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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.
North Korea: Why It's Time to Double Down on the Double Freeze
By William Choong
Freeze-for-freeze is the right approach. It's time to hammer out the details.
A Plea for Sense on International Day Against Nuclear Tests
By Bunny McDiarmid
Can the world come to its senses on nuclear weapons?
Hey Policy Wonks, This Is How You Should Read Thucydides
By Franz-Stefan Gady
Authors like Thucydides require careful reading and musing to get to the core of their arguments.
The Cambodia Conundrum: What Is Wrong With Hun Sen?
By John Sifton
Cambodia’s allies and donors can and should press Hun Sen to end the repression of the opposition.
Military Stranglehold Brings Misery to Myanmar’s Minorities
By Matthew Wells
“We need the Myanmar military to live peacefully with the ethnic communities. I don’t want them to torture us again.”
Extremism in Central Asia: Pushing Back on Reflexive Dismissals
By Reid Standish
It is important to set the record straight and further the conversation about an undercovered region.
Why Most Misread North Korea's Guam Threat
By Ankit Panda
North Korea is experimenting with new types of coercive bargaining.
Pugwash and Kazakhstan’s Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament
By Kassym-Jomart Tokayev
No country in peacetime has suffered more from nuclear testing than Kazakhstan or done more to champion the cause of disarmament.
A Carrot-and-Stick Approach to Long-Term Sustainability
By Cecilia Tortajada and Tommy Kevin Lee
Singapore’s sustainable water policy offers a useful model for sustainable development.
Intelligence Gathering in the Maritime Domain: Is China Using Double Standards?
By Mark J. Valencia
Appraising the existence of a Chinese "double standard" on EEZ surveillance requires a close look at the evidence.
Has Gandhi’s Example Contributed to Donald Trump’s Victory?
By Franz-Stefan Gady
Gandhi inspired civil rights campaigns across the world. But did his success in movement politics offer wrong lessons for participatory democracy?
Simplifying an Otherwise Complicated Maritime Environment: Operate, Navigate, Communicate
By William J. Parker
Why maritime captains need to prioritize time and effort towards "operating, navigating and communicating."