Asia Specific Podcast
Asia Pacific - unpacked by those who know it best. Bringing you essential insights and conversations on the stories shaping the region.
Asia Pacific, unpacked by those who know it best. Bringing you essential insights and conversations on the stories shaping the region - an economic powerhouse, geo-political flashpoint and the birthplace of global cultural trends.
Hear Asian perspectives on international issues and in-depth analysis on news from a region that’s home to nearly 2.5 billion people.
Whether it is the latest on trade between the US and China, the rise and fall of political dynasties in Thailand, Indonesia, and the Philippines, or South Korea’s K-pop inspired soft power strategy, we find out what key players are thinking and dive into the stories that matter.
Hosted in Singapore by Mariko Oi, alongside BBC experts in Beijing, Bangkok, and beyond – listen to new episodes twice a week.
Get in touch: asiaspecific@bbc.co.ukasiaspecific@bbc.co.uk
Episodes to download
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Bonus: Japan PM’s landslide election win
Yesterday
What will Japan's Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi do now she has a resounding mandate?
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Malaysia's football scandal
Saturday
Fifa has accused Malaysia of trying to fast-track foreign players into the national team
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Bonus: What in the World
Last Wednesday
Why are people in China looking for parental love from strangers?
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The daughter who could rule North Korea
Sun 1 Feb 2026
Will North Korea’s next leader be Kim Jong Un’s daughter? It’s time to meet Kim Ju Ae
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China's extraordinary purge of military leaders
Wed 28 Jan 2026
China’s President Xi Jinping is overseeing an unprecedented purge of military generals
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Why the Philippines’ most valuable export is its people
Sat 24 Jan 2026
Will a day come when Filipinos won’t need to leave their families behind to find work?
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Japan's snap election: Inside Takaichi’s political gamble
Wed 21 Jan 2026
Why Japan’s new PM called a snap election and what her viral diplomacy reveals
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Why South Korea keeps jailing its ex-presidents
Sat 17 Jan 2026
The former President Yoon Suk Yeol faces up to ten years in prison
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Can electric bikes save Vietnam's most polluted cities?
Wed 14 Jan 2026
Vietnam pushes more than 70 million riders to switch their petrol motorbikes to e-bikes
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Which Asian country has the world's best passport and why?
Sat 10 Jan 2026
What does a strong passport say about how a country practices diplomacy?
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How do journalists cover a disputed election in Myanmar?
Wed 7 Jan 2026
Myanmar’s military is holding a stage-managed election, but will it change anything?
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Inside South Korea's K-beauty obsession
Sat 3 Jan 2026
Behind Korea's booming skincare trend, a society grapples with intense beauty standards
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Why many in Taiwan dismiss China’s threat to blockade and invade their island
Wed 31 Dec 2025
China claims its latest military drills show the goal of taking Taiwan is getting closer
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The paradise island nation caught between the US, Taiwan and China
Sat 27 Dec 2025
Why Palau’s Taiwan ties make it a key player in US-China rivalry
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Food, flags and feuds: Why Asians fight over cuisine
Christmas Eve 2025
Why Asian neighbours clash over food, identity and who gets to tell the story
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Can Prabowo Subianto finally unleash Indonesia’s potential?
Sat 20 Dec 2025
A year into his free food programme, are the Indonesian president's plans on track?
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Jimmy Lai verdict: From Hong Kong activist to national security criminal
Wed 17 Dec 2025
What the conviction of the ageing tycoon Jimmy Lai says about how Beijing rules Hong Kong
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Bonus: Bondi shooting tests Australia’s social cohesion
Mon 15 Dec 2025
Australia grapples with grief, gun laws and social cohesion after Bondi Beach shooting
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Science and solutions to prevent a repeat of South East Asia’s huge floods
Sat 13 Dec 2025
What made flooding in Indonesia and South East Asia so deadly and how to prevent a repeat
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Special episode: Thailand-Cambodia peace shattered
Thu 11 Dec 2025
President Trump seeks to intervene as Thailand and Cambodia conflict reignites
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Trump: the man who made Asia reimagine the US
Wed 10 Dec 2025
Has an American leader who cut aid and imposed tariffs shifted US ties with Asia forever?
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Is banning children from social media smart or excessive?
Sat 6 Dec 2025
Asia considers Australia-style under-16 social media ban - is it the right move?
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China tries to control anger over the Hong Kong fire
Wed 3 Dec 2025
Hong Kong mourns 150 killed in one of its worst fires in decades as anger grows
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Asia’s soft power battle: Has the Korean Wave peaked?
Sat 29 Nov 2025
How did South Korea become Asia's soft power juggernaut and can China or Japan catch up?
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The Japan-China feud: Why has it reignited?
Wed 26 Nov 2025
A Taiwan comment has sparked the deepest diplomatic clash in more than a decade
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