A new year – and a new decade – is upon us. To make sense of what 2020 will mean for the broader Asia-Pacific region, The Diplomat presents our annual outline of what to expect for a number of key countries and regions. We offer three “things to watch” in 2020 for each section.
2020 will be a year of elections (in South Korea, Taiwan, and Tajikistan among others) and long-term political transitions unfolding in slower motion in Singapore and Vietnam. We’ll see negotiations continue over perennial hot-button issues like North Korea’s nuclear program, the war in Afghanistan, and a Code of Conduct in the South China Sea. And all these developments will occur under the shadow of overarching global problems like climate change, slowing economies, and rising nationalism and populism.
We have overviews for the United States, Japan, the Koreas, China, Southeast Asia, Oceania, India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Central Asia. Mark your calendars and get ready for another unpredictable year.