Afghanistan’s Taliban government has been busy appointing ambassadors, courting foreign investment, and participating in global forums, all with the aim of winning international recognition and standing. And it's paid off to a degree: last year China and the UAE both established formal diplomatic ties with the Taliban government, putting stability and economic opportunity ahead of ideological concerns like human rights that have inhibited similar moves by Western nations.

Meanwhile, the Afghan people continue to face a complex reality of systemic repression, particularly against women, as well as ongoing economic and security challenges.

So can engagement compel the Taliban to genuinely improve their human rights record and counter-terrorism efforts? What are the consequences of isolation versus engagement for the Afghan people, and for the international community? And how might the new Trump administration reshape US-Afghanistan relations?

Masoom Stanekzai, former chief peace negotiator of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, and Dr. Niamatullah Ibrahimi, a peacebuilding expert, both from the University of Melbourne, join host Sami Shah to examine the geopolitical and humanitarian dilemmas surrounding the Taliban regime and its global relations. An Asia Institute podcast. Produced and edited by profactual.com. Music by audionautix.com.

China's growing influence in Central Asia marks a strategic pivot in its bid to challenge a global order still largely led by the US. Through the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), Beijing is positioning itself as a dominant player in a region long under Russia’s sway. With Moscow’s focus diverted by its war in Ukraine, China is leveraging the moment to deepen ties with Central Asian republics. This strategic expansion serves a dual purpose: securing its borders and bolstering its ambitions for global leadership. But with shifting alliances and overlapping interests, how will China balance its aspirations in Central Asia with its delicate relationship with Russia? What risks and rewards come with this regional push? And could success in Central Asia tip the scales in China's global rivalry with the United States? Dr. Geoff Raby, former Australian Ambassador to Beijing and author of new book Great Game On: The Contest for Central Asia and Global Supremacy, joins host Ali Moore to explore these critical questions. An Asia Institute podcast. Produced and edited by profactual.com. Music by audionautix.com.

China-Taiwan relations remain tense as Beijing maintains its stance on potential military action to "retake" the island—a position rooted in the unresolved Chinese Civil War (1927-1949). This ideological conflict pitted the Nationalist Party (KMT), which advocated national self-strengthening, against the Communist Party (CCP), which promised socialist revolution and class equality. The war inflicted massive civilian casualties and transformed Chinese society, particularly affecting family structures and women's roles. Although China has since experienced dramatic economic and military growth, the war's legacy endures, with the CCP maintaining strict control over its historical narrative. Why does the legacy of the Chinese Civil War still drive geopolitical tension between the People’s Republic and Taiwan, decades after its conclusion? How has the psychological trauma of the war shaped modern Chinese society? And in what ways does this legacy influence China's approach to its role as a global superpower today? Dr Lewis Mayo from Asia institute unravels the tapestry of the Chinese Civil War with host Sami Shah. An Asia Institute podcast. Produced and edited by profactual.com. Music by audionautix.com.

The Korean language, once limited to the Korean Peninsula, has experienced a dramatic surge in global popularity due to the rise of K-pop, Korean dramas, and films. Even though this has led to increased enrollment in Korean language courses by both ethnic Koreans and non-Korean learners, achieving fluency remains a significant challenge. For the Korean diaspora worldwide, maintaining their linguistic heritage poses unique difficulties because as new generations emerge, the use of Korean as the primary language at home faces the risk of fading away, challenged by the pressures of assimilation and the dominance of local languages in their adopted countries. So who’s committing to learning the Korean language and what motivates them? What constitutes success and how many will go on to reach fluency? And what factors influence Korean language retention among heritage speakers in diaspora communities? Dr Nicola Fraschini and Dr Sin Ji Jung from Asia Institute discuss the complexities around learning Korean with host Sami Shah. An Asia Institute podcast. Produced and edited by profactual.com. Music by audionautix.com.

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China's maritime aggression towards the Philippines has been escalating, with the China Coast Guard now ramming Philippine naval vessels in disputed waters. This has put intense pressure on President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to defend the archipelagic nation's maritime territory against a superior force. Despite efforts by the current and past administrations to address China’s incursions into the Philippines' exclusive economic zone (EEZ), Beijing continues to expand its territorial claims in violation of international law. The situation has also cast doubt on Manila’s relationship with Washington as the 1951 Mutual Defense Treaty has failed to curb Chinese belligerence. So, how can and should the Philippines defend its maritime territory against a formidable adversary? Can the United States be relied upon to reduce tensions in the South China Sea? And what role can ASEAN and the international community play in resolving maritime disputes of this nature? Seasoned Philippines watcher Richard Heydarian from the University of the Philippines examines the Philippines’ maritime predicament with presenter Sami Shah. An Asia Institute podcast. Produced and edited by profactual.com. Music by audionautix.com.

As East Asian countries like Japan, China and South Korea experience rapid population ageing due to declining fertility rates and increasing life expectancy, the demographic shift in the land of the living is having a parallel impact on what happens after life. Deathcare -- which encompasses post-death services, products, policy, and governance -- is changing too. Rapid urbanisation has disrupted long-observed burial practices and post-death rituals, while smaller family sizes and a jump in one-person households has put pressure on age-old East Asian traditions that centre the handling or the honouring of the dead in the family home. And just as new business models and services are emerging to meet the living needs of greying populations in East Asia, deathcare too has had to innovate, with new technologies and digital solutions aimed at both disposal and memorialisation of the dead. Anthropologists Dr Hannah Gould from the University of Melbourne and Professor Andrew Kipnis from The Chinese University of Hong Kong join Ear to Asia host Sami Shah to explain how demography in the region is reshaping deathcare. An Asia Institute podcast. Produced and edited by profactual.com. Music by audionautix.com.

The rivers of the Eastern Tibetan Plateau, a lifeline for hundreds of millions of people across Asia, are a hotbed of geopolitical tension. A history of colonialism, border disputes, and competing interests has made present-day transboundary governance exceptionally challenging, as national governments, non-state actors, international organisations, and local communities vie for influence. Heated negotiations over managing the rivers, including plans for dams and other water infrastructure, impact riparian populations, agriculture and the environment downstream. So how to make sense of the tapestry of interests to be found along rivers such as the Mekong or the Brahmaputra? How do less powerful states negotiate with more powerful ones upstream? And what strategies can policymakers and other stakeholders adopt to promote equitable and sustainable water governance in the face of climate change? Dr Ruth Gamble from La Trobe University and Zali Fung from the University of Melbourne join presenter Sami Shah to examine the complex geopolitics surrounding rivers of our planet’s third pole. An Asia Institute podcast. Produced and edited by profactual.com. Music by audionautix.com.

More than a quarter century since landmark democratic reforms, Indonesia's labor movement remains surprisingly subdued. Workers continue to face low wages, poor working conditions, and laws that put employers first, as efforts to organize labor remain encumbered by a mix of nationalist and religious rhetoric, government policy, and the rise of the gig economy. So what will it take to significantly improve workers' ability to organize and fight for their rights? And what are their chances of a better deal under the leadership of the incoming president, Prabowo Subianto? Professor Vedi Hadiz, Director of Asia Institute at the University of Melbourne, joins presenter Sami Shah to examine the state of Indonesia's labor movement. An Asia Institute podcast. Produced and edited by profactual.com. Music by audionautix.com.