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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.
Chinese Censorship Moves Into the American Workplace
By Bonnie Girard
Generations of censorship have not necessarily created a hunger for freedom of information and expression in China.
Indonesia Unlikely to Join US-Led-Coalition to Contain China
By Mark J. Valencia
The United States needs to bring its expectations in line with reality.
Has the US Military Really Lost ‘The Art of Killing’?
By Franz-Stefan Gady
Why the U.S. military’s obsession with decisive battle is not a good thing.
Chinese Media Misrepresents Top China Scholar
By Adam Ni
An article by Bates Gill for The Diplomat got purposefully lost in translation.
Why Trump’s Troubling Pakistan Policy Dooms Afghanistan Peace
By Touqir Hussain
The administration’s approach to Islamabad undermines potential solutions in Afghanistan.
Top UN Human Rights Official Completes Mission to Indonesia
By Jack Britton
While proposed new laws may threaten human rights in Indonesia, the country continues to engage positively with the UN and other bodies.
Securing the Future of Afghanistan: The Diaspora’s Debt of Service
By M. Ashraf Haidari
Do Afghans abroad ever think about their debt of service to Afghanistan and what they can do about it?
Trump's Nuclear Posture Review and China: No Way Forward?
By Ankit Panda
The Trump administration's Nuclear Posture Review takes an odd approach to China.
Countering North Korea’s Political Warfare
By Scott W. Harold
Washington and its allies need to deal with another potent tool in Pyongyang’s diplomatic arsenal.
If You Meet a North Korean at the PyeongChang Games
By Ross Darrell Feingold
Security risks at the Olympics have dropped, but how should attendees handle the cultural differences?
Politics Unfolds at the Olympic Games
By Lindsay Lloyd
The Olympics can be a platform to champion human rights as many nations don’t deserve a place of honor at the games.
Time for a New US-India Democracy Partnership
By Yamini Aiyar and Lisa Gilbert
Both countries need to work together to improve trust in democratic institutions.