, but the broader question remains whether democracy survives when both sides embrace disinformation.
Escalating Rhetoric Threatens Armenia’s Faltering Democratic Path (July 3, 2025, Common Space EU)
After over a month of harsh and inflammatory rhetoric directed against the Armenian Apostolic Church, and especially its head, Catholicos Karekin II, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan late last month declared a ceasefire in the escalating war of words. The truce ostensibly took effect at the very beginning of this month and will last until the end of the week when it will be assessed.
Why South Korean young men and women are more politically divided than ever (July 3, 2025, The Los Angeles Times)
Few countries exemplify the trend more than South Korea, where a recent presidential election showed just how polarized its youth has become. “But now is the time to act, there absolutely needs to be a political response to the younger generations’ frustrations.”
The war from the sky: How drone warfare is shaping the conflict in Myanmar (July 1, 2025, Armed Conflict Location & Event Data)
Despite suffering territorial setbacks, Myanmar’s military junta has retained air superiority and with it, its grip on power. But over the past 12 months, the Myanmar military has made a notable shift in its aerial warfare strategy: a heavier investment in the drone technology that the resistance has long used in the conflict. With both sides increasingly relying on drones to gain the strategic edge in the air, the conflict in Myanmar now ranks third globally for the number of drone events recorded by ACLED, only behind Ukraine and Russia.
A Last Chance at Middle East Peace: Arab States May Be the Key to Stopping the Israel-Iran War (June 19, 2025, Foreign Affairs) (Subscription required)
The Middle East is teetering on the edge of a broad regional war. The Arab states have been worried about being dragged into a war between Iran and Israel ever since the two countries began sparring indirectly a year and a half ago. But as the fighting expands, and with missiles routinely traveling over the entire Gulf region, neighboring states are now asking not if, but when, the conflict will come to them.
Will the fragile ceasefire between Iran and Israel hold? One factor could be crucial to it sticking (June 24, 2025, The Conversation)
Israel and Iran both agreed to adhere to the ceasefire, though they said they would respond with force to any breach. If the ceasefire holds, the key question will be whether this signals the start of lasting peace, or merely a brief pause before renewed conflict.
US-China Deal: Signed, But on What Terms? (July 4, 2025, Italian Institute for International Political Studies)
On June 26th Trump announced that a deal with China had been signed. It was the third announcement in just a few weeks. However, the details of the agreement remain unclear, while the US-China competition seems poised to persist. In fact, efforts to stabilize trade relations are unfolding against the backdrop of mounting geopolitical instability.
Is China gearing up for World War III? New Beijing mega military city with nuclear bunker raises alarms (July 6, 2025, The Economic Times – India Times)
China's military city is grabbing global attention as Beijing builds a massive, secretive military base—possibly larger than the Pentagon. Known as the Beijing Military City, this complex reportedly includes a nuclear-proof bunker, raising serious concerns about China’s future war preparedness.
Myanmar is a demonstration of Chinese hegemony in action (June 4, 2025, The Economist) (Subscription required)
The country is degenerating into a violent state of nature. Over 2m of its people are on the verge of starvation. The effects of crime, including drug-dealing, huge scam centres and human trafficking, spread far beyond its borders. China is playing all sides in the country’s bloody civil war.
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Joann Pittman
Joann Pittman is Vice President of Partnership and China Engagement and editor of ZGBriefs. Prior to joining ChinaSource, Joann spent 28 years working in China, as an English teacher, language student, program director, and cross-cultural trainer for organizations and businesses engaged in China. She has also taught Chinese at the University …View Full Bio
Blessing Asia
In October-2022 more than 500 Christian leaders from across Asia gathered in Thailand for the Asia 2022 Congress, sponsored by the Lausanne Movement and various partnering organizations. I had the opportunity to participate in the Congress virtually and was mightily blessed. From Bible exposition to K-pop worship, and through seminars and workshops, the participants were encouraged by the stories of what God is doing in countries all over Asia. Clearly, God is on the move.
A beautiful vision was portrayed in a video of the popular worship song The Blessing, featuring singers from all over Asia. Here it is:
Many of the sessions have already been posted on their website and to their YouTube channel.
One that I found particularly helpful considering all that is going on in China was a presentation titled Church and State Relationship in Asia Today. You can see the video here.
I encourage you to spend some time on their website; there are fantastic resources for understanding God’s work in Asia today.
Original link: https://www.chinasource.org/resource-library/blog-entries/blessing-asia/
Image credit: Andrea Brucker, via Unsplash
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