Showing 1 - 10 of 24
Biden needs to do better in Asia
Asia focus, Nareerat Wiriyapong, Published on 30/05/2022
» When Joe Biden arrived in Asia last week for the first visit to the region of his presidency, he aimed to pick up where his predecessor left off. Landing in South Korea on May 20 as events in North Korea and the Ukraine crisis loomed large, Mr Biden then travelled to Tokyo for a meeting of an alliance of the US, Australia, Japan and India that aims to counter China's growing influence.
We need new weapons against packaging waste
Asia focus, Simon Baldwin, Published on 16/05/2022
» Last month, researchers found microplastics -- small, microscopic pieces of plastic fragments -- within human lungs for the first time. This comes on the heels of news that microplastics were found in human blood, which may travel around the body and enter organs.
China's moment of decision
Asia focus, Yasheng Huang, Published on 28/03/2022
» China's response to Russia's war against Ukraine has been heavily scrutinised and criticised. While Chinese officials have expressed concern about civilian casualties, they have declined to condemn the attack, which they regard as a response to NATO expansion, and they have declared that they will not join the West in imposing financial sanctions on Russia.
Responsible tech
Asia focus, W Audi Pattarapatumthong, Published on 31/01/2022
» Technologies have revolutionised our world and disrupted the status quo in countless spheres of human activity. But with great power comes great responsibility, and the tech industry is now striving to ensure more responsible practices.
Big powers ardently wooing Asean
Asia focus, Nareerat Wiriyapong, Published on 29/11/2021
» The Association of Southeast Asian Nations once more found itself serving as a shock absorber between great powers last week. The occasion was an online summit of Chinese and Asean leaders, where President Xi Jinping emphasised Beijing's strong commitment to the bloc and announced a "new milestone" in relations.
US and China should continue talks
Asia focus, Nareerat Wiriyapong, Published on 20/09/2021
» The United States last Wednesday took a major step in challenging China's massive influence in Asia by announcing a plan to help Australia acquire nuclear-powered submarines that could eventually make their way into contested waters claimed by Beijing.
Riding the dragon
Asia focus, Pattama Kuentak, Published on 19/04/2021
» The growing economic and political influence of China has challenged the powerful nations of the West, particularly the United States, to respond in new ways.
Grand old conspiracy theorists
Asia focus, Marc Gallicchio, Published on 14/09/2020
» In the summer of 1945, the Allied policy of demanding unconditional surrender in World War II became the subject of intense debate in the United States. In a way, it has remained so ever since, tracking with Americans' changing attitudes about the Cold War and post-Cold War interventions.
On guard against terror
Asia focus, Erich Parpart and Ismira Lutfia Tisnadibrata, Published on 03/02/2020
» When President Donald Trump ordered American troops to withdraw last October from northeastern Syria, critics said the decision would play into the hands of terrorists, with ramifications beyond the Middle East.
Asia's century, China's year
Asia focus, Asia Focus team, Published on 30/12/2019
» Way back when 1999 was winding down, pundits were telling us that the Asian Century was about to dawn. That prediction has not yet been fully realised, but few would disagree that 2019 belonged to China. Over the past 12 months, the top headlines have been about the bruising trade war with America, defiant protests in Hong Kong against Beijing's tightening grip, and the rise of a surveillance state that is herding hundreds of thousands into "re-education" camps on its western fringes. Below, the Asia Focus team looks back on a busy and sometimes troubling 2019.