Asia Communique

What's changing at Asia Communique?

Hello Readers,

Quick update on what’s happening here.

When I started Asia Communique six years ago, the goal was to build a serious, sourced voice on Asian geopolitics — no spin, no hot takes. That hasn’t changed.

But I’ve kept almost everything free, and that was a mistake. The readers who actually get real value from this — the deep analysis, the monthly forecasting, the source-level breakdowns — deserve a dedicated paid tier. The current free-heavy model doesn’t serve anyone: free readers get a product they aren’t invested in, and the signal of what this is actually worth gets lost.

Here’s what changes starting April 6:

What stays free: Breaking commentary, weekly summary digests, and one flagship analysis piece per month. You can still read the publication regularly at no cost.

What moves to paid ($10/mo):

If you’re already a paid member. All existing paying members get the same paid version at the existing cost. Those who subscribe before April 6th will also keep the existing $6 price.

I'm not going anywhere either way. The free tier stays real, and the paid tier becomes a product worth paying for.

— Aadil