Top Stories
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October 12, 2021
Thailand to Introduce Quarantine-Free Travel for Selected Visitors
By Sebastian Strangio
The move marks an acceleration of the country’s timetable for the restart of its economically pivotal tourism industry.
October 11, 2021
A Tale of 2 Navies: India and China’s Carrier Airwing Development
By Rick Joe
Despite the Indian Navy's head start in the 1990s, China's carrier capabilities and virtually all carrier-relevant industries have overtaken India's in scale and sophistication.
October 08, 2021
Philippines Presidential Race: Marcos and the Specter of Martial Law
By Michael Beltran
With Bongbong entering the race, and the Dutertes floating around the edges, the Philippine presidential election is stirring up dark memories.
October 08, 2021
Vietnam’s Hidden Debts to China Expose its Political Risks
By Zachary Abuza and Phuong Vu
Although Vietnam's Chinese debt burden is low compared to some of its neighbors, it is still a worry for the Communist Party mandarins in Hanoi.
DRI | Report
DRI
DRI REPORT NO. 5
Dense Grey Webs
Cyber Risks and Trends in the Asia-Pacific
COVID-19 in Asia
October 15, 2021
Why Vaccine Hesitancy is Rising Among Thailand’s Youth
By Wichuta Teeratanabodee
Many young Thais are deeply suspicious of the current government and its handling of the COVID-19 pandemic.
October 15, 2021
COVID-19 Made Life Even Worse for Japan’s Foreign Trainees
By Moeka Iida
The situation of technical interns in Japan was already hard. For many, the situation has now become desperate.
October 14, 2021
Singapore and the Philippines: From Zero-COVID-19 to Living With COVID-19
By Kenneth Y. Hartigan-Go and Ronald U. Mendoza
Though at opposite ends of the spectrum in their COVID-19 performances, both countries are feeling pressure to find a way to live with the virus.
October 12, 2021
Thailand to Introduce Quarantine-Free Travel for Selected Visitors
By Sebastian Strangio
The move marks an acceleration of the country’s timetable for the restart of its economically pivotal tourism industry.
Magazine
M
October 01, 2021
Samoa: Fiame’s Uphill Climb
By Amalyah Hart and Joshua Mcdonald
Samoa has its first-ever female prime minister, and the first new leader in 22 years. But Fiame Naomi Mata’afa comes to power at a fraught time.
October 01, 2021
Peace vs. Democracy in Cambodia
By Andrew Nachemson
The 1991 Paris Peace Accords had two primary goals: ending civil war and setting up democracy. One of those goals was achieved; the other has never looked less likely.
October 01, 2021
The Making of Mirziyoyev’s Uzbekistan
By Bruce Pannier
As Mirziyoyev gears up for his second term, Uzbekistan’s foreign relations and economy are moving forward, but political and social reforms are lagging.
October 01, 2021
Beijing and the UN, 50 Years On
By Rosemary Foot
Since taking over the China seat in the United Nations, Beijing’s approach to the global body has encompassed both ambivalence and ambition.
Blogs
China Power
A New World Order
P
October 16, 2021
Beijing’s Balancing Act on China-US Relations
By Brian Wong
Chinese leaders must balance the current push for strategic de-escalation with the hyper-nationalism at play among average Chinese.
October 16, 2021
Ahead of Latest Mission, China Renews Space Cooperation Vow
October 15, 2021
Xi and Tsai’s Dueling Messages on Cross-Strait Relations
October 14, 2021
‘The Battle at Lake Changjin’ and China’s New View of War
Flashpoints
Diplomacy by Other Means
F
October 16, 2021
The Gaps in the New Regional Security Architecture for the Indo-Pacific
By Hanns W. Maull
The current effort – including AUKUS and the Quad – is missing three critical ingredients compared to early efforts in Cold War Europe.
October 14, 2021
Explaining the PLA’s Record-Setting Air Incursions Into Taiwan’s ADIZ
October 13, 2021
The Shift in China-US Competition
October 13, 2021
The German Elections and Angela Merkel’s China Legacy
Asia Defense
Militaries of the Asia-Pacific
D
October 15, 2021
Why Do Armed Robot Dogs Make Us Uncomfortable?
By Jacob Parakilas
Is it the function of an armed robot dog that raises eyebrows, or its form?
October 14, 2021
AUKUS: A New Justification for Thailand’s Submarine Acquisition Plans?
October 12, 2021
JIMEX-21: India-Japan Maritime Exercise
October 08, 2021
Alfred Nobel, Technology, and the End of War
ASEAN Beat
Insights Into Half a Billion
B
October 18, 2021
Declassified Files Illuminate UK Role in Indonesian Anti-Communist Purges
By Sebastian Strangio
The U.K. ran a propaganda campaign in the mid-1960s urging that the "communist cancer be cut out of the body of the state.”
October 18, 2021
Army, Police Defections Growing, Claims Myanmar Shadow Government
October 16, 2021
ASEAN to Exclude Myanmar’s Leader From Summit in Key Rebuke
October 15, 2021
Cambodian PM Orders Authorities to Hunt Down Exiled ‘Extremist’ Poet
The Pulse
Perspectives on South Asia
P
October 18, 2021
Afghan Taliban’s Victory Boosts Pakistan’s Radicals
By Kathy Gannon
The Tehrik-e-Taliban now believe they too can wage a successful jihad against the ‘infidel’ Pakistani state.
