Aaron Connelly
@connellyal.bsky.social
Asia diplomatic editor and senior Asia correspondent at the Economist. Former think tanker. Author, with Shona Loong, of New Answers to Old Questions, on Myanmar.
Pinned
Aaron Connelly
@connellyal.bsky.social
· May 29
Last month I boarded a US Air Force C-130 at Clark Air Base outside of Manila and flew to the Batanes. After a low ingress through emerald valleys, we landed on a short, gently sloping runway at Basco, halfway between Luzon and Taiwan. I was there to see US Marines deploy a new missile system.
What is there to say about APEC?
It is a zombie international organization.
Long stripped of its motivating life force, it ambles on. That’s not an original analysis, or even an a very new one: the late Allan Gyngell and Malcolm Cook wrote it up in 2005. www.lowyinstitute.org/publications...
It is a zombie international organization.
Long stripped of its motivating life force, it ambles on. That’s not an original analysis, or even an a very new one: the late Allan Gyngell and Malcolm Cook wrote it up in 2005. www.lowyinstitute.org/publications...
October 30, 2025 at 5:09 PM
What is there to say about APEC?
It is a zombie international organization.
Long stripped of its motivating life force, it ambles on. That’s not an original analysis, or even an a very new one: the late Allan Gyngell and Malcolm Cook wrote it up in 2005. www.lowyinstitute.org/publications...
It is a zombie international organization.
Long stripped of its motivating life force, it ambles on. That’s not an original analysis, or even an a very new one: the late Allan Gyngell and Malcolm Cook wrote it up in 2005. www.lowyinstitute.org/publications...
Reposted by Aaron Connelly
US Navy helicopter and fighter jet crash in South China Sea in separate incidents operating from same carrier – Reuters
US Navy helicopter, fighter jet crash in South China Sea in separate incidents
A U.S. Navy helicopter and a fighter jet crashed separately into the South China Sea within the space of an hour during routine operations conducted from the same aircraft carrier on Sunday, the U.S. Navy said, adding all personnel were safe.
www.reuters.com
October 27, 2025 at 9:36 AM
US Navy helicopter and fighter jet crash in South China Sea in separate incidents operating from same carrier – Reuters
Reposted by Aaron Connelly
It has rebuffed America and rewritten the norms of global commerce
Why China is winning the trade war
It has rebuffed America and rewritten the norms of global commerce
econ.st
October 23, 2025 at 9:05 AM
It has rebuffed America and rewritten the norms of global commerce
Reposted by Aaron Connelly
The Korean Embassy in Cambodia said on Wednesday that approximately 100 kidnapping and confinement cases involving Korean nationals over the past two years remain unresolved.
100 kidnapping, confinement cases involving Koreans in Cambodia unresolved, embassy audit finds
The Korean Embassy in Cambodia said on Wednesday that approximately 100 kidnapping and confinement cases involving Korean nationals over the past two years remain unresolved.
koreajoongangdaily.joins.com
October 22, 2025 at 7:31 AM
The Korean Embassy in Cambodia said on Wednesday that approximately 100 kidnapping and confinement cases involving Korean nationals over the past two years remain unresolved.
Really interesting proposal from @lowyinstitute.bsky.social's Mihai Sora for a "Pacific Eyes" intelligence alliance among Australia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea and Fiji: www.lowyinstitute.org/publications....
A Pacific Eyes intelligence-sharing agreement
Converging transnational and geopolitical threats call for a dedicated framework to transform regional security cooperation.
www.lowyinstitute.org
October 22, 2025 at 3:47 AM
Really interesting proposal from @lowyinstitute.bsky.social's Mihai Sora for a "Pacific Eyes" intelligence alliance among Australia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea and Fiji: www.lowyinstitute.org/publications....
Reposted by Aaron Connelly
ACQUITTED! The court found that the three did not know that the route taken to deliver letters to the Istana mailroom was prohibited under the Public Order Act.
People have been walking that route to deliver letters to the Istana for YEARS.
www.channelnewsasia.com/singapore/th...
People have been walking that route to deliver letters to the Istana for YEARS.
www.channelnewsasia.com/singapore/th...
Trio acquitted of organising pro-Palestinian procession to Istana
A district court found that the three women did not know that the route they took was prohibited under the Public Order Act.
www.channelnewsasia.com
October 21, 2025 at 7:02 AM
ACQUITTED! The court found that the three did not know that the route taken to deliver letters to the Istana mailroom was prohibited under the Public Order Act.
People have been walking that route to deliver letters to the Istana for YEARS.
www.channelnewsasia.com/singapore/th...
People have been walking that route to deliver letters to the Istana for YEARS.
www.channelnewsasia.com/singapore/th...
As a liberal I don’t feel so good about living through These Times. But as a baseball fan! How lucky are we to able witness Shohei Ohtani doing impossible things in real time?
