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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’s Brain, Malaysia’s Pain
By Nicholas Romero
Malaysia’s Mahathir should reconsider Alibaba’s city brain first.
Why UK-ASEAN Trade Ties Are Thriving
By Rona Fairhead
ASEAN matters to Britain and is a key component in the UK’s drive to increase trade with countries around the world.
Trying to Solve the Philippines’ South China Sea Conundrum
By Mark J. Valencia
Realistically, joint development of resources is probably the Philippines’ best bet.
Uzbekistan Does Not Drift Among Great Powers
By Sherzodkhon Kudrathodjaev
Tashkent’s engagement with Washington doesn’t undercut its relations with Moscow and Beijing.
Thai Junta Shows No Signs of Halting Assault on Human Rights
By Katherine Gerson
The Thai government must face greater international pressure to deliver on its promise to lift political restrictions.
Indonesia’s Looming Energy Challenges
By Septia Supendi
As the country heads to elections next year, assessing progress of the government’s energy policies will be key.
No 'Player One' in the Korean Peninsula Peace Process
By Jin Kai
There can be no single winner in the upcoming U.S.-North Korea talks.
The U.S.-North Korea Summit: North Korea’s Pragmatism
By Atsuhito Isozaki
The summit is hanging in the balance, but a deal might very well be had.
Looking Back: The 1998 Nuclear Wake Up Call for US-India Ties
By Raymond E. Vickery Jr.
India's 1998 nuclear tests were a moment of reckoning for the United States.
Don't Forget About the Panmunjom Declaration
By Patrick Monaghan
With the risk of inter-Korean conflict now close to zero, time to think about what phased integration will look like.
Building an Order for the Indo-Pacific
By Shin Kawashima
How to reconcile relations with the region’s authoritarian regimes?
China’s Debtbook Diplomacy: How China is Turning Bad Loans into Strategic Investments
By Sam Parker and Gabrielle Chefitz
Belt and Road is not the Marshall Plan: it’s comprised of loans, not grants, and China expects a return for its money.