Archive
December 2020
US Passes Historic Anti-Corruption Legislation With Global Reach
By Ian J. Lynch
Filed as an amendment to the NDAA, the anti-money laundering act lays the foundation for action against corruption.
Indian Military Pushes Ahead with War Stockpiling
By Abhijnan Rej
Absent clear political assessment around the possibility of a large-scale conventional conflict, the Indian armed forces have had to make do with ad hoc measures.
Indonesia Arrests Suspected Leader of Jemaah Islamiyah
By Associated Press
Aris Sumarsono has been on the run from the Indonesian authorities since 2003.
New Monitoring Platform to Scrutinize China’s Mekong Dams
By Sebastian Strangio
The launch comes amid rising controversy over the impact of Chinese dams on downstream nations.
Cambodia’s COVID-19 Vaccine Boondoggle
By David Hutt
The tycoon-funded vaccine drive demonstrates the durability of the patronage state that Hun Sen has built since the 1980s. It also reveals its weaknesses.
An Ignored Canary in an Unknown Coal Mine: The Caribbean’s Economic Engagement with China
By Bradley J. Murg and Rasheed J. Griffith
The Caribbean provides some of the earliest signs of the problems that would later dog China's Belt and Road Initiative.
Philippines Celebrates Human Rights Day With Crackdown on Activists
By Nick Aspinwall
A new slate of arrests follows weeks of baseless accusations by the Duterte administration that political opponents are associated with terrorist groups.
As Biden Picks Austin for Defense Secretary, Nagging Fears Resurface
By Abhijnan Rej
If Biden changes course on China, relatively speaking, could India-U.S. relations be affected?
China and the EU: Public-Private Dissonance
By Eleanor Albert
Despite official optimism over a trade deal, tensions continue to simmer at the people-to-people level.
#MeToo Reckoning Continues in China and Hong Kong
By Jessie Lau
As China held a hearing on a #MeToo icon’s case, Hong Kong was grappling with its biggest sexual harassment scandal yet.
US Navy Outlines Long-Term Shipbuilding Plan
By Abhijnan Rej
The report adds details to a plan introduced by now former Secretary of Defense Mark Esper.
How US Sanctions Are Pushing Iran, Venezuela, and North Korea Closer Together
By Jason Bartlett, Emily Jin, and Jason Bartlett and Emily Jin
U.S. policymakers should consider how to adapt sanctions implementation to undercut the hostile coalition of sanctioned nations.