Independent candidates affiliated with the jailed former prime minister’s party staged a shock upset despite allegations of widespread electoral fraud led by Pakistan’s military. In what many observers called a “shock” result, candidates affiliated with imprisoned former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan’s party won the most National Assembly seats in a general election that raised Continue reading »
Asia
On 14 February, Indonesia holds simultaneous elections for the presidency and national and regional legislatures. The runes suggest the current Defence Minister, Prabowo Subianto is on track to be the next President. He will not be boring. To win a presidential election, a presidential/vice-presidential ticket must gain more than 50% of the vote. If none Continue reading »
Australia’s former foreign minister Bob Carr and 49 others are supporting an appeal for easing of hostility between the two superpowers. The Asean leaders’ meeting in Melbourne could provide a platform for discussions on peace security and boosting areas of cooperation with China and the US. A congregation of Asean leaders in March could prove Continue reading »
China’s Belt and Road initiative (BRI) operates on a huge scale and is the focus of rarely halted negative coverage across many prominent outlets in the Global West. A new extended article in the leading US journal, Foreign Policy, however, provides a measured, informed exception to this general rule. Parag Khanna recently argued in a Continue reading »
In Asian media this week: Debate gets serious about North Korea’s intentions. Plus: Another Thai progressive party beaten by the court system; Pakistan’s shameful history of removing PMs; India’s Hindu temple celebration will help government; HK’s security law at sprint stage; Interest surges in Oppenheimer’s devastation Over the past 10 days North Korea has launched Continue reading »
Indonesia, Australia’s largest neighbour, will go to the polls on 14 February 2024 to elect a new President. Some 160 million eligible voters are expected to turn out in the largest single-day contest. Under Indonesian law, the candidates must secure more than fifty per cent of the votes to avoid a run-off, scheduled on 26 Continue reading »
Just a fortnight to Indonesia’s big 14 February election and the mood is shifting as more than 200 million electors realise the reality – they’re being played by the oligarchs like puppets. Last month this column was getting ahead of itself by speculating that front-runner Prabowo Subianto, 73, a cashiered former general from last century’s Continue reading »
Japan finds itself at a crucial juncture in its relationship with China, with an opportunity to recalibrate and enhance bilateral ties through a seemingly simple yet impactful diplomatic tool: visa policy. As reported by Kyodo News on Tuesday, China’s proposal to Japan—granting visa exemptions for diplomatic and official passport holders in exchange for resuming visa-free Continue reading »
Notwithstanding calls to divert supply lines from China this is not happening except for America. An Oxford Economics research report funded by the Hinrich Foundation made the following surprising discoveries: Asia’s supply chain trade is growing and diversifying, even as the US and China decouple; Decoupling remains largely a US-China phenomenon, and to a lesser Continue reading »
Myanmar’s situation is complex: since February 2021, there is a multi-party civil war between the military coup government, the NUG (National Unity Government; successor of the Bamar-majority civil government) and its People’s defense forces, and over 30 different ethnic armed organisations (EAO’s) with shifting alliances/coalitions/loyalties, intersecting with a variety of criminal enterprises that are opportunistic Continue reading »