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The Debate
The Debate is our home for the best opinions from around Asia. Whether it is negotiating with Iran, responding to North Korean provocations, discussing Japan's looming demographic issues, or considering the new balance of power in the Asia-Pacific, some of the region's leading thinkers offer their take.
The Cambodian Regime Is a Key Element in China’s Regional Expansion Strategy
By Mu Sochua and Jianli Yang
As Cambodia fully embraces the “China model,” the country’s role in the geopolitical competition between the United States and China is becoming increasingly important.
Time for International Travel Companies to End ‘Genocide Tours’ to the Uyghur Region
By Henryk Szadziewski
By bringing tourists to the Uyghur region, travel companies tacitly whitewash genocidal policies and profit from hyper-securitization.
The Case for an Alliance of Semiconductor Producing Nations
By Carisa Nietsche
The “Semi7” would include countries making meaningful contributions to the semiconductor value chain and that share similar goals.
UN Human Rights Chief Demands Urgent Action to End ‘Unspeakable Tragedy’ in Myanmar
By Benedict Rogers
Volker Turk shone a long overdue and much-needed spotlight on a particular tragedy that the rest of the international community has chosen to ignore.
China’s Unjust Life Sentence for Uyghur Scholar Rahile Dawut Is a Tragic Loss for Humanity
By Omer Kanat
Rahile's imprisonment represents not only a personal tragedy but also a broader assault on Uyghur culture and identity.
Hun Manet 1, US State Department 0
By Arthur Eremita
Washington flip-flops on $18 million Cambodia aid penalty.
Why Boris Johnson Is Wrong About the British Indian Ocean Territory
By Peter Harris
It’s long past time to decolonize the Chagos Islands. None of the former PM’s reasons for keeping control is convincing.
Myanmar’s Military Junta Is Weaponizing Access to Life-Saving Vaccines
By Zaw Wai Soe
As with international aid shipments, basic inoculations are being distributed on the basis of political loyalty.
Thailand’s New Government is Failing the LGBTQ Community
By Mookdapa Yangyuenpradorn
Despite vowing respect for human rights at the U.N. General Assembly, Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin has been largely silent on the issue of marriage equality.
Antisemitism Exists in China, Too
By Ross Darrell Feingold
Antisemitic slurs are all too common in China – and much of the Indo-Pacific region.
Is There Any Southeast Asian Autocrat That the US Won’t Do Business With?
By David Hutt
Hypocrisy is an inevitable part of power politics. But there are limits to how far a nation like the U.S. should compromise.
Fostering Global Collaboration Amid Volatile Geopolitics and Technology Bans
By Sebastian Contin Trillo-Figueroa and Dingding Chen
No country can go it alone in today's interconnected world. Here's a potential path back to global cooperation to facilitate the sharing of technological advancements and the assurance of collective security.