Archive
December 2020
China’s Moon Plans: A Cautionary Note
By Abhijnan Rej
While the idea of mining the moon may look attractive, neither China nor anybody else is quite there yet.
Bangladesh Begins Relocating Rohingya Refugees to Island
By Associated Press
International aid agencies and the U.N. have vehemently opposed the relocation since it was first proposed in 2015
Kyrgyz Constitutional Chamber Nixes Petition to Undo Parliamentary Election Delay
By Catherine Putz
The Kyrgyz Supreme Court’s Constitutional Chamber determined that parliament acted legally in extending its term and kicking parliamentary elections into 2021.
A Hitch in the Belt and Road in Myanmar
By Gene Ryack
A long-running war and COVID-19 muddle development in Kyaukphyu, Myanmar.
As Farmers Protest in India, Canada Weighs In – With Predictable Effect
By Abhijnan Rej
Comments by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Defense Minister Harjit Sajjan have irked BJP supporters and the Modi government.
Curb Your Enthusiasm for an Israel-Pakistan Peace Agreement
By Varsha Koduvayur and Akhil Bery
While Pakistan has good reasons to normalize relations with Israel, domestic and geopolitical compulsions stand in the way.
Myanmar’s Kachin State Sees Boom in Chinese Banana Cultivation
By Sebastian Strangio
Seeking quick returns, Chinese investors are driving a scramble for plantation land in parts of northern Myanmar.
Chinese Defense Minister Visits Nepal Amid Signs of Thaw in India-Nepal Relations
By Sudha Ramachandran
A blockade of Nepal in 2015 that was unofficially supported by India has paved the way for greater ties between Beijing and Kathmandu.
The Jakarta-Bandung Rail Project: 5 Years On and Still Going Nowhere
By Meiki W. Paendong
The railway, China's landmark BRI project in Indonesia, has failed to account for its economic and social impacts.
What Explains Cambodia’s COVID-19 Charm Offensive?
By Sebastian Strangio
In recent weeks, the nation has donated masks and personal protective equipment to several other Southeast Asian nations.
More and More Taiwanese Favor Independence – and Think the US Would Help Fight for It
By Dennis V. Hickey
The latest Taiwan National Security Survey contains both good and bad news for cross-strait stability.
Taiwan Is Crucial to the Global Fight Against Cybercrime
By Huang Ming-chao
“Cybercrime knows no borders, so Taiwan hopes to work with the rest of the world in jointly fighting the problem.”