2022/02/14 |
Civic Rights for Foreign Residents Sparks Backlash in Japan
Voting rights for foreigners wasn’t an issue in Japan’s general elections last year, yet conservative mass media latched onto a proposal by the city assembly of Musashino in suburban Tokyo, making it an issue of national security.
2022/02/11 |
Russia and China’s Growing ‘Friendship’ Is More a Public Relations Exercise Than a New World Order
Beijing treads a fine line between targeting individual European states and portraying itself as Europe’s peaceful partner.
2022/02/10 |
A Foreign Policy Cheat Sheet for South Korea’s Presidential Election
Liberal and conservative candidates bring distinct traits to office. But after polling day, the shackles could come off.
2022/02/08 |
US Approves Deal To Boost Taiwan Defense Systems
The US$100 million arms deal is meant to help Taiwan “sustain, maintain, and improve” its air-defense missiles in the face of pressure from China, a U.S. defense agency said.
2022/02/07 |
Teenage Girl Accuses Military of Rape and Torture Because of Her Family’s Activism
“In the context of the ongoing armed conflict in the Philippines, thousands of military elements are deployed in civilian communities who intentionally target women and girls with sexual violence in order to achieve particular military objectives.”
2022/02/07 |
Olympics Not The Only Games This Year
While China’s many human rights problems have been highlighted as the main reason for the boycott, it can be said that a secondary target is the Olympic movement itself.
2022/02/05 |
When Disabilities Meet the Death Penalty
Nagaenthran K. Dharmalingam, a Malaysian man at risk of execution in Singapore, did not receive any of the procedural accommodations that international experts now say persons with disabilities should have.
2022/01/28 |
China’s Financial Diplomacy Wins Influence in Central Asian Countries
Even though its position in central Asian countries has evolved quite successfully, China still faces obstacles such as nationalism and political elites’ distrust of Beijing.
2022/01/26 |
The Restoration of Democracy in Honduras Isn’t About China — Or Taiwan
Pundits tend to interpret the victory of any leftwing political force in Latin America as a geopolitical triumph for China — and so an existential threat to Taiwan. But this myopic and self-defeating perspective doesn’t hold up under 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.
2022/01/24 |
Malaysia’s Top Anti-corruption Cop Sues Whistleblower for Defamation
Hundreds of people rallied in downtown Kuala Lumpur on Saturday calling on Azam Baki, chief commissioner of Malaysia’s Anti-Corruption Commission, to step down over corruption allegations.
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.
2022/01/21 |
Japan’s Low-tech World
A glacial move towards digitalization has left much of the country’s workforce and public services in the last century.
2022/01/20 |
North Korea Hints It May Resume Nuclear Tests
North Korean state media said the country would consider restarting “suspended activities,” amid preparations for a “long-term confrontation” with the United States.
2022/01/19 |
IOC Reacts to Cybersecurity Concern Over Beijing My 2022 Phone App
A report revealed flaws in the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics app, but the International Olympic Committee said it had been found to have “no critical vulnerabilities.”
2022/01/18 |
Australia Has a Solution to Indonesia’s Soaring Food Prices
As Indonesia takes the G20 presidency solving the country’s food security crisis should be top of the agenda.
2022/01/17 |
South Korea’s Transgender Community Pushes for Recognition and Acceptance
The issue of transgender discrimination was once again brought into the spotlight earlier in 2021, following the suicide of a soldier who was forcibly discharged from the military after a gender reassignment surgery.
2022/01/14 |
Indonesia: Jakarta Enjoys Deep Culinary Connection With China
For centuries, Indonesians and the Chinese have had a long, complicated relationship. But in Jakarta, they mingled and intermarried — and so did their cuisines.