The China-Japan Travel Visa Spat
Japanese travelers have been grappling recently with a problem: the absence of visa-free travel to China. Before COVID-19, Japanese did not need a visa to enter China, but Beijing suspended that...
View ArticleHow the Pacific Voted in the US Election
The U.S. elections on November 5 have redrawn much of the political map, as a red wave propelled Donald Trump to his second presidential term. Trump’s emphatic win will be digested and dissected for...
View ArticleHow Will China React to Donald Trump’s Second Term?
The victory of Donald Trump in the U.S. presidential election on November 5 sent reverberations throughout the world. In predicting his next moves, the possible, the likely, and the reasonable are...
View ArticleMongolia’s Prime Minister Looks to Boost All-Important Economic Ties With China
Mongolian Prime Minister Oyun-Erdene Luvsannamsrai was in China last week for a working visit centered around attending the 7th China International Import Expo. It was his third visit to China as prime...
View ArticleWhat a Second Trump Presidency Means for Bangladesh
In the U.S. presidential election on November 5, Donald Trump of the Republican Party won a decisive victory, and he is scheduled to succeed Joe Biden as the U.S. president on January 20, 2025. The...
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China’s Commodification of Minorities
This summer, I returned to China after nearly a decade to conduct fieldwork among Tibetan communities in Sichuan Province. As a scholar of Chinese and Tibetan culture who has spent significant time in...
View ArticleWhat’s in Malaysia’s 2025 Budget?
Malaysia’s 2025 budget is moving toward finalization. Having passed one phase of the legislative process this week, the bill now moves onto the committee phase, which runs for several more weeks. While...
View ArticleThailand Announces New Holidays in Bid to Stoke Tourism Growth
Earlier this week, Thailand’s Cabinet approved two additional holidays for 2025, in a bid to stimulate domestic tourism and pull the country’s economy out of its post-pandemic funk. Special holidays...
View ArticleIndonesian President Vows to Defend Sovereignty in South China Sea
Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto has vowed to safeguard his country’s sovereignty in the South China Sea, after signing a cooperation agreement with China that appeared to recognize Beijing’s...
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Does China Have a New European Ally in Slovakia’s Prime Minister?
Between October 31 and November 5, Slovakia’s Prime Minister Robert Fico paid an official visit China. Fico was accompanied by an unusually large delegation, which included eight cabinet ministers, two...
View ArticleWhat Trump’s Presidency Means for Afghanistan and the Taliban
During his first term, U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration signed a peace agreement with the Taliban to end two decades of war. The agreement set a timeline for the United States and its...
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Saving Erbayan: A Victim of Alleged Hazing in Kazakhstan’s Military
Kosshy, Akmola Region, Kazakhstan — As dusk settled over the September evening, around 7 p.m., Gulsim Kamiyeva sat by her son, Erbayan, watching his faint breaths. His face had paled, eyes moving...
View ArticleIs Thailand’s Power Grid a Gas Guzzler?
Newly inaugurated power plants near the Gulf of Thailand are conspicuous consumers in the floating market for liquefied natural gas (LNG). Located near the port of Map Ta Phut, the power stations are...
View ArticlePhilippine President Says He Will Allow ICC Probe if Predecessor Wants It
Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. says that his government will not block the International Criminal Court (ICC) from investigating his predecessor Rodrigo Duterte for his bloody anti-drugs...
View ArticleSister Cities: A New Era in US Pacific Diplomacy
The Pacific Island countries have emerged as the focus of enhanced U.S. diplomatic and economic engagement in recent years. With their unique cultural heritage and strategic geographic position, these...
View ArticleIn Not Prosecuting Duterte, Marcos Shows Political and Moral Cowardice
Political courage ought not to be considered axiomatic with moral courage. Whatever exertions of political courage Aung San Suu Kyi showed during her decades in noble opposition were forever tainted by...
View ArticleWhy India and Australia Should Expand Their Partnership to the Pacific
While addressing the Indian diaspora in Brisbane during his recent visit to Australia, India’s External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar attributed the significant growth in India-Australia ties to four...
View ArticleWhat Does Taiwan Think About Trump 2.0?
As was to be expected, the U.S. presidential election cast a large shadow over Taiwan. Polling two days ahead of the election conducted by political scientists Lev Nachman, Yen Weiting, and Hannah Kim...
View ArticleThe Tyranny of Distance: What Trump Needs to Know About the Japan-US Alliance
U.S. President-elect Donald Trump sees China as the biggest threat and the top-priority for his incoming administration. He has already appointed anti-China hardliners to his national security and...
View ArticleIs Xi Jinping Undermining China’s Path to Tech Superiority?
The recent decline in venture capital (VC) investment in China has far-reaching consequences, not only for the startup ecosystem but also for the broader Chinese economy. Once a vibrant hub for...
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