Singapore doesn’t just have the best passport in Asia. By some metrics, it has the best passport in the world. What does that really mean though?

Singaporeans can travel to 193 countries without a visa. Chinese passport holders, in contrast, can travel to just over 80 countries visa-free. In fact, the top three countries with the strongest passport are all in Asia: Singapore, Japan, and South Korea.

How did these countries rise to the top, and remain there for almost two decades? What are the material benefits - and trappings - for the passport holders? And what does a strong passport say about how the country practices diplomacy?

In this Asia Specific podcast, host Mariko Oi, who holds a Japanese passport, chats to BBC senior journalist Derek Cai, a Singaporean, and BBC Indonesia’s Famega Syavira, whose passport ranks 68th on the list.

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

Myanmar’s military is holding a stage-managed election, but will it change anything?

A raging civil war, a popular former leader detained, and an exodus of citizens abroad aren't ideal conditions for holding an election.

Yet Myanmar’s military junta government is pressing ahead with a three-stage vote that many outside observers say is being held in a climate of fear.

With early results confirming the military-backed party dominating, the question is why is the junta bothering? And will the vote, however flawed, change anything in a country in dire need of a new direction?

Asia Specific podcast host Mariko Oi is joined by the BBC’s South East Asia correspondent Jonathan Head and the Editor of the BBC’s Burmese service Soe Win Than.

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

As South Korea's entertainment and cultural soft power surges abroad, the country's cosmetics industry is also riding the wave of growing popularity. South Korea's 'K-beauty' skincare and makeup brands have gone mainstream in the US and UK, with sales worth billions of dollars and social media platforms driving global demand. But behind the glossy packaging and viral trends is a society long associated with intense, high pressure beauty standards and widespread cosmetic surgery. Asia Specific podcast host Mariko Oi is joined by the BBC's Asia Business correspondent Suranjana Tewari and the Asia Specific podcast team's Rachel Lee. We also hear from Melbourne-based beauty influencer Mia Chen on why K-beauty resonates so strongly with younger consumers.

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. Episodes of Asia Specific are also available on YouTube here: https://bit.ly/4iJyeVt

Get in touch: asiaspecific@bbc.co.uk

China has given its clearest sign so far at how it would blockade and forcefully take Taiwan, with large-scale military drills surrounding the island.

The live-fire exercises disrupted up to 100,000 airline passengers as Chinese forces simulated blockading ports and stopping cargo ships carrying American weapons to help the Taiwanese defend themselves.

China claims the drills show its military’s increasing ability to control the Taiwan strait and force the self-ruled island under Beijing’s control.

But why do so many Taiwanese still doubt China’s leader Xi Jinping will really invade?

Asia Specific host Mariko Oi is joined by William Yang, Senior North-east Asia analyst for think tank Crisis Group, and Asia’s Specific’s Bill Birtles, a former Beijing and Taipei correspondent.

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

Palau is a tiny Pacific nation of just 18,000 people but its location has made it a strategic prize in the diplomatic contest between China and Taiwan, and the broader strategic battle between Beijing and Washington.

In this episode, BBC's Global China Unit reporter Shawn Yuan takes us inside Palau, where he found a country grappling with diplomatic pressure from Beijing and growing concerns about China from its long-time security guarantor, the USA.

He joins Asia Specific host Mariko Oi as well as Asia Specific’s Bill Birtles, a former China and Taiwan correspondent.

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. Episodes of Asia Specific are also available on YouTube here: https://bit.ly/4iJyeVt

Get in touch: asiaspecific@bbc.co.uk

You might think food brings people together. But online, it has sparked some of Asia’s fiercest cultural disputes. From Singapore and Malaysia arguing over Hainanese chicken rice and hawker centres, to China and South Korea clashing over kimchi and bibimbap, food has become a proxy for deeper debates about history, identity and power.

Dishes migrate across borders and governments now stake claims over recipes and food cultures - even durian has ended up drawing in the United Nations.

In this episode, host Mariko Oi is joined by Asia Specific podcast journalists, Derek Cai and Rachel Lee, to unpack why food disputes are often most intense between close neighbours, and why they’ve become louder in the age of tourism branding and soft power. Chinese American chef and food writer Jenny Dorsey also reflects on why food is never just about taste - and how questions of ownership, authenticity and belonging shape the way we eat and argue. 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. Episodes of Asia Specific are also available on YouTube here: https://bit.ly/4iJyeVt

Get in touch: asiaspecific@bbc.co.uk

It’s a grand promise by Indonesia’s President Prabowo Subianto - a free meal every day for 83 million school children and pregnant women.

But one year into one of the boldest free meal programmes in the world, the policy is facing budget challenges and several mass food poisoning cases affecting thousands of children.

The success or failure of the programme will define the legacy of a leader who pledged to end malnutrition during his presidential campaign in 2024.

But Subianto isn’t just stopping at free food. He has bigger ambitions for a country long seen to be underperforming compared to its huge potential.

To find out if Indonesia’s leader can reshape South East Asia’s largest nation, Asia Specific podcast host Mariko Oi is joined by the BBC's South East Asia correspondent Jonathan Head and Bloomberg Opinion’s Asia columnist Karishma Vaswani, who grew up in Indonesia and was the BBC's correspondent and editor from 2009 to 2015.

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. Episodes of Asia Specific are also available on YouTube here: https://bit.ly/4iJyeVt

Get in touch: asiaspecific@bbc.co.uk

How tycoon Jimmy Lai went from pro-democracy activist to national security criminal is a story that, some say, mirrors the changes in Hong Kong itself. The 78-year-old once published the city's most widely-read tabloid Apple Daily, which played a pivotal role in encouraging and supporting pro-democracy protestors during a prolonged and violent uprising in 2019.

But for the past six years, he’s been the target of the Chinese government’s national security police. Now, after a landmark trial in Hong Kong, Jimmy Lai has been found guilty of foreign collusion - a conviction that one human rights group describes as the ‘death knell’ for press freedom in the former British colony.

Asia Specific host Mariko Oi is joined by BBC Senior Journalist Danny Vincent and Hong Kong Journalists Association Chairperson Selina Cheng, and examines the reaction of activists exiled abroad with former Hong Kong Legislative Councillor Ted Hui.

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. Episodes of Asia Specific are also available on YouTube here: https://bit.ly/4iJyeVt

Get in touch: asiaspecific@bbc.co.uk