EAST ASIA
Written by Dr Elli-Katharina Pohlkamp
In Japan’s business sector, the speculative phrase “moshi tora”, meaning “if Trump” has become widespread, indicating various industrial scenarios developed in the Japanese business sector for the possibility of a Trump presidency.
Written by Dr Seohee Park
Japan’s currency policy will continue to be a subject of international scrutiny as it is intertwined with the country’s strategic choices in an interconnected global economy.
Written by Dr Hannes B. Mosler
The short-term challenge of this election is to prevent a conservative majority in parliament, lest the current autocratic episode in South Korean democracy turn into a post-democratic vortex.
Written by Kelly Antoinette Khyriem
As criticisms propel the initiative towards a BRI 2.0, if China actively addresses and mitigates risks associated with its projects by enhancing transparency and accountability frameworks, it has the potential to outpace the emerging alternatives that are challenging the BRI.
Written by James Kaizuka
Deeper institutionalisation of security cooperation, bilaterally between Japan and South Korea and trilaterally also including the United States, can head off all of these threats and ensure that the ‘inaugural’ Indo-Pacific Dialogue is not the ‘only’ Indo-Pacific Dialogue.
Written by Lyle J. Morris
Corruption in China’s military is not a case of a “few bad apples”. Rather, it is indicative of a PLA that has systemic problems with corruption whereby kickbacks and buying and selling of promotions have been standard practice for decades.
Written by Jiachen Shi
Resorting to military build-up consistently emerges as a rational choice for Chinese policymakers who perceive the country as entangled in a series of ‘internal troubles’ such as social instability and ‘external threats’ such as provocations from the United States.
Written by Dr Lin Gang
Despite the developmental gap between the two societies, Beijing believes its preferential policies towards newcomers from Taiwan, particularly the youth, are appealing and productive.
Written by Dr James Kaizuka
“Whatever it takes” ultimately means squaring the circle of North Korea’s likely demands with what the Japanese public is willing to accept as an offering to a dictatorship which may well use any inducement against it in the future.
Written by Manoj Kewalramani and Rakshith Shetty
The enforcement of these regulations is expected to further fortify Xi’s leadership and consolidate ideological conformity within the Party.
Written by JiMin Nam
In South Korea specifically, backlash is not just a reaction to the rise of popular feminism since 2015. Instead, it is an indicator that two related institutions, militarism and patriarchy, persist in South Korean society and represent gender norms in a way that positions feminism as something problematic.
Written by Dr Mor Sobol
In the last few years, amid escalating tensions between Taiwan and China, and the heightened geopolitical rivalry between Washington and Beijing, there has been a noticeable surge in interest from the Taiwanese side — both at official and ‘academic’ levels — in learning from the Israeli experience regarding security and defence.
Written by Wooyun Jo
The spy satellite launch reinforces the need for vigilant monitoring and surveillance to assess the capabilities and intentions of North Korea, as well as to strengthen regional defence against potential nuclear missile attacks.
Written by Yulgok Kim
South Korea's nuclear development has been an unthinkable taboo for decades, but North Korea's upgrading nuclear capabilities requires a policy shift.
Written by Anthony V. Rinna
From a longer-term perspective, the summit between Kim and Putin could also thrust Moscow-Washington tensions into the Asia-Pacific in ways not seen since the Cold War.
Written by Michael Lostumbo
Taiwan should assess its existing force and all future investments and evaluate them from the lens of their warfighting potential, which should be the primary focus for their military.
Written by Dr Mi-son Kim
The current state of South Korean politics suggests that the country is at a critical moment that could determine its fate: democratic backsliding or consolidation.
Written by Abhishek Sharma
The trilateral summit is a stepping stone towards countering the DPRK and strengthening regional security; however, its success will only be judged in the face of changing politics in the respective capitals.
Written by Joe Varner
Even though this satellite launch failed, it suggests that Pyongyang is following the model of other nuclear weapons states to develop and refine its nuclear deterrence capabilities.
Written by Dr Yong Jae Kim
The critical conundrum for the political success of conservative evangelicals nowadays lies in the uncertainty of the relationship between evangelicals and the established conservative parties.
Written by Rupert Schulenburg
A rotational deployment of US ground-based anti-ship missiles to Philippine bases would constitute a major deepening of US-Philippines defence cooperation and could bolster regional deterrence.
Written by Fei Su and Xiao Liang
Despite concerns over the transparency on the official figures, the sustained growth in China's military spending demonstrates its unwavering commitment to the PLA’s modernisation to become a ‘world-class’ military by the mid-21st century.
Written by Dr Ryo Hinata-Yamaguchi
Without continuous efforts in Japan including securing monetary and political capital — together with coordinating and cooperating with regional partners — Tokyo’s push for defence modernisation will face a myriad of challenges going forward.
Written by Adrienne Wu and Melynn Oliver
Those who argue for a formal remilitarisation of Japan should consider why they advocate such a move. Amending Japan’s constitution has proven unnecessary to expand the SDF, therefore the only major benefit is to assay the fears of the Japanese public and expand its international role.
Written by Rorry Daniels
Beijing long signalled that it would respond to a Tsai-McCarthy meeting, but its actions did not break precedent and in many ways showed restraint.
Written by Joe Varner
A strong US industrial base with sufficient munitions stockpiles and weapons systems is critical for deterring Beijing in war.
Written by Dr Chang-min Lee
Although both allies of the US, Japan and Korea are forced to compete with each other economically, which is exacerbated by persisting political problems between Tokyo and Seoul.
Written by Kevin Gray
The apparent ‘thaw’ of Korea-Japan relations is likely to be a ‘false spring’ rather than a genuine new era of bilateral relations and broader regional cooperation.
Written by Kylie Jones
To avoid a devasting conflict, the United States needs to persuade Kim Jong-un that salvaging relations between the two countries is in his best interest.
Written by Marcin Jerzewski
In the context of Taiwan-EU relations, the primary objective of cooperation on human rights should be to address the main areas of concern delineated by the EU.