Asia 2026: Riding the fire horse - fault lines, flashpoints and the battle for influence

Asia enters 2026 facing one of its most complex and consequential geopolitical landscapes in decades. From intensifying rivalry between the United States and China to regional security flashpoints and domestic political transitions, the balance of power across Asia isshifting in ways that will shape global politics, trade, security and human rights in the years ahead.

Conflict and instability remain central concerns. Myanmar’s ongoing civil war continues to destabilise the region, driving humanitarian crises and cross-border tensions. Thailand faces political uncertainty at home while navigating its position between major powers. Across Southeast Asia, the South China Sea remains a persistent security flashpoint, while tensions around Taiwan, the Korean Peninsula and broader Indo-Pacific military dynamics add further layers of risk and uncertainty. Region-wide nations big and small are needing to decide whether to stand up to Donald Trump’s tariff baton or resist retaliatory actions. It’s a troubling era which Singapore Prime Minister Lawrence Wong described as “more volatile, with more frequent and unpredictable shocks. One where the risks are real and the stakes are high.”

Environmental instability is also increasingly shaping political realities across the region, as climate-driven disasters, resource pressures and displacement intersect with governance, security and economic resilience.

At the same time, Asia remains pivotal to global economic growth, climate strategy and technological competition. How will the non-interventionist region bloc, ASEAN, respond to deepening divisions among major powers? What role will middle powers play in a more fragmented global order? And where do human rights, democratic movements and civil society fit into a region increasingly shaped by hard-power politics?

In the year of the fire horse - traditionally associated with turbulence and transformation – our panel of experts and journalists will unpack the forces reshaping Asia in 2026 and what they mean for the region and the wider world.

This event is curated by The Media Connector, a London-based media and events consultancy working across global affairs, journalism and public dialogue.

Join us in the FCCT clubhouse, to hear from:

Michael Bociurkiw, Global affairs analyst, senior fellow at the Atlantic Council and Founder of World Briefing report on Substack.

Additional speakers to be announced.

Members who wish to book in advance should email info@fccthai.com or call the FCCT office on 02-652-0580.

Non-members can use this link.