Asia
Indonesia: look beyond quotas for gender representation
How can we address the profound gender disparity that afflicts the vast majority of the world’s parliaments?
Fewer than 10 countries are close to parity between men and women in…
Rahul Gandhi: a reluctant leader’s bid to topple India’s Modi
Come 11 April, the first of the nearly 850 million eligible voters will begin to cast their votes in the world’s largest democratic exercise. India’s 17th Lok Sabha (lower house)…
The K-Pop sex and drugs scandal sweeping South Korea
What started as a police investigation into a South Korean nightclub has since erupted into a national scandal, sweeping aside in the public mind at least all the international…
Why reciprocity matters: the US Reciprocal Access to Tibet Act
Western governments have long complained about the lack of reciprocity in dealing with China. As the traditional basis for international relations, reciprocity suggests that…
Responding to China’s not-so-secret influence campaign
Sam Roggeveen wrote recently on the need for the government to be more forthcoming about its security assessments on China, specifically, allegations of influence and…
Why Jakarta called in Australia’s ambassador after Christchurch
A murderous terrorist attack by an Australian white supremacist on two mosques in New Zealand does not, at first sight, look like a bilateral issue for Jakarta and Canberra.
But…
Peace in Afghanistan: the tumultuous road ahead
The US and Taliban have agreed to a draft agreement after 16 difficult and lengthy days of what is the latest round of negotiations. The talks began on 25 February and ended on 13…
China’s Social Credit System: the black market and inequalities
The Social Credit System (SCS), China’s score-based system that aspires to instil trust in society, is being tested in pilot cities before its nation-wide implementation.
While…
India: never quite in focus
Last month, Financial Times columnist Edward Luce asked, what would it take for India to get America’s attention? His question was rather aptly answered a couple of…
Diplomatic switch? Solomon Islands relations with Taiwan or China
The forthcoming national elections in Solomon Islands in April have once again raised the issue of diplomatic relations between the Republic of China (hereafter “Taiwan”) and…