DRI | COVID-19 IN ASIA
Presented by Diplomat Risk Intelligence
October 20, 2020
Uzbek Weddings in the Time of COVID-19
By Ezoza Yakvalkhodjieva
The pandemic has managed to do what the Uzbek government hasn’t been able to: temper lavish wedding practices. But will moderation last?
October 19, 2020
Vietnam’s War Against COVID-19
By Maya Nguyen
Vietnam's campaign against COVID-19 is infused with military imagery, playing into existing strands of national identity.
October 17, 2020
Myanmar’s High-Risk Election
By Tom Fawthrop
Aung San Suu Kyi’s dangerous gamble to push ahead with a controversial election as a second wave of COVID-19 hits Myanmar hard.
DRI | APAC Risks, Analyzed
DRI
October 23, 2020
Sri Lanka’s Changing Relationship to Chinese Loans
By Umesh Moramudali
Both the share and the type of loans from China are changing as Sri Lanka wrestles with persistent balance of payment issues.
October 20, 2020
The Pandemic and Power Shifts in Asia
By Ankit Panda
The coronavirus pandemic has affected Asian power shifts in a serious way.
October 15, 2020
Demystifying China’s Role in Italy’s Port of Trieste
By Francesca Ghiretti
The ghosts of Chinese control or even ownership have haunted the port since a March 2019 MoU. But those concerns have always been overblown.
Magazine
M
October 01, 2020
Fiji 50 Years On
By Stewart Firth
Fiji’s long-running split along lines of racial identity is at the center of the country’s tortured politics.
October 01, 2020
Pakistan’s Hybrid Regime: The Army’s Project Imran Khan
By Mohammad Taqi
With its latest power play, Pakistan’s civilian-military regime might have bitten off more than it could chew.
October 01, 2020
Myanmar’s Peace Process: The China Factor
By Yun Sun
China has an undeniable role in Myanmar’s peace process, but an ultimate resolution lies in Burmese hands.
October 01, 2020
The Asia Inheritance: Trump and US Alliances
By Abraham M. Denmark and Shihoko Goto
U.S. alliances have been tested under the Trump administration – but have also proven more durable than many expected.
Blogs
China Power
A New World Order
P
October 27, 2020
China Retaliates With More Restrictions on US Media
By Eleanor Albert
After the U.S. added new restrictions on 6 Chinese media organizations, China followed suit.
October 27, 2020
The Next 4 Steps in Hong Kong’s March Toward Totalitarianism
October 27, 2020
China’s Leaders Focus on Tech as They Make 5-Year Economic Plan
October 24, 2020
China and Cameroon’s Evolving Political and Military Cooperation
Flashpoints
Diplomacy by Other Means
F
October 27, 2020
India and US Hold Third Annual Defense and Foreign Ministers’ Dialogue
By Abhijnan Rej
The readouts from the opening remarks of the ministers as well as the joint statement from the meeting indicate the breadth and depth of India-U.S. strategic cooperation.
October 23, 2020
Poll Shows Increase in American Support for Defending Taiwan
October 24, 2020
Chinese Misbehavior Increases Support for Taiwan
October 22, 2020
How to Make a Sharp-edged Quad Work
Asia Defense
Militaries of the Asia-Pacific
D
October 27, 2020
Pentagon Awards Contract to Build University Consortium for Hypersonic Research
By Abhijnan Rej
The decision comes amid growing U.S. commitments around hypersonic missile systems.
October 27, 2020
India Transfers Myanmar’s First Submarine Amid Tensions with China
October 24, 2020
Are We Fighting the Last Infowar?
October 23, 2020
US Touts Uncertain Plan to Put Hypersonic Missiles on Destroyers
ASEAN Beat
Insights Into Half a Billion
B
October 27, 2020
Another Close Shave for Malaysia’s PM Muhyiddin
By Sebastian Strangio
UMNO expressed its support for Muhyiddin's coalition, even as its officials sought to extract concessions from the beleaguered premier.
October 27, 2020
Vietnamese PM Plays Down American Claims of Currency Manipulation
October 26, 2020
Thai Parliament Opens Special Session Over Anti-Government Protests
October 26, 2020
Why Next Month’s Elections Could Worsen Ethnic Tensions in Myanmar
The Pulse
Perspectives on South Asia
P
October 27, 2020
How a Nepalese Immigrant in Chicago Became a Voice for the Bullied
By StoriesAsia
Nikesh Thapaliya transformed his painful experiences with bullying into a voice to to support Americans who have similar experiences
October 27, 2020
Why Is India Silent on China’s Human Rights Record at the UN?
October 27, 2020
Sri Lanka Will Soon Have to Pick a Side in the China-US Rivalry
October 23, 2020
Sri Lanka’s Changing Relationship to Chinese Loans
The Koreas
Divided Peninsula
K
October 27, 2020
Amid Rising Panic Over Deaths, South Korean Government Urges People to Get Flu Shots
By Mitch Shin
As more than 59 deaths were reported soon after a shot, the South Korean government is asking people to trust its health officials that the vaccine is safe.
