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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.
Is Xi Flying Too Close to the Sun?
By Sarah Cook
The Chinese leader’s power grab may be undermining his party’s long-term survival strategy.
Why the US Will Continue to Suffer Surprise Attacks
By Franz-Stefan Gady
Let’s face it. It’s hard for the U.S. defense and foreign policy establishment to escape their bubble.
How War Games Can Help South Asia Respond to Climate Change
By Tariq Waseem Ghazi and Rachel Fleishman
If South Asia is to be on the front lines of the climate challenge, then South Asian militaries must prepare accordingly.
A New Report Says America is Being Duped in Myanmar
By Stanley A. Weiss
Myanmar's military has fooled Washington into thinking the country has changed.
John Bolton Enters the Trump Administration: What to Expect
By Ankit Panda
John Bolton could unleash and enable Trump's worst instincts on foreign policy.
Not So Win-Win: Don’t Let China Weaken the UN’s Human Rights Institutions
By Juan Auz
For human rights defenders in Ecuador, where Chinese mining projects encroach on indigenous lands, the result could be disastrous.
China’s Trojan Horse Human Rights Resolution
By Miloon Kothari
A China-backed UN resolution on “mutually beneficial cooperation” might not be all it seems.
Why the West Needs to Stop Complaining and Start Engaging China in Africa
By Pippa Morgan
China is here to stay, and Western and African countries alike should make the most of it.
Inter-Korean and US-North Korea Diplomacy, With Little Help From China
By Ankit Panda
It's notable how sidelined China has seemed amid South Korea-engineered diplomatic breakthroughs.
Rohingya Crisis Demands Australian Leadership on Human Rights
By Sean Bain
Canberra is duty-bound to speak up on human rights, and must review its defense assistance to states that flout international law.
The Taiwan Travel Act in Context
By Gerrit van der Wees
As the United States rethinks its approach to China, it's time to also reimagine relations with Taiwan.
The My Lai Massacre and How to Write About War
By Franz-Stefan Gady
How defense policy writers can vicariously fuel the dangerous myth of 'clean' military conflict.