DRI | COVID-19 IN ASIA
Presented by Diplomat Risk Intelligence
January 13, 2021
Australia Debates Vaccines, Worries About New COVID-19 Strain
By Joshua Mcdonald
The emergence of a much more contagious variant of COVID-19 comes as Australia rolls out vaccines.
January 13, 2021
Jokowi Receives First Shot as Indonesia Begins CoronaVac Roll-out
By Sebastian Strangio
The announcement comes as confirmed COVID-19 infections continue to spike across the archipelago.
January 07, 2021
China’s Ambitious COVID-19 Vaccine Targets
By Eleanor Albert
With its first homegrown vaccine approved for general use, China aims to vaccinate 50 million people by the Lunar New Year in February.
DRI | APAC Risks, Analyzed
DRI
January 14, 2021
Elections in Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan: What Next?
By Ankit Panda
A presidential election in Kyrgyzstan and a parliamentary election in Kazakhstan kick off 2021 in Central Asia.
January 13, 2021
China-EU Investment Deal Sparks Backlash Over Rights Concerns
By Shannon Tiezzi
Civil society organizations and members of the European Parliament alike are objecting to the deal amid China's continuing crackdowns in Xinjiang and Hong Kong.
January 05, 2021
The Unending Saga of India’s Retrospective Tax Debacle
By Abhishek Dwivedi
India finally has an investor-friendly image after almost a decade and should strive to maintain that.
Magazine
M
January 01, 2021
North Korea Without Nukes: How Does It Measure Up?
By Joost Oliemans
Evaluating North Korea’s conventional military strength.
January 01, 2021
Vietnam’s Coming Leadership Change
By Huong Le Thu
Amid a pandemic and shifting geopolitical winds, Vietnam’s next leaders will be of crucial importance for the country’s future.
January 01, 2021
The Future of US-India Digital Relations
By Justin Sherman
Beneath the surface, the Trump and Modi administrations had more tensions than common ground on digital issues.
January 01, 2021
The Asia-Pacific in 2021: What to Expect
By The Diplomat
The Diplomat looks at the trends to watch across the region in the coming year.
Blogs
China Power
A New World Order
P
January 18, 2021
China Economy Grows in 2020 As Rebound From Virus Gains
By Associated Press
While most major economies struggle to recover from the pandemic, the Chinese economy shows signs of growth across sectors.
January 18, 2021
Taiwan Visit by Trump’s UN Envoy Canceled, Ending a Wild Ride in Taiwan-US Relations
January 16, 2021
China Is Expanding Its Foreign Policy Vision. Is Latin America Ready?
January 15, 2021
Hong Kong Begins Internet Restrictions on National Security Grounds
Flashpoints
Diplomacy by Other Means
F
January 12, 2021
China and India’s Stakes in the Qatar Conflict
By Guy Burton
The resolution of the rift between Qatar on one side and Saudi Arabia and the UAE on the other will cause sighs of relief in Beijing and New Delhi.
January 11, 2021
Iran Toughens Rhetoric as Biden Looks to Salvage Nuclear Talks
January 09, 2021
Pompeo Approves New State Department Tech Bureau
January 08, 2021
Tech Companies Can’t Stay Out of National Security — Irrespective of What They Want
Asia Defense
Militaries of the Asia-Pacific
D
January 14, 2021
India Develops Indigenous 9 MM Machine Pistol
By Abhijnan Rej
The announcement comes amid a further push for defense manufacturing by the Modi government.
January 14, 2021
Russia’s Behemoth ‘Hunter’ Drone Destroys Ground Target in Test
January 14, 2021
US Declassifies Strategy, Revealing Yawning Gap Between Rhetoric and Reality
January 13, 2021
Sizing Up South Korea’s Coming Aircraft Carriers
ASEAN Beat
Insights Into Half a Billion
B
January 18, 2021
Cambodian Exile Return Bid Crashes Into Visa Hurdle
By Sebastian Strangio
The attempt nonetheless succeeded in drawing international attention to the repression inside the country.
January 18, 2021
Chinese-Funded Railway to Link Former US Bases in the Philippines
January 18, 2021
In Laos, Reform Hopes Peter Out Into Business as Usual
January 15, 2021
Earthquake Sets off Landslides, Flattens Homes in Indonesia
The Pulse
Perspectives on South Asia
P
January 18, 2021
Indian Journalist’s WhatsApp Transcript Causes Storm in Teacup
By Abhijnan Rej
The Indian opposition – and Pakistan – have found much to draw from a divisive TV anchor’s leaked chat messages, which seem to suggest foreknowledge of the 2019 Balakot attack.
January 18, 2021
India and the US: Ideological Convergence No More?
January 16, 2021
India and Nepal Hold Joint Meeting Amid Improvement in Ties
January 15, 2021
The Makwanpur Model: Making Public Healthcare in Nepal Work
The Koreas
Divided Peninsula
K
January 16, 2021
Chatbot Gone Awry Starts Conversations About AI Ethics in South Korea
By Dongwoo Kim
The “Luda” AI chatbot sparked a necessary debate about AI ethics as South Korea places new emphasis on the technology.