October 26, 2020
South Korea’s Electronics Giant Lee Kun-hee, Chair of Samsung, Dies at 78
October 23, 2020
Moon’s Plan for Inter-Korean Relations Is Actually 40 Years Old
October 21, 2020
Typhoons and Human Insecurity in North Korea
Tokyo Report
News From Japan
R
October 27, 2020
Prime Minister Suga Says Japan to Go Carbon-Free by 2050
By Associated Press
Japan's new leader has portrayed the coming shift to green energy as an opportunity rather than a burden.
October 21, 2020
Japan Sticks to Nuclear Fuel Recycling Plan Despite Plutonium Stockpile
October 20, 2020
In Vietnam’s Capital, Japanese PM Pushes Indo-Pacific Vision
October 19, 2020
Japan’s Pragmatic New PM Pushes Abe’s Vision on Southeast Asia Trip
The Debate
Comment and Opinion
D
October 27, 2020
Let’s Have a Better Debate on North Korea
By Daniel R. DePetris
While denuclearization can still be a long-term objective, it is extremely unlikely to happen - and luckily, U.S. security is not dependent on it.
October 26, 2020
ASEAN Is Failing On The South China Sea Issue
October 23, 2020
The Japan-Korea Dispute Over the 1965 Agreement
October 23, 2020
It’s Time for an International Human Rights Alliance to Defend Democracy
Crossroads Asia
The New Silk Road
A
October 27, 2020
Understanding Tazabek, a Kazakh Islamic Celebrity
By Issatay Minuarov
A newly introduced weekly program on a Kazakh state TV channel has sparked sharp public criticism and a campaign against its host – Mukhamedzhan Tazabek.
October 22, 2020
Kyrgyzstan Punts on Elections to Pursue Constitutional Reforms
October 22, 2020
Japarov’s Many Promises: Can Stability Emerge From Chaos in Kyrgyzstan?
October 21, 2020
Date Set for Kazakhstan’s Parliamentary Elections
Trans-Pacific View
U.S. Policy on Asia
V
October 26, 2020
US Presidential Elections 2020: China in Transatlantic Relations
By Mercy A. Kuo
Insights from Jonathan Holslag.
October 22, 2020
China Is Weaponizing the Belt and Road. What Can the US Do About It?
October 21, 2020
How Do Americans View South Korea’s COVID-19 Response?
October 20, 2020
The US Government Partners With Academia to Root out Chinese Talent Plans
Pacific Money
Economy And Business
M
October 27, 2020
COVID-19 and the Perils of International Tourism
By James Guild
Tourism has been a boon for Southeast Asia, but the pandemic has exposed the region's unhealthy dependence on foreign visitors.
October 23, 2020
Mind the Gap: How Southeast Asia Can Make the AI Leap
October 20, 2020
Development for Whom? The Omnibus Bill and Jokowi’s Economic Vision
October 16, 2020
What Will Indonesia’s Internet Economy Look Like?
Asia Life
The Other Asia-Pacific
L
October 26, 2020
India’s Junk Artists (and Where to Find Them on the Web)
By Krzysztof Iwanek
Junk art is a sphere in which India’s garbage challenge and its tradition of jugaad (improvisation) merge, with sometimes jaw-dropping results.
October 23, 2020
Fighting Deforestation in Sri Lanka
October 21, 2020
Silent Battles: How Pakistani Women Counter Harassment in Cyberspace
October 16, 2020
Pandemics and the Post: Mongolia’s Pony Express
Oceania
The South Pacific
O
October 26, 2020
Prabowo Set to Complicate the Australia-Indonesia Relationship
By Ross B. Taylor
Despite his dark past, Canberra may eventually be forced to hold its nose and engage with the former Indonesian general.
October 23, 2020
US Aid Pledge to Pro-Taiwan Solomon Islands Province Raises Eyebrows
October 21, 2020
Australian Parliament to Debate a Beijing Olympics Boycott
October 16, 2020
Ardern Poised to Win Re-election in New Zealand.
Podcasts
Asia Geopolitics
POctober 20, 2020
The Pandemic and Power Shifts in Asia
By Ankit Panda
The coronavirus pandemic has affected Asian power shifts in a serious way.
October 09, 2020
Trouble in Kyrgyzstan: Assessing the October 2020 Crisis
October 03, 2020
India’s Illiberal Turn and the Indo-Pacific
September 25, 2020
Southeast Asia Caught Between the US and China
Photo Essays
Asia in Pictures
E
October 15, 2020
Protesters Again Fill the Streets of Bangkok
By Cory Wright
Gathering at the Democracy Monument, protesters then marched on Government House, where the prime minister’s offices are located.