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 podcast episodes twice a week.Get in touch: <a href="mailto:asiaspecific@bbc.co.uk">asiaspecific@bbc.co.uk</a>

Asia Specific

Japan has been ranked the lowest in East and South East Asia for gender equality in a major annual index, even though the country now has a female Prime Minister. 
Japan ranked 117th out of 145 countries in the World Economic Forum’s latest gender gap index, lagging behind regional neighbours China and South Korea.
One of the WEF’s key considerations is female political representation, but the historic rise of the country’s first female Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi over the past year has done little to move Japan’s ranking. 
Recently Takaichi stirred debate by saying she spends three to four more hours a day than her male predecessors on housework and make-up, drawing criticism that she is reinforcing expectations that women should do more domestic duties. 
So is Japan’s first female prime minister a trailblazer for women, or a reminder of how deep traditional expectations run?
On this episode of Asia Specific podcast, host Mariko Oi is joined by Tokyo local councillor Risa Kamio to alongside the Editor of the podcast Bill Birtles.
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. Episodes of Asia Specific are also available on YouTube, here: https://bit.ly/4iJyeVt
Get in touch: asiaspecific@bbc.co.uk

Why Japan ranks so low for gender equality?

As AI gets better at translating languages, what will happen to human interpreters?
Interpreters serve as a crucial bridge at international high-level meetings, arbitration hearings and events. AI is already able to swiftly and accurately translate text while voice recognition technology is now transforming real time interpreting. 
Already some companies are using the technology to teach foreign languages, making it more accessible than ever for students to learn. But is there any point anymore in learning a new language? 
And is the human element enough for the men and women whispering in the ears of senior figures at high stakes meetings to keep their profession? Or will cost-conscious clients put their faith in the capabilities of AI instead?
On this episode of Asia Specific, host Mariko Oi speaks to two interpreters  – Rex Chen, an Australian interpreter based in Beijing with over 20 years of experience interpreting for politics, business and culture, and Handewi Pramesti, a Jakarta-based translator who specializes in Indonesian to French translation.
Also featured in this episode is Andrew Hsu, co-founder of the app Speak, an AI-powered language-learning app.
Asia Specific brings you essential insights and conversations on the stories shaping the Asia Pacific region - an economic powerhouse, geo-political flashpoint and the birthplace of global cultural trends.
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 China and Donald Trump, the rise and fall of political dynasties in Thailand, Indonesia, and the Philippines, or South Korea’s K-pop inspired soft power strategy, we unpack 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.uk

Will AI wipe out interpreters?

Singapore has escalated its concerns about Southeast Asia’s worst haze in more than a decade, demanding answers from ten Indonesian companies it suspects are linked to fires that cause it. 
The Singaporean government has sent notices that are seen as a shot across the bow, ordering the firms to fight the fires but not directly blaming them or punishing them with fines. 
It’s the latest chapter in a problem the region has failed to solve for decades. Fires in Indonesia for land clearing send smoke across international borders every dry season. Despite the country having strict laws to prevent widespread burning, the problem has accelerated this year due to an unusually long dry season. 
Peatland fires in Sumatra and Kalimantan have created hazardous air for communities living there. Schools have temporarily closed in Malaysia and Brunei. 
Indonesia was slow to accept offers of help from Malaysia and Singapore, and a government spokesman’s remark that neighbours should be grateful for the oxygen that Indonesian forests create outside of the haze season deepened the row.
Singapore has a Transboundary Haze Pollution Act that allows for the government to target companies that cause haze, even though the fires are overseas. Yet to date, no companies have been punished.
So what could work to prevent another prolonged haze season in future?
On this episode of Asia Specific, host Mariko Oi is joined by Bloomberg Opinion columnist David Fickling and BBC World Service Jakarta-based journalist Astudestra Ajengrastri.
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. Episodes of Asia Specific are also available on YouTube, here: https://bit.ly/4iJyeVt
Get in touch: asiaspecific@bbc.co.uk

The Asean diplomacy behind the Indonesian haze

Electric vehicles, online shopping, and more – China’s ability to scale up and lower costs for the masses has never been disputed. But does China truly create inventions, or does it excel at perfecting pre-existing ideas?
Critics have long accused China of copying, stealing and scaling up innovations from the West or Japan in recent decades. But is this accusation true? 
Is the ability to scale and improve existing products part of the innovation process? And has China now created the ecosystem to facilitate more innovations of its own?
In this episode of Asia Specific, host Mariko Oi speaks to Kenneth Huang, professor at the National University of Singapore (NUS) in the Department of Industrial Systems Engineering and Management (ISEM) and Asia Specific journalist Derek Cai. 
Also in this episode, David Hsu, a professor at Wharton University of Pennsylvania, explains the separation between invention and innovation, and the benefit of scaling up.

Does China copy or create?

Singapore’s prime minister Lawrence Wong will see his salary raised by about US$1.1m, bringing his annual remuneration to US$2.85m. The change is part of a broader pay increase for Singapore’s ministers - the first rise in 15 years. 
Singapore’s government has long viewed high salaries as a way to attract top talent and keep corruption at bay. 
Lawrence Wong has pledged to donate the increased pay to charity for the next five years, but critics on social media have still branded the move as "tone deaf” amid public concerns about job security and the rising cost of living. 
Wong is the highest paid political leader in the world, far surpassing the official salaries of major power leaders such as China’s Xi Jinping or the United States’ Donald Trump.
So is Singapore’s rationale sound - that higher salaries attract better politicians? And how do you even measure "better" for a politician’s performance?
On this episode of Asia Specific, host Mariko Oi is joined by BBC digital reporter Tessa Wong, Nicholas Dickinson from the University of Sheffield, and Kimberly McArthur, co-CEO of Better Politics Foundation.
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. Episodes of Asia Specific are also available on YouTube, here: https://bit.ly/4iJyeVt
Get in touch: asiaspecific@bbc.co.uk

Should we pay political leaders more?

