Showing 1 - 10 of 16
The Quad at a crossroads
Asia focus, Brahma Chellaney, Published on 23/05/2022
» When the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue was first conceived as a strategic coalition of the four leading democracies in the Indo-Pacific, many doubted it would amount to much. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi mocked it as a "headline-grabbing idea" that would dissipate "like the sea foam in the Pacific or Indian Ocean".
Politics and peril for Asian women
Asia focus, Nareerat Wiriyapong, Published on 16/05/2022
» The political landscape in Asia has been very dynamic lately, but it is a disappointment to me personally that events have not been kind to women.
Gold-medal viewing
Asia focus, Pattama Kuentak, Published on 04/04/2022
» The Covid-19 pandemic left Olympic sporting venues almost empty of fans, but the experience of watching the Games has become richer and more enjoyable than ever thanks to cloud-enabled broadcasting technology.
Transforming Japan
Asia focus, Apiradee Treerutkuarkul and Nareerat Wiriyapong, Published on 14/03/2022
» Japan has started to pursue a "new form of capitalism" as the flagship agenda of Prime Minister Fumio Kishida amid the challenges posed by the lingering pandemic and new shocks delivered by the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Sharing the Mekong
Asia focus, Paritta Wangkiat, Published on 29/03/2021
» "The Mekong River is the source of prosperity," an old saying goes, and it was once true for Pongsak Saitongmart. The 69-year-old former fisherman and his family of five largely depended on income from fishing and a vegetable farm fed by water from the Mekong.
Don't isolate Myanmar
Asia focus, Brahma Chellaney, Published on 01/03/2021
» Directly or indirectly, the military has always called the shots in Myanmar. And now that it has removed the decade-old façade of gradual democratisation by detaining civilian leaders and seizing power, Western calls to punish the country with sanctions and international isolation are growing louder. Heeding them would be a mistake.
Turkey's slow-motion economic crisis
Asia focus, Selva Demiralp and Sebnem Kalemli-Özcan, Published on 18/01/2021
» No one should be surprised by Turkey's recent economic and financial woes. The country's triple crisis -- currency, banking and sovereign debt -- has been unfolding for years. Whether this economic turmoil will incite political turmoil is now a widely debated question.
Taiwanese health held hostage
Asia focus, Yu-hsiang Wang, Published on 24/02/2020
» On the second day of my internship in Thailand, I attended a panel discussion on how the Thai government and its regional peers are dealing with the coronavirus. As one of the panelists -- the World Health Organization (WHO) representative in Thailand -- reiterated the UN agency's suggestions about helping people avoid infection and reassured the audience that the world has been collaborating closely on effective treatments, I felt a disturbing mixture of emotions.
Fingers crossed for world trade
Asia focus, Erich Parpart, Published on 23/12/2019
» It is clear now that the rise of protectionism and the current US tariff war against China and the rest of the world have led to a slowdown in global trade and demand. Since most export-led economies in Asia Pacific depend heavily on demand from China, any slowdown there is bad news.
Friend or Foe?
Asia focus, Phanawat Ayanaputra, Published on 15/07/2019
» When Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte and Chinese President Xi Jinping met in April in Beijing for talks on how to approach disputes in the South China Sea, they came out smiling. "Both sides," declared Mr Xi, "should renew their trust in keeping promises … [and] maintain peace and stability" in the contested waters.