Open and tightly integrated into international trade, Asian countries are exposed to the disruption caused by the ongoing conflict in the Gulf. Most of them have reacted quickly, worrying about the impact of the war on energy supplies and trade flows. 

It may appear surprising that the spectacular abduction by the United States of Nicolás Maduro – a flagrant violation of the United Nations Charter – has unleashed only the faintest of financial shockwaves. Not only did markets easily absorb this event, they immediately wanted to know what would happen next. There has been no massive flight to safe assets, no financial dislocation, no lasting pressure on...