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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.
Tragedy and World Order: What Lessons for US Asia Policy?
By Prashanth Parameswaran
A new book situates the U.S. relationship with the international order in historical perspective.
Narendra Modi’s 2019 Landslide: Why It Happened and What Happens Next
By Abhijnan Rej
Modi’s chest-thumping over Pakistan paid off.
Does China Really Respect Sovereignty?
By Jacob Stokes
Both Washington and Beijing claim to champion sovereignty – they just have different ideas of what that looks like.
The Remarkable Survival of Free Thought and Activism in China
By Sarah Cook
The regime’s repressive efforts are increasing, but they are also failing in important ways.
Xi Goes to Rome: Course-Correction for China’s Belt and Road Initiative?
By Jeff M. Smith and Fabio Van Loon
Italy would have been better served showing solidarity with Europe and negotiating with China from a position of strength.
Who Will Speak for Serikzhan Bilash? Not Washington.
By Daniel Balson
There can be no demanding justice for those interned in China while refusing to defend the people who attempt to provide it.
A Civilizational Clash Isn’t the Way to Frame US Competition With China
By Ankit Panda
Race and civilization are the wrong framing for the U.S.-China competition.
The Cruel Irony of China’s Celebration of Asian Cultures
By Shannon Tiezzi
A week-long event dedicated to Asian diversity is laughable in the face of China’s attempts to eradicate Uyghur culture.
Asia Will No Longer Tolerate Being a Plastic Waste Dump
By Mageswari Sangaralingam and Sam Cossar
China set the trend of refusing foreign plastic waste. Now other Asian countries are following suit.
A Decade Without Justice for Sri Lanka’s Tamils
By Anjali Manivannan
May 18 is an important reminder that while the country’s armed conflict may have ended, the search for elusive justice continues.
Myanmar’s Fragile Democracy Needs the US, Not China
By Jieun Pyun
The US and its allies must engage more directly with Myanmar, lest China's influence derail its democratic potential.
China’s Effort to Silence the Sound of Uyghur
By Rustem Shir
A key part of China's campaign against Uyghur identity is a crackdown on the Uyghur language.