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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.
How Energy is Aiding ASEAN’s Post-Pandemic Recovery
By Helena Aurellia and Gabriella Ienanto
The energy sector is in a good position to drive ASEAN's recovery and its transition to a greener economy.
It’s Time for a Japan-US Pandemic Partnership
By James Gannon
Beyond their moral responsibility, Japan and the United States have compelling interests in doing more together to battle COVID-19 internationally.
Little Blue Helmets in Kazakhstan
By Matt Cavanaugh and Jahara Matisek
A blue line was crossed; the international community must respond.
Summit for Democracy Showed the Challenges to Democracy
By MIMAKI Seiko
The problem is not just the rival camp, but the unclear US strategy.
How Myanmar’s Coup Has Reshaped Its Ethnic Conflicts
By Thomas Kean
The coup has given way to potentially transformative negotiations aimed at the creation of a genuinely inclusive federal state.
How COVID-19 Has Enriched Asia’s Wealthy and Punished Its Poor
By Sebastian Strangio
A new report from the NGO Oxfam provides crucial context for the region's recent democratic decline.
How to Lose a Cold War With China
By Danny Sjursen
The U.S. military and its civilian leaders are overemphasizing militarized responses to what is largely an economic and diplomatic challenge.
Joint Ventures in China: Lessons From ‘Alan’s Boat’
By Ian Lang
In China, the range of expensive foreign joint-ventures that have failed is legion. But there are many small success stories as well, and they are worth learning from.
China and Greenland: Debunking the ‘Debt Trap’ Scenario
By Mikkel Schøler and Marc Lanteigne
Postulating a Chinese debt-trap scenario for Greenland runs counter to existing evidence, including Greenland’s trade interests, Denmark’s ongoing policies, and the growing role of the US.
Is China’s ‘Debt-Trap Diplomacy’ in Greenland Simply on Ice?
By Erin Parsons
Should Greeland continue to move toward independence, the cash-strapped territory would be at high risk of falling prey to Chinese investments that seek to gain influence.
In 2022, The World Must Hold China to Account for Genocide
By Omer Kanat
A focus on imposing consequences on those responsible is key to dismantling the apparatus of genocide.
Bio-tracked, Mistreated, Hog-tied: Immigration Detention in East Asia in 2021
By Surabhi Chopra and Chloe Fung
Governments in Hong Kong, Japan, and South Korea routinely detain migrants in closed custodial institutions.