Blog
The Debate
The Debate is our home for the best opinions from around Asia. Whether it is negotiating with Iran, responding to North Korean provocations, discussing Japan's looming demographic issues, or considering the new balance of power in the Asia-Pacific, some of the region's leading thinkers offer their take.
August 03, 2021
Myanmar is Not a Failed State, but a Failed Coup
By Yanghee Lee, Chris Sidoti, and Marzuki Darusman
If Myanmar becomes a failed state it will only be because the outside world failed to come to the country's aid.
July 29, 2021
How Taiwan’s Mayors Helped Lead the Fight Against COVID-19
By Chingyu Yao
Citizen-centered policies and local mayors can lead Taiwan – and the world – into a better new normal even after the pandemic.
July 28, 2021
Moon Jae-in’s Stalled Odyssey to Peace in Korea
By Chung-in Moon
President Moon’s Korea Peace Initiative has faced mixed results and daunting challenges, but there are no better options.
July 28, 2021
South Asia’s Cultural Climate Is at Risk. What Can the US Do?
By Knox Thames
Encouraging South Asian nations to protect their historic multiculturalism will help reduce human rights violations, protect religious and ethnic minorities, and promote peace and stability.
July 26, 2021
Blinken Must Urge Modi to Repeal Repressive Laws
By Carolyn Nash
While in New Delhi, Blinken should press Modi to repeal and amend laws that jeopardize human rights.
July 26, 2021
Reality Check: China’s Digital Yuan Is Not a Threat to the West
By Sara Hsu
There are enough real issue between the U.S. and China. There is little need to invent tensions, such as with the Chinese digital currency.
July 23, 2021
UNESCO and Japan’s Rewriting of History
By Mindy L. Kotler
At UNESCO, Japan lays bare the difficulties of achieving shared values within the Quad.
July 23, 2021
In Vietnam, the Party’s Rolling Crackdown on Dissent Continues
By Stewart Rees
Proponents of an EU trade pact said it would nudge one-party Vietnam towards greater respect for human rights. The evidence so far points in the other direction.
July 22, 2021
The World Must Not Forgot North Korea’s Crimes Against Humanity
By Benedict Rogers
Seven years after a damning U.N. report on North Korea’s human rights abuses, nothing has changed.
July 19, 2021
Give ASEAN Diplomacy a Chance in Myanmar
By Moez Hayat
Brunei’s adherence to the “ASEAN way” seeks a diplomatic solution to the crisis that also preserves the unity and continued relevance of the organization.
July 16, 2021
Myanmar: Sanctions Are the Key to a Democratic Future
By Tin Tun Naing
To compel the military to change, Western governments need to go after the income that helps sustain it.
July 16, 2021
Foreign Media Face a Trust Crisis in China
By Mu Chunshan
Western media have lost a good deal of their credibility with ordinary Chinese. How can they recover that trust?
Page 1 of 249