Asia
Solomon Islands asserts its sovereignty – with China and the West
News of an impending security agreement between Solomon Islands and China has alarmed Western nations concerned about China’s assertive influence in the region. But the reaction…
Russia’s effort to escape diplomatic isolation
As a consequence of its actions, Russia faces potentially stifling isolation. Russia will want to show the limits of this isolation through regional frameworks that also enable…
Why now? The timing of North Korea’s ICBM test
More than two years after threatening to scrap a self-imposed nuclear and long-range missile testing moratorium, North Korea finally delivered this past week with Pyongyang’s…
India consolidates its role in southern Maldives
The visit in recent days by Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar to Maldives is further demonstration of India’s intention to build long-term ties. Jaishankar’s visit…
Commentary
Worries about China's economic power are overdone
Core realities suggest that it will never establish a meaningful lead over the West. Originally published in Nikkei Asia.
How the Marcos family could rule again in the Philippines
Ferdinand Marcos Jr, only son and namesake of the Philippines’ late kleptocratic dictator, looks set to win the country’s upcoming presidential election in May. Consecutive polls…
Solomons: Putting a draft security deal with China in local context
The revelation in the past 24 hours about a draft Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between Honiara and Beijing regarding security related issues has sparked international…
Stiffening the ASEAN spine in the South China Sea
“Coalition” is one of those politically loaded terms that the sovereignty-conscious member-states of ASEAN tend to avoid – especially in dealing with disputed claims in the South…
What counts for victims of trafficking?
Trafficking in persons is a billion-dollar global industry that seeks anonymity in every aspect of its criminal execution. Yet data related to human trafficking is a rare resource…
Key questions as Timor‑Leste’s presidential contest goes to a run-off
Timor-Leste – one of Southeast Asia’s few vibrant democracies – held the first round of its presidential election on Saturday 19 March. Jose Ramos-Horta led the pack with 46 per…