October 18, 2021
How China Uses Development Finance Strategically in South Asia
October 15, 2021
Indian Parliamentary Panel Pitches for Inter-Linking of Rivers
October 15, 2021
Afghan Taliban Delegation in Turkey for High-level Talks
The Koreas
Divided Peninsula
K
October 16, 2021
Silencing North Korean Memory in South Korea
By Markus Bell and Sarah A. Son
Like any refugees, North Koreans who escape to the South have a deep-seated need to remember their home country. But the scope for memory and self-expression is limited by politics.
October 15, 2021
Deciphering Kim Jong Un’s Second Policy Speech
October 14, 2021
Have South Korean Conservatives Made a Full Comeback?
October 14, 2021
Netflix’s Bet on Korean Content Pays off With ‘Squid Game’
Tokyo Report
News From Japan
R
October 16, 2021
How Will Japan’s Cybersecurity Posture Impact its Relations With China?
By Thomas Glucksmann
Japan’s new Kishida government seeks to bolster the national response to cyber threats from China, the country’s largest export market. What could go wrong?
October 14, 2021
What Does a Kishida Government Mean for Japan-Russia Economic Relations?
October 14, 2021
What Is Kishidanomics?
October 12, 2021
Tokyo’s Recent Earthquake Is a Wake-up Call for Disaster Prevention
The Debate
Comment and Opinion
D
October 15, 2021
Negotiating With the Taliban After Their Victory
By Obaidullah Baheer
The Taliban are an unfortunate reality and arriving at a stable post-conflict society is not going to be a simple task.
October 15, 2021
Changes to China’s Banking Law Could Help – or Hurt – the Planet
October 15, 2021
Europeans and Americans Are Divided on the Transatlantic Relationship
October 13, 2021
How Asia’s Rice Producers Can Help Limit Global Warming
Crossroads Asia
The New Silk Road
A
October 16, 2021
Kazakhstan’s Light Rail Corruption Case Drags on
By Paolo Sorbello
The capital’s light rail might never be built, and the corrupt officials that stole public funds might never be convicted.
October 14, 2021
Who Are Uzbekistan’s Remaining Religious Prisoners?
October 13, 2021
Japarov’s Kyrgyz Cabinet Shuffle
October 12, 2021
Will the Taliban’s Takeover Inspire Central Asian Extremists?
Trans-Pacific View
U.S. Policy on Asia
V
October 08, 2021
Engaging North Korea Via Subnational Diplomacy
By Matt Abbott
Subnational diplomacy offers an established, yet underutilized, opportunity for American officials to creatively engage Pyongyang.
October 08, 2021
More Americans Are Unsure of Biden’s North Korea Policy Than Under Trump
October 07, 2021
CIA Creates Working Group on China as Threats Keep Rising
October 05, 2021
Biden’s US Trade Representative Outlines Approach to China
Pacific Money
Economy And Business
M
October 15, 2021
A Turning Point for Renewable Energy in Indonesia?
By Massita Ayu Cindy and Vivi Fitriyanti
President Jokowi's administration seems poised to break through the regulatory bottlenecks that have long held back the country's renewable energy ambitions.
October 13, 2021
Doubling Down on Tourism Today will Constrain Cambodia’s Policy Options Tomorrow
October 12, 2021
What the AidData Report Reveals About BRI Lending in Southeast Asia
October 07, 2021
Tianjin Port Congestion Disrupts China-Mongolia Supply Chain
Oceania
The South Pacific
O
October 14, 2021
Tony Abbott in Taiwan: An Imperfect Messenger
By Grant Wyeth
Abbott’s visit may have been counterproductive both for Taiwan itself and for Taiwan’s support in Australia.
October 11, 2021
Will Beijing’s Behavior Bring Australia and Canada Closer?
October 07, 2021
AUKUS, Australia, and the Importance of Trust in Foreign Policy
October 06, 2021
Court Lifts Secrecy in Alleged Australian Espionage Trial
Videos
Asia on Video
V
September 08, 2021
Where Does the China-India Border Dispute Stand?
Alka Acharya, M. Taylor Fravel, Lin Minwang, Lu Yang, and Sushant Singh discuss the state of the border today and the future of China-India relations.
August 10, 2021
Myanmar, Six Months After the Coup
July 17, 2021
Where Did COVID-19 Come From?
July 07, 2021
Webinar Alert: Where Did COVID-19 Come From?
Podcasts
Asia Geopolitics
P
October 13, 2021
Seismic Shifts in Geopolitics and the Challenge for ASEAN
By Luke Hunt
Bradley Murg discusses Chinese debt, AUKUS, and grandiose ambitions.
September 28, 2021
AUKUS and the Indo-Pacific: Geopolitics, Technology, and Deterrence
September 27, 2021
Indonesia: Dividing the Spoils
September 16, 2021
How Washington Sees Southeast Asia and ASEAN
Photo Essays
Asia in Pictures
E
September 23, 2021
Vaccination in an Indian Border District: Against All Odds
By Rajeev Bhattacharya
Treacherous terrain, poor connectivity, and low population density makes the vaccination drive in Arunachal Pradesh’s Dibang Valley extremely challenging.