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Richard Javad Heydarian

Richard Javad Foronda Heydarian is an academic, opinion columnist, and media pundit as well as policy adviser, focusing on the Asia-Pacific region. He has written for and/or interviewed by, Aljazeera, BBC, Bloomberg, CNN, CNBC, Christian Science Monitor, Foreign Affairs, The New York Times, The Guardian, The Wall Street Journal, The Financial Times, The Economist, Reuters, USA TODAY, The Nation, NPR, Spiegel, among other leading global publications and news outlets. He is a regular opinion writer for Aljazeera English (Doha) and The Straits Times (Singapore).

He is a regular contributor to the Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative of the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) in Washington D.C, and has had numerous expert contributions to Brookings Institution and the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR). He also has had numerous contributions to Australia’s Lowy Institute for International Policy, Indian Council on Global Relations (Gateway House), and the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies (RSIS).

He has also written or been interviewed by all major Asian media outlets such as Asia Times, CCTV, China Daily, South China Morning Post, Nikkei Asia Review, Hong Kong Economic Journal, Phoenix TV, Yomiuri Shimbun, Xinhua, among others. He has also written lead essays such as the July 2016 cover story for The Diplomat magazine, a leading Asian affairs publication based in Tokyo.

He is one of the most sought after analysts in the Philippines and Southeast Asia on regional and current affairs. He has advised presidential cabinet members, presidential candidates, the Philippine Congress, members of Armed Forces of the Philippines and Coast Guard, credit rating agencies, and numerous diplomatic posts and companies, hedge funds, and major investors on geopolitical and economic affairs of East Asia and the Philippines.

Global Geopolitics Series

Duterte talks big, but the Philippines won't break ties with the US any time soon

Sep 27, 2016 14:08 pm UTC| Insights & Views

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has said he will visit Russia and China to open alliances with the two states. His announcement follows weeks of toxic rhetoric from the president about relationships between the...

Economy

India's 2025 Trade Push: Major FTAs & Global Partnerships Secured

Indias 2025 trade drive: Large FTAs international cooperation negotiated Signing many high-impact free trade and comprehensive economic cooperation pacts in 2025, India sped its trade diplomacy and showed a strategic...

Asian Currencies Slip as Dollar Rebounds Ahead of Fed Rate Decision

Most Asian currencies edged lower on Wednesday as the U.S. dollar rebounded from a near four-year low, with global markets focused on the Federal Reserves highly anticipated interest rate decision. Despite the mild...

China to Boost Brazilian Soybean Imports in Early 2026 Amid Price Advantage

China is set to significantly increase imports of Brazilian soybeans in the first half of 2026 as record harvests and competitive pricing in South America outweigh renewed purchases from the United States. Trade sources...

RBA Expected to Raise Interest Rates by 25 Basis Points in February, ANZ Forecast Says

The Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) is now expected to raise interest rates by 25 basis points at its February 3 policy meeting, according to a new forecast from ANZ, marking a shift in expectations after a brief easing...

Indonesian Stocks Slide After MSCI Flags Investability Risks and Downgrade Threat

Indonesian stocks suffered a sharp sell-off on Wednesday, plunging around 7%, after global index provider MSCI Inc. raised serious concerns about the investability of Indonesias equity market and warned of a possible...

Politics

U.S. and Taiwan Strengthen AI, Semiconductor, and Drone Cooperation at High-Level Economic Talks

Senior officials from Taiwan and the United States have reinforced bilateral cooperation in artificial intelligence, advanced technology, and drone development during the sixth round of the U.S.-Taiwan Economic Prosperity...

ICE Blocked From Entering Ecuador Consulate in Minneapolis During Immigration Operation

A U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent attempted to enter Ecuadors consulate in Minneapolis earlier this week but was stopped by consulate staff, prompting a diplomatic protest from Ecuadors government and...

Sam Altman Criticizes ICE Enforcement as Corporate Leaders Call for De-Escalation

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has voiced strong concerns over U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) actions, telling employees that the agency is going too far amid an aggressive immigration crackdown in Minneapolis. His...

Trump Claims Breakthrough in Syria Talks After Call With President al-Sharaa

U.S. President Donald Trump said on Tuesday that he and Secretary of State Marco Rubio had resolved what he described as a tremendous problem related to Syria, signaling potential progress in long-running diplomatic...

Kim Jong Un Signals Expanded Nuclear Plans Ahead of Workers’ Party Congress

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has indicated that the upcoming congress of the ruling Workers Party will outline new, next-stage plans aimed at further strengthening the countrys nuclear war deterrent, according to a...

Science

NASA and SpaceX Target Crew-11 Undocking From ISS Amid Medical Concern

NASA has confirmed that the agency, in coordination with SpaceX, is targeting no earlier than 5 p.m. Eastern Time (2200 GMT) on Wednesday, January 14, for the undocking of the SpaceX Crew-11 mission from the International...

Neuralink Plans High-Volume Brain Implant Production and Fully Automated Surgery by 2026

Elon Musks brain-computer interface company Neuralink is preparing for a major expansion, announcing plans to begin high-volume production of its brain implant devices and transition to a fully automated surgical procedure...

Jared Isaacman Confirmed as NASA Administrator, Becomes 15th Leader of U.S. Space Agency

The U.S. Senate has officially confirmed billionaire private astronaut Jared Isaacman as the new NASA administrator, making him the 15th leader in the agencys history. The confirmation, which took place on Wednesday, marks...

Senate Sets December 8 Vote on Trump’s NASA Nominee Jared Isaacman

The U.S. Senate Commerce Committee announced it will vote on December 8 on President Donald Trumps renewed nomination of private astronaut and tech entrepreneur Jared Isaacman to lead NASA. Isaacman, known for his...

NASA Cuts Boeing Starliner Missions as SpaceX Pulls Ahead

NASA has significantly scaled back Boeings Starliner program after years of technical issues and delays, announcing that the next Starliner mission to the International Space Station (ISS) will fly without astronauts. The...

Technology

Meta Faces Lawsuit Over Alleged Approval of AI Chatbots Allowing Sexual Interactions With Minors

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg is facing renewed scrutiny after internal company documents revealed he approved policies that allowed minors to access AI chatbot companions, despite warnings from Metas own safety teams. The...

China Approves First Import Batch of Nvidia H200 AI Chips Amid Strategic Shift

China has approved its first batch of Nvidias H200 artificial intelligence chips for import, signaling a notable adjustment in the countrys approach to balancing advanced AI development with support for domestic technology...

C3.ai in Merger Talks With Automation Anywhere as AI Software Industry Sees Consolidation

Enterprise artificial intelligence software provider C3.ai is reportedly in merger discussions with privately held automation startup Automation Anywhere, according to a recent report by The Information, which cited people...

Anthropic Raises 2026 Revenue Outlook by 20% but Delays Path to Profitability

Artificial intelligence startup Anthropic has significantly increased its long-term revenue projections, highlighting strong demand for advanced AI technologies, while also acknowledging that profitability will take longer...

SoftBank Shares Surge as It Eyes Up to $30 Billion New Investment in OpenAI

SoftBank Group Corp (TYO:9984) shares jumped sharply in early Tokyo trading after reports emerged that the Japanese conglomerate is in discussions to invest as much as $30 billion more in OpenAI, the company behind...