January 15, 2021
North Korea Holds Nighttime Military Parade After Party Congress
January 15, 2021
North Korea Holds Huge Military Parade as Kim Vows Nuclear Might
January 14, 2021
South Korea’s Supreme Court Upholds 20-Year Sentence for Former Pres. Park Geun-hye
Tokyo Report
News From Japan
R
January 14, 2021
Japan’s Olympic Dreams Remain Hostage to COVID-19 Uncertainty
By Thisanka Siripala
Japan’s hopes for the postponed Tokyo Olympics are shrouded in doubt as the coronavirus outbreak in the country heads for a worst case scenario.
January 12, 2021
Japan Aims tor Greater Engagement in Latin America
January 12, 2021
Revisiting the Obama-Hatoyama Relationship
January 02, 2021
Japan Faces Its Worst COVID-19 Outbreak Yet
The Debate
Comment and Opinion
D
January 18, 2021
Vietnam’s Prisoners of Conscience: ‘Like Fish Under the Blade’
By Judith Bergman
Leading partners including the United States and European Union can and should do more to discourage Vietnam's fierce crackdown on dissent.
January 15, 2021
How to Control the Masses by Silencing the Press
January 13, 2021
Against the Memory Police: War and Remembrance in Sri Lanka
January 12, 2021
India Must Legalize Same-Sex Marriage
Crossroads Asia
The New Silk Road
A
January 16, 2021
Should Europe Worry About Kyrgyzstan?
By Ana-Maria Anghelescu
Sadyr Japarov’s rise to power and a return to presidentialism demonstrate the limits of democracy promotion in Kyrgyzstan.
January 14, 2021
Dariga Nazarbayeva Headed Back to Parliament
January 13, 2021
Winter Energy Woes Bedevil Central Asia
January 12, 2021
Why Did Kyrgyz Voters Give Up Parliamentarism?
Trans-Pacific View
U.S. Policy on Asia
V
January 16, 2021
US Justice Department Pushes Ahead With Counter China Plan
By Abhijnan Rej
The January 14 arrest of an MIT professor as well as a guilty plea by a NASA scientist the day before highlight concerns around Chinese tech espionage – again.
January 15, 2021
The Trump Administration’s Mixed Messaging on Taiwan Strait Transits
January 15, 2021
Biden’s Cabinet Picks Will Hold India-US Relations in Steady Course
January 14, 2021
The US Strategic Framework for the Indo-Pacific: 3 Curiosities
Pacific Money
Economy And Business
M
January 14, 2021
China Won’t Rush to Join CPTPP. Neither Should the US.
By Alex Yu-Ting Lin and Saori N. Katada
Patience – and careful attention to laying the domestic groundwork – would benefit both countries more than a race to join the trade pact.
January 12, 2021
What’s Driving Vietnam’s Renewable Energy Boom?
January 06, 2021
Could Biogas Hold the Key to Indonesia’s Energy Dilemma?
January 05, 2021
Promotion or Punishment? Sandiaga Uno Named Indonesia’s New Tourism Minister
Asia Life
The Other Asia-Pacific
L
January 14, 2021
Australia to Kill Pigeon that Crossed Pacific from Oregon
By Associated Press
Named after the U.S. president-elect, the world-traveler is now at the mercy of Australia's strict quarantine service.
January 04, 2021
Spell It Out: Should English Transcription of Indian Words Be Reformed?
December 23, 2020
Official Costs of Tokyo Olympics Up by 22% to $15.4 billion
December 19, 2020
Taiwanese Horror Game ‘Devotion’ Gets Pulled Again Over Chinese Objections
Oceania
The South Pacific
O
January 14, 2021
Australia’s Reading of the US Strategic Framework for the Indo-Pacific
By Joshua Mcdonald
Australia is noted in the document not nearly as often as Japan, South Korea, or India, but that likely underscores the already tight relations between the two countries.
January 14, 2021
Biden Administration’s Momentum Bodes Ill for Australia’s Lackluster Climate Change Policies
January 13, 2021
Australia Debates Vaccines, Worries About New COVID-19 Strain
January 12, 2021
After Trump, Can Australia Trust the United States?
Podcasts
Asia Geopolitics
PJanuary 14, 2021
Elections in Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan: What Next?
By Ankit Panda
A presidential election in Kyrgyzstan and a parliamentary election in Kazakhstan kick off 2021 in Central Asia.
December 31, 2020
A Conversation With the President of the Overseas Press Club of Cambodia
December 23, 2020
The Flashpoints of Hun Sen’s Cambodia
December 17, 2020
Afghanistan, Central Asia, and the Coming Biden Presidency
Photo Essays
Asia in Pictures
E
January 11, 2021
Dhanushkodi Fisherfolk: 50 Years of Life on the Edge
By Sugato Mukherjee
At India’s southernmost tip, a fishing community remains resilient over 50 years after a cyclone wiped their home off the map.