2022/05/17 |
Japan’s Reluctant Realism on Taiwan
As a key U.S. ally in East Asia, Japan is debating the introduction of legislation to ready itself to deal with a contingency scenario in Taiwan, a defensive response rather than a proactive military strategy.
2022/02/17 |
Presidential Politics Heats up in Indonesia
Jokowi and his coalition partners have been preoccupied not just with the remaining two years of this presidential term, but also with the remainder of the decade. They have been prepared to countenance options that are contrary to democratic principles.
2022/01/22 |
Vietnam’s Covid-19 Testing Scandal Goes Viral
Overpriced testing kits are an extremely sensitive issue that feeds into the long-standing problem of cronyism and backdoor politics in the medical equipment trade.
2022/10/19 |
The 20th Party Congress and the Crowning of Xi Jinping
Xi Jinping’s maneuverings to ensure his personal domination in the CCP, long in the planning, threaten to upset a bedrock of the durability of the party.
2022/03/02 |
Why Xi Jinping Is Still Willing To Wear the Costs of Zero-Covid
Surging cases, faltering health infrastructure, and a wave of self-isolation in China could produce more acute labor shortages and supply chain disruptions than zero-Covid.
2022/04/21 |
Indonesia Is a Fence Sitter on the Russia–Ukraine Crisis
While Indonesia’s government avoided taking a stand on the war, public opinion tilted in favor of Russia.
2022/06/01 |
As the World Sanctions Russia, China Takes Note
China’s reliance on the West and its capacity to withstand sanctions will be reduced if it has more control over the financial system. While it is working towards becoming less economically dependent on the West, it is not there yet.
2022/09/01 |
Japan’s Women Lawmakers Remain Seated
Japan’s celebration of record high number of women who won seats in the upper house may not stand up to close scrutiny.
2022/01/26 |
Myanmar Tumbles Into the Abyss
The Myanmar army’s capacity to consolidate its rule appears more fragile than ever, with so many new armed groups now taking up to the fight to the military regime and its representatives.
2022/10/06 |
Okinawa’s Elections Expose Problems With Military Coexistence
Okinawa’s role in Japanese security was reinforced by China’s military drills in the Taiwan Strait following U.S. Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan.
2022/05/09 |
Is This the End of Duterte’s Politically-driven War on Drugs?
The two current leading candidates for president aim to not be labelled “soft on crime,” but wish to de-emphasize what has clearly been a brutal crackdown that has alienated a growing part of the population.
2022/09/08 |
Malaysia’s Institutional Uncertainty
Despite graft conviction, Najib Razak’s return to power could be imaginable given the power dynamics in UMNO. As a first step, he is now seeking a pardon from the king.
2022/10/28 |
Judicial Repression Becomes the Norm in Hong Kong
As of 2022, more than 100 civil society organizations and trade unions have been dissolved or closed in Hong Kong under the threat of the National Security Law.
2022/05/04 |
Unraveling the Controversies of Chinese Foreign Aid
China’s new aid and security pact with the Solomon Islands is the latest case to raise the question of whether Chinese aid is developmental or a political.
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.
2022/07/13 |
Can Egg Freezing Crack Singapore’s Demographic Decline?
Singaporean women and demographic observers may have cause for celebration, but medical technology does not present the ideal solution to what is, at heart, a social problem.
2022/03/18 |
Can Seoul Court Beijing’s Perception Problem?
While it might be unrealistic for Seoul to completely sever itself from Washington’s global geostrategy, Beijing and Seoul could still reach a modus vivendi on South Korea’s contribution to the U.S.-led Indo-Pacific Strategy and its future relationship with the Quad.
2022/03/24 |
Philippine Party-list Elections Steal From the Poor and Give to the Rich
Instead of serving the poor in whose name they ran, many party-list representatives have been accused of corruption. They have also pushed for the closure of a leading broadcast network critical of Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte.