2023/03/24 |
Thailand’s Cannabis Policy Experiment
Cannabis decriminalization is seen as a way to attract tourists, especially young adults, but conservative groups are questioning whether cannabis users are the kinds of tourists Thailand should want.
2023/03/16 |
The Changing Face of Chinese Governance
During his first two terms in office, Xi sent signals that created a range of mixed incentives that will guide Chinese governance over the next five years.
2023/03/07 |
Taiwan Heading Into Its Super-aged Era
According to projections, Taiwan will become one of the oldest countries in the world in 2060 when the share of the elderly is likely to reach 41.4% of the population.
2023/03/03 |
Protecting Domestic Workers in Indonesia
In Indonesia, very few domestic workers are registered in the social services system, which denies them access to unemployment benefits, life insurance, and a pension.
2023/02/23 |
Mediating the Russia–Ukraine War a Risky Role for China
The war brings Beijing not only losses but gains — greater internationalization of the renminbi, cheaper energy, and a reduction of the U.S. focus on the Indo-Pacific.
2023/02/18 |
Asia’s Coming Demographic Divergence
The growing symbiosis between South Korea and Vietnam is an excellent example of Asia’s demographic interconnectedness, as South Korea continues to locate its lower-cost manufacturing operations in other countries.
2023/01/16 |
No International-backed End in Sight to the Misery in Myanmar
The most likely outcome in Myanmar is that longstanding hesitation about entanglement in a wider war will discourage foreign players from taking more aggressive, interventionist approaches.
2023/01/11 |
Ukraine Crisis Doesn’t Herald a New Era for Refugee Rights in Japan
Japan’s focus on limiting the number of long-term sojourners severely limits the protection available to refugees, with an emphasis on controlling numbers seeming to dominate decision-making.
2022/12/30 |
Southeast Asia’s Tech Industry Goes From a Gallop to a Canter
ASEAN’s economic growth is projected to be above 5% in 2022 and 2023, outperforming China for the first time.
2022/12/23 |
Japan Steps Closer to Global Military Power
The loosening of arms exports controls and proposed increase of the national defense budget to 2% of GDP over time signal paradigmatic shifts in Japan’s security posture.
2022/12/19 |
Kishida’s Difficult Year
Support for Kishida’s government has plummeted to below 30%. Next year will be no easier with local elections scheduled in April and big issues on the table such as mounting security challenges, a declining birth rate, and overcoming obstacles to economic reform.
2022/12/15 |
Deterrence Across the Taiwan Strait Demands a Diplomatic Touch
A survey in 2022 showed that simply informing citizens in Taiwan that the U.S. would come to help them in a war created a significant boost in their willingness to defend themselves.
2022/12/09 |
Dwindling Economic Opportunities for China’s Youth Fuels Discontent
Without addressing high levels of youth unemployment, China will see a generation of lost youth who may look for disruptive ways to voice their despair.
2022/12/06 |
European Institutional Complexities and EU-Taiwan Relations
The European Union and its member states are enhancing their political relations with Taiwan, but it comes more expressly from the action of their legislative branches rather than their executive actors.
2022/11/25 |
Japan Must Reform Its Inflexible Work Culture
The labor force is diversifying, not just demographically, but also in terms of people’s needs and preferences. It’s time for organizations to adapt to workers — and not the other way around.
2022/11/08 |
Developing Asia Adapts to the Dollar’s Strength
A strong U.S. dollar will likely continue for the near future. Asian economies need to prepare for a rough 2023.
2022/11/02 |
Japan Warily Welcomes Back International Travelers
In his parliamentary speech in October, Kishida presented his plan to revive the Japanese economy, including a pledge to increase international tourist spending beyond the pre-pandemic high in 2019.