Showing 1 - 10 of 11
Time for a Seoul-Tokyo peace pact
Asia focus, Erich Parpart, Published on 12/08/2019
» I love kimchi and I love ramen. I love the bushido way of life and Japanese humility, and I love South Koreans' resilience and devotion to education that helped them lift their country from poverty after World War II to become an Asian economic powerhouse. And in my opinion, both South Koreans and Japanese are among the nicest people in the world.
Army unwilling to yield to democracy
News, Erich Parpart, Published on 31/07/2019
» For the country like Thailand where the military staged two putsches within the past 13 years, a coup d'état should no longer be necessary.
Denial spells irrelevance for Asean
Asia focus, Erich Parpart, Published on 24/06/2019
» One big reason why members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) get along so splendidly is that they avoid talking about uncomfortable subjects, such as stunted democratic development or human rights abuses.
Asia's memorable World Cup
Asia focus, Erich Parpart, Published on 09/07/2018
» The World Cup approaches its semi-final round this week minus any African or Asian contenders, but Asian teams did much better than I thought they would. I do not think I was the only observer who erred on the side of pessimism before the tournament started with a record five Asian teams.
Asia gets its kicks
Asia focus, Erich Parpart, Published on 18/06/2018
» There was no shortage of excitement in the world last week, what with Donald Trump and Kim Jong-un shaking hands and pledging to work toward peace on the Korean Peninsula. But the number of people tuning in to the "summit of the century" was probably eclipsed two days later when the World Cup kicked off in Russia.
America the unwelcoming
Asia focus, Erich Parpart, Published on 28/05/2018
» If you saw the recent Asia Power Index complied by the Lowy Institute, you may have been surprised to see the United States ranked above China as the pre-eminent power in Asia in 2018. One major factor giving America the edge was "cultural influence".
Pyongyang's charm offensive
Asia focus, Erich Parpart, Published on 19/02/2018
» A budget of US$2.6 million to ensure red-carpet treatment for North Koreans at the Winter Olympics is just one sign of South Korea's eagerness to revive dialogue with its dangerous neighbour. The North appears equally keen, based on the high-profile visit to Pyeongchang by Kim Yo-jong, the Supreme Leader's sister and Pyongyang's PR queen.
Enjoy the calm while it lasts
Asia focus, Erich Parpart, Published on 23/10/2017
» China's economy slowed marginally from 6.9% growth in the first half to 6.8% in the third quarter but is still on course to beat Beijing's full-year target of 6.5%. It was the sort of good news Communist Party bigshots were waiting to hear, coming a day after President Xi Jinping's stirring three-hour speech to their twice-a-decade congress.
The Daesh threat close to home
Asia focus, Erich Parpart, Published on 08/05/2017
» Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS), or Daesh, appears to be trying to gain a foothold in the Philippines. It has also claimed responsibility for successful and unsuccessful attacks in Indonesia and Malaysia in recent years, while Singapore and Thailand are also on high alert.
The curse of corruption
Asia focus, Erich Parpart, Published on 30/01/2017
» Lately we are hearing more about corruption scandals across Asia and, sadly, we will probably be hearing more. The mother of them all is the long-running saga of 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB), one of the world's largest white-collar crimes.