Opinion


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2022/11/02 | East Asia Forum

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.

2022/11/02 | Brian Hioe

The Tsai Administration Is Silent on Lula’s Victory. What Would It Take for That To Change?

The Tsai administration’s passing on an opportunity to demonstrate support for democracy in Brazil is disappointing. All the more so because in 2018, Taiwan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued immediate congratulations to Bolsonaro on the day of his presidential election.

2022/10/28 | CJ Sheu

‘August at Akiko’s’ Calmly Reflects on Hawai‘i’s Colonial Trauma

Trauma and dispossession are at the heart of ‘August at Akiko’s’. But a soaring jazz score and sweeping cinematography suggest new directions and the possibility of moving on.

2022/10/28 | Michael Beltran

Holy Water: The Philippine Activist Targeted for Trying To Stop a Hydropower Project

Dozens of elite armed forces were sent to arrest Vertrudez Macapanpan, a 69-year-old environmental activist in the Philippines. She has no doubt the cause was her work defending a sacred mountain spring from a billion dollar development project.

2022/10/27 | The Interpreter

Even Now, Standing Supreme, Xi Has Limits to His Power

The very loyalists that have facilitated Xi Jinping’s rise could yet provide a constraint to his ambition.

2022/10/25 | Kirsten Han

If Singapore Wants to Debate the Death Penalty, Talk To Us — Not Richard Branson.

If the Singapore government really prioritized the well-being of people in Singapore, they wouldn’t be wasting time and money trying to get Richard Branson over for a “debate.”

2022/10/24 | The Conversation

Xi Cements His Power at Chinese Communist Party Congress – But He Is Still Exposed on the Economy

With a collapsing real estate sector weighing on a stretched banking system, the economy is Xi’s vulnerability.

2022/10/21 | Tessa Charupatanapongse

The Problem With Digital Nomad Visas

As the digital nomad wave crests, governments in Southeast Asia should consider the implications that their schemes bring beyond economic growth.

2022/10/19 | East Asia Forum

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.

2022/10/17 | The Interpreter

Could China Save the World?

It is difficult to imagine Xi Jinping brokering peace in Ukraine, but if China wants to be respected, this is a chance.

2022/10/14 | Deutsche Welle

China Probes Its Neighbors’ Defenses as Regional Tensions Rise

Beijing has territorial claims against Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan and is using “salami-slicing” military and economic tactics in its efforts to assume control of the strategically important areas.

2022/10/13 | Timothy S. Rich

How Worried Is Taiwan About a Chinese Invasion?

Survey shows the Taiwanese public is far less concerned about a Chinese invasion than citizens of other countries in the region.

2022/10/12 | The Conversation

20 Years After the Bali Bombings, Survivors Are Still Processing a Unique Kind of Grief

Two decades after the bombings, which killed 202 people from more than 20 countries, grieving continues.

2022/10/11 | The Interpreter

Come What May, North Korea Perseveres

No manner of sanctions appears to dent Pyongyang’s determination to remain solitary and nuclear armed.

2022/10/06 | East Asia Forum

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.

2022/10/06 | Maria Wilkinson

‘The State of Texas vs. Melissa’ To Show In Taiwan’s Murder By Numbers Film Festival

The domestic premiere of ‘The State of Texas vs. Melissa’ at the Taiwan Alliance to End the Death Penalty film festival is a highlight among several selections on state violence.