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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.
China and the Lessons of Modern Surveillance Technology
By Amitai Etzioni
Could a model of AI-based surveillance actually be a force for good?
Reckoning With Human Rights Violations in Thailand's Extraterritorial Investments
By Wora Suk
As Thailand's investments across ASEAN increase, the country must commit to human rights due diligence that has been lacking.
Trust and Leadership: The Art of the US-India Nuclear Deal
By Rohan Mukherjee and Karthik Sivaram
Learning the lessons of 13 years ago.
‘Acquiescence’ and the Senkaku Island Debate
By Jun Tsuruta
China’s long postwar silence undermines its claim to sovereignty.
The Challenges of Pakistan's Female Journalists
By Rabia Nusrat
Less than 5 percent of journalists in Pakistan are women and those in the profession face substantial risks and hurdles.
China Is Standing in the Way of North Korea Negotiations
By Willis L. Krumholz
The solution involves realistic goals, trust building, and the willingness to walk away.
Nixon’s China Sell-Out
By Bonnie Girard
Nixon’s China opening had little regards for American and allied troops in Vietnam.
Could the China-EU High Summit Preserve the Global Trade Order?
By Shi Zhiqin
China and Europe have converging interests in upholding the legitimacy of international trade.
North Korea Talks: Getting Around the Sequencing Problem
By Joshua Nezam
The sequencing problem requires coordination between the U.S., China, and Korea to pressure meaningful steps from Kim.
Afghanistan: Technocrats vs. Warlords
By Ahmad Shah Katawazai
At a critical moment for peace talks with the Taliban, warlords and strongmen pose a challenge to the central government.
In Philippine ‘Drug War,’ a Pervading Helplessness
By Carlos H. Conde
Victims’ relatives seeking justice hit a brick wall two years on.
The Fight for Democracy in Asia Is Alive and Well
By Chee Soon Juan
The idea that “Asian values” are antithetical to democracy has long since been exposed as fiction.