Asia

Created
Sun, 11/02/2024 - 04:51
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 »
Created
Mon, 05/02/2024 - 04:50
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 »
Created
Sat, 03/02/2024 - 04:54
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 »
Created
Wed, 31/01/2024 - 04:55
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 »
Created
Tue, 30/01/2024 - 04:51
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 »
Created
Mon, 29/01/2024 - 04:51
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 »
Created
Wed, 10/01/2024 - 04:56
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 »
Created
Wed, 10/01/2024 - 04:55
Taiwan will hold its national presidential and legislative election on January 13. Vice President Lai Ching-teh, the pro independence candidate of the Democratic Progressive Party, leads in the polls and will likely be the next president. Officials in Beijing do not like Lai and have expressed their views openly. They call him a secessionist and Continue reading »
Created
Thu, 04/01/2024 - 04:56
Beijing has vowed to seize “strategic opportunities” and further raise its “international influence, appeal and power” to shape a rapidly changing world by strengthening Communist Party control of foreign affairs and standing firm against “bullying” and “hegemonism” from the West. At a rare closed-door party meeting about China’s future foreign policy direction that concluded on Continue reading »