October 18, 2025 at 2:11 AM
As a liberal I don’t feel so good about living through These Times. But as a baseball fan! How lucky are we to able witness Shohei Ohtani doing impossible things in real time?
Ever wish you were a drone flying through The Economist's newsroom in London? Wish no longer! youtu.be/tTRHPmFflTk?...
Step inside The Economist
YouTube video by The Economist
youtu.be
October 9, 2025 at 5:55 AM
Ever wish you were a drone flying through The Economist's newsroom in London? Wish no longer! youtu.be/tTRHPmFflTk?...
Reposted by Aaron Connelly
Myanmar has faded from global attention, but its people continue to endure excruciating violence on a daily basis. Monday, the military junta conducted another round of deadly airstrikes, targeting a peaceful candlelight vigil on the Buddhist holiday of Thadingyut (1/2)
www.bbc.com/news/article...
www.bbc.com/news/article...
Myanmar: At least 24 killed as army paraglider bombs Buddhist festival
Locals tell the BBC the carnage has made it hard to identify victims of the military attack.
www.bbc.com
October 8, 2025 at 4:49 PM
Myanmar has faded from global attention, but its people continue to endure excruciating violence on a daily basis. Monday, the military junta conducted another round of deadly airstrikes, targeting a peaceful candlelight vigil on the Buddhist holiday of Thadingyut (1/2)
www.bbc.com/news/article...
www.bbc.com/news/article...
“Starving children screaming for food as US aid cuts unleash devastation and death across Myanmar”
Starving children screaming for food as US aid cuts unleash devastation and death across Myanmar
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has repeatedly said “no one has died" because of his government’s decision to gut its foreign aid program.
apnews.com
October 8, 2025 at 5:12 PM
“Starving children screaming for food as US aid cuts unleash devastation and death across Myanmar”
After a long hiatus while we waited for a visa, Chaguan is back:
"The pace of change is so rapid in China, it is often said, that the country can seem almost unrecognisable.... Returning visitors find new highways, new trains, new buildings—sometimes entirely new cities....
"Or so it used to be."
"The pace of change is so rapid in China, it is often said, that the country can seem almost unrecognisable.... Returning visitors find new highways, new trains, new buildings—sometimes entirely new cities....
"Or so it used to be."
The return of our China column
China’s era of rapid change is over. But deeper transformations are under way
www.economist.com
September 23, 2025 at 2:00 AM
After a long hiatus while we waited for a visa, Chaguan is back:
"The pace of change is so rapid in China, it is often said, that the country can seem almost unrecognisable.... Returning visitors find new highways, new trains, new buildings—sometimes entirely new cities....
"Or so it used to be."
"The pace of change is so rapid in China, it is often said, that the country can seem almost unrecognisable.... Returning visitors find new highways, new trains, new buildings—sometimes entirely new cities....
"Or so it used to be."
"In the nine months to July, 28.6m people took a train ride, a 6% increase on the same period last year. That puts the firm comfortably on track this financial year to record the most journeys in its 54-year history. Its fare revenue grew by 11% in the year to June."
Rail travel is booming in America
More trains mean more riders
www.economist.com
September 23, 2025 at 1:49 AM
"In the nine months to July, 28.6m people took a train ride, a 6% increase on the same period last year. That puts the firm comfortably on track this financial year to record the most journeys in its 54-year history. Its fare revenue grew by 11% in the year to June."
There are a lot of Florida swamp things in Washington these days. www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/202...
An alligator mysteriously appears in waters off the Potomac River
A two-foot-long alligator was caught in The Washington Channel off the Wharf on Thursday.
www.washingtonpost.com
September 21, 2025 at 2:39 PM
There are a lot of Florida swamp things in Washington these days. www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/202...
Reposted by Aaron Connelly
The core belief of our column is that curious, open and rigorous enquiry about China and its affairs matters more than ever. After a hiatus of more than a year, it is time for Chaguan to return to analysing China
The return of our China column
China’s era of rapid change is over. But deeper transformations are under way
econ.st
September 16, 2025 at 4:00 PM
The core belief of our column is that curious, open and rigorous enquiry about China and its affairs matters more than ever. After a hiatus of more than a year, it is time for Chaguan to return to analysing China
“‘Dinner out is a go’. Hell of a way to speak to your wife.”
September 16, 2025 at 12:42 PM
“‘Dinner out is a go’. Hell of a way to speak to your wife.”
"The killing of Mr Kirk is not representative of broader trends."
www.economist.com/graphic-deta...
www.economist.com/graphic-deta...
September 13, 2025 at 2:12 AM
"The killing of Mr Kirk is not representative of broader trends."
www.economist.com/graphic-deta...
www.economist.com/graphic-deta...
