Asia
Commentary
Islamist violence in Marawi City a potential threat to Indonesia
Originally published in the Australian.
Alan Dupont
Back in focus: The United Nations Command in South Korea
Following his recent speech at the Shangri-la Dialogue in Singapore, US Secretary of Defense James Mattis was asked a question about North Korea. This excerpt from his answer…
Could China go the way of the USSR?
Could China be witnessing the beginnings of its own end? The vast majority of commentators say the chances are slim. Indeed, most are as dismissive of China-sceptics as Nikita…
Why altruism is risky in China
Several days ago some very upsetting footage surfaced online of a woman being hit by car in the central Chinese province of Henan. She was ignored by passers-by as she lay injured…
Beware the infrastructure debt trap
Much has been written about the massive infrastructure investments needed to sustain Asia’s growth performance. The Asian Development Bank estimates that the region’s…
‘Maphilindo’ cooperation on the Marawi siege
On Monday, Philippine Foreign Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano announced that Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi is planning a trilateral conference with the Philippines and…
Belt and Road PPPs: Opportunities and pitfalls
China’s push for the new normal has seen its local governments convert to public-private partnerships (PPPs), long-term contracts between a private party and government to provide…
Can South Korea’s new president finally tackle corruption?
South Korea at last has a new president, Moon Jae In. Moon is a liberal, and that has absorbed much of the political discourse since his inauguration. There is anxiety on the…
Taiwan: Is there a political generation gap?
Taiwanese media has branded the youth of Taiwan with a new collective name: ‘the naturally independent’ generation (天然獨 or 自然獨). A typical member of the ‘naturally independent’…