There have been fresh protests in Japan against the longstanding presence of US military forces, after a  20-year-old American military serviceman was arrested by Japanese police over a suspected murder of a woman. 
US Marine Lance Corporal Devin Jacob Ballard, accused of killing a 39-year-old Japanese woman Anna Yagi, is in Japanese custody on the island of Okinawa.
Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi has registered an official protest with Washington, but some residents think that is not enough. 
Okinawa hosts the largest US military presence in Japan. It is home to several US military bases and tens of thousands of American troops. The location of those bases has long been a political flashpoint for residents of the country’s southernmost prefecture. 
Instances of crimes by US service personnel, ranging from drink-driving accidents to rapes and assaults, have built up resentment amongst Okinawans over five decades. 
On this episode of Asia Specific, the BBC’s Japan correspondent Kurumi Mori joins host Mariko Oi to discuss the anger behind the latest incident. 
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. Search Asia Specific on YouTube for video episodes.
Get in touch: asiaspecific@bbc.co.uk

Inside Japan’s fury with the US

Malaysia has begun sending migrants from Myanmar home, with the first group of almost 1,500 people arriving in southern Yangon in early October. Malaysia’s Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim says in total, 5,000 people will be sent home, and he describes the repatriations as ‘voluntary’, a claim human rights groups question. 
The migrants being repatriated have been living in detention centers often in poor conditions, with no prospect of long-term residency as Malaysia is not a signatory to the UN Refugee Convention and does not legally recognize refugees or asylum seekers. 
The country also treats all undocumented migrants as illegal immigrants, leaving them in legal limbo. 
But human rights groups say returning to Myanmar isn’t much of an alternative. Burmese nationals returning to their home country run the risk of being conscripted into the local military junta or ethnic rebel groups. 
And the Rohingyas, a stateless ethnic minority group that fled a Myanmar military crackdown in 2017, could face a particularly troubling fate if returned to Myanmar, as they do not have citizenship and have no safe place to return to.
Attitudes in Malaysia towards migrants fleeing from Myanmar have been relatively welcoming in the past, and there are now almost 200,000 migrants in the country. 
So what’s changed? And what does the repatriation policy say about Prime Minister Anwar Ibraham’s political position? 
On this episode of Asia Specific, host Mariko Oi is joined by BBC South East Asia correspondent Jonathan Head and human rights lawyer for Asylum Access Malaysia, Joanne Chua.
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. Episodes of Asia Specific are also available on YouTube, here: https://bit.ly/4iJyeVt
Get in touch: asiaspecific@bbc.co.uk

Why Malaysia is repatriating thousands of Burmese migrants

Written off as the inferior bean, robusta coffee might have the last laugh as climate change makes arabica harder to grow.
While rising heat pushes prized arabica-growing regions to their limits, robusta, the stronger but less fruitier-tasting bean, can handle the temperatures arabica can't. Vietnam is the world's undisputed robusta leader and the planet's second-biggest coffee exporter overall, which means a warming world could actually hand it an edge other coffee nations don't have.
But the story isn't that simple. Vietnam's coffee farmers are aging, EU deforestation rules threaten a market that buys up to half the country's exports, and many growers have shifted in and out of coffee towards durian and avocado depending on which crop pays best that year.
So could climate change reshape the global balance between robusta and arabica for good — and is Vietnam's coffee boom actually built to last?
On this episode of Asia Specific, host Mariko Oi is joined by BBC senior journalist Sen Nguyen and Thuan Sarzynski, who leads coffee sustainability efforts in Vietnam for commodities trading group ECOM Agroindustrial.
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. Episodes of Asia Specific are also available on YouTube, just search Asia Specific.

Why Vietnam’s coffee beans might outlast others

Indonesia is considering allowing dual citizenship for a limited group of highly skilled Indonesians living abroad, including scientists, engineers, doctors and AI researchers.
The proposal is aimed at encouraging Indonesians who have built careers overseas to maintain a connection with the country and eventually contribute to its economy and development.
But dual citizenship remains relatively uncommon in Asia. So why do countries such as Japan, China, South Korea and Singapore restrict it, while the Philippines and Cambodia allow it?
In this episode, host Mariko Oi speaks to a freelance journalist Randy Mulyanto in Jakarta about the reaction to Indonesia’s proposal and the country’s brain drain, and Professor Elaine Ho from the National University of Singapore about why Asian countries mostly take a different approach to Western countries about citizenship. 
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. Episodes of Asia Specific are also available on YouTube, here: https://bit.ly/4iJyeVt
Get in touch: asiaspecific@bbc.co.uk

Could dual citizenship stop Indonesia’s brain drain?

They were taught to obey. But they learnt to resist, turning detective. 
Students from a network of Islamic boarding schools in Indonesia hear about allegations of a dark secret at the heart of the powerful institution that shaped their lives. They set out to seek the truth - not knowing what it will cost them. 
BBC Journalist Rebecca Henschke joins Asia Specific host Mariko Oi to detail a new investigation in Indonesia for the World of Secrets podcast - a story about friendship, love and who to trust. 
World of Secrets: Catching My Teacher is a new audio series from the BBC World Service - https://www.bbc.com/audio/brand/w13xtvs0
This special episode was recorded on 28th September, 2026. Asia Specific will still publish its regular twice-weekly episodes. 
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. Episodes of Asia Specific are also available on YouTube, here: https://bit.ly/4iJyeVt