Reposted by Aaron Connelly
Protests in Jakarta intensified after a motorbike-taxi driver was hit and killed by an armoured police vehicle. The unrest is a crucial test for Prabowo Subianto econ.st/4642rsA
Photo: Getty Images
Photo: Getty Images
September 3, 2025 at 1:00 PM
Protests in Jakarta intensified after a motorbike-taxi driver was hit and killed by an armoured police vehicle. The unrest is a crucial test for Prabowo Subianto econ.st/4642rsA
Photo: Getty Images
Photo: Getty Images
Talkback radio in Brisbane opens with: “Be careful, guys, it is magpie season; in addition, it is also snake season.”
September 1, 2025 at 10:05 PM
Talkback radio in Brisbane opens with: “Be careful, guys, it is magpie season; in addition, it is also snake season.”
Indonesia is probably the country that I know best after the US, where I grew up. And now when I meet my Indonesian friends who know America well, we can’t stop talking about how similar our countries are becoming.
Trump administration mulls taking stakes in defense firms including Lockheed Martin
The Trump administration is considering taking stakes in defense contractors, including Lockheed Martin Corp , U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said on Tuesday as he defended President Donald Trump's push for a greater government role in American business.
www.reuters.com
August 27, 2025 at 8:44 AM
Indonesia is probably the country that I know best after the US, where I grew up. And now when I meet my Indonesian friends who know America well, we can’t stop talking about how similar our countries are becoming.
Reposted by Aaron Connelly
We write on Tulsi Gabbard's purge of one of the most senior Russia analysts in the US intelligence community, alongside other serving officers who were associated, sometimes only tangentially, with the 2016 Russia report. The most serious purge vs the CIA to date.
www.economist.com/united-state...
www.economist.com/united-state...
economist.com
August 21, 2025 at 4:03 PM
We write on Tulsi Gabbard's purge of one of the most senior Russia analysts in the US intelligence community, alongside other serving officers who were associated, sometimes only tangentially, with the 2016 Russia report. The most serious purge vs the CIA to date.
www.economist.com/united-state...
www.economist.com/united-state...
“Some of the clearest thinking about this swot’s predicament can be heard in Singapore, a paternalist city-state that has risen from poverty to great wealth with the help of hard work, diligence and lots of rules about civilised behaviour—like a giant prep school with its own army and airport.”
Singapore is the model pupil of the world economy. It grew rich by studying hard, doing its homework and riding the wave of late 20C globalisation. Now it fears a global economy where FDI and trade flows follow politics and tariffs set by Trumpian caprice. My column
economist.com/internationa...
economist.com/internationa...
Was globalisation ever a meritocracy?
The Trumpian assault on globalism, as seen from Singapore
economist.com
August 20, 2025 at 10:08 AM
“Some of the clearest thinking about this swot’s predicament can be heard in Singapore, a paternalist city-state that has risen from poverty to great wealth with the help of hard work, diligence and lots of rules about civilised behaviour—like a giant prep school with its own army and airport.”
Excellent look by colleague @antonlaguardia.bsky.social at the Air Force’s strategy for defending Taiwan from an attack by China—and, one hopes, being prepared enough to do so that China never tries.
Because of China’s reach, America’s air force can no longer mass its planes in big bases close to the action, as it has done in recent decades. It must plan to survive and fight throughout the deep Chinese “kill zone”
America’s new plan to fight a war with China
Readying for a rumble in the jungle
econ.st
August 19, 2025 at 3:21 AM
Excellent look by colleague @antonlaguardia.bsky.social at the Air Force’s strategy for defending Taiwan from an attack by China—and, one hopes, being prepared enough to do so that China never tries.
Why did war break out over the border between Cambodia and Thailand last week? We are left with theories but no answers in this senseless conflict. www.economist.com/asia/2025/07...
Why did Thailand and Cambodia fight a senseless border war?
After five days, 40 people are dead. But few know what caused the skirmish
www.economist.com
August 1, 2025 at 4:00 AM
Why did war break out over the border between Cambodia and Thailand last week? We are left with theories but no answers in this senseless conflict. www.economist.com/asia/2025/07...
The world’s attention was briefly on Cambodia and Thailand this past week, where border clashes killed 43.
But that’s a typical week in Myanmar, where @frontiermyanmar.bsky.social reports that at least 40 have been killed in airstrikes in Mandalay, Sagaing, and Shan since Monday.
But that’s a typical week in Myanmar, where @frontiermyanmar.bsky.social reports that at least 40 have been killed in airstrikes in Mandalay, Sagaing, and Shan since Monday.
August 1, 2025 at 1:51 AM
The world’s attention was briefly on Cambodia and Thailand this past week, where border clashes killed 43.
But that’s a typical week in Myanmar, where @frontiermyanmar.bsky.social reports that at least 40 have been killed in airstrikes in Mandalay, Sagaing, and Shan since Monday.
But that’s a typical week in Myanmar, where @frontiermyanmar.bsky.social reports that at least 40 have been killed in airstrikes in Mandalay, Sagaing, and Shan since Monday.