Asia
China’s leap into space
China has launched a new space station, the most ambitious project it has ever undertaken in spaceflight. Right now, the station is just a cylindrical module without a crew, but…
Response to Myanmar coup shows need for UN reform
It’s been almost three months since Myanmar’s military junta seized power from the democratically elected government. More than 700 protesters have been killed, and more than 3000…
Guiding Myanmar away from ruin
On 4 January 2012, at the beginning of what was commonly assumed to be Myanmar’s transition to democracy, the government-run New Light of Myanmar published an editorial that…
Pakistan’s extremist dilemma
Pakistan is at a crossroads, with a choice either to become hostage to religious groups or to take independent foreign policy decisions. After making an apparent shift away from…
Indonesia raises ASEAN’s bar on Myanmar
For much of his presidency, Indonesia’s Joko Widodo has taken a mercantilist view of foreign policy, pushing the country’s diplomats to promote trade and investment while keeping…
Bhutan: Happy days for the jab in between a strategic pinch
Bhutan, the tiny kingdom situated high in the Himalayas between India and China, has emerged as an unlikely Covid-19 vaccination success story. In the fortnight between late March…
Commentary
Reading the Xi leaves: what’s next for the Chinese President
If Xi Jinping had followed the rules, he would be stepping down next year. The longer he stays in office without an anointed successor, the greater the risk of a power struggle…
Commentary
Time for talk is over: Australia must take a greater role in tackling Myanmar crisis
Originally published in The Australian.
Timor-Leste’s floods and Covid lockdown aggravate political rifts
The recent floods in Timor-Leste have now caused 45 deaths and some 10,000 people to be displaced, including 7000 in the capital, with widespread damage to roads and bridges, and…
Malaysia’s political turmoil has an economic cost
Political dysfunction is rarely a good thing. It is especially unhelpful during a pandemic and recession. Unfortunately, all three are currently playing out in Malaysia.
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