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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.
Don’t Let the Indo-Pacific Slip Off NATO’s Radar
By Michael Schiffer
NATO leaders must also have the discipline to look beyond the immediate and engage with the Indo-Pacific.
15 Years On, Ethnic Uzbeks Sill Face Bias in Kyrgyzstan
By Syinat Sultanalieva
Several ethnic Uzbeks from Osh said that the 2010 trauma continues to inform their daily lives and that the government’s efforts have largely been ineffective.
Clean Energy, Dirty Deals: How Banks Fund Repression in the Guise of Climate Action
By Ian Salvaña
When banks mask profit-driven investments as climate solutions, they may end up doing more harm than good.
China’s Beachhead in Cuba Signals an Authoritarian Axis
By Raja Krishnamoorthi
Around the world, autocratic client states like Cuba are sustained by Beijing’s money and technology in exchange for access, influence, and strategic positioning.
A Dark Cloud: No Space for Freedom of Expression in Mirziyoyev’s Uzbekistan
By Umida Niyazova
Uzbek laws and their enforcement concerning online speech are overly vague and fail to differentiate between defamatory remarks and legitimate criticism of officials.
Cutting International Exchange Programs: America First or a Gift to China?
By Nancy Snow
As we close doors on educational and cultural exchange programs from our historical top ranking, we will open doors to rivals and competitors like China.
Trump’s Deployment of Marines to LA Is a Gift to China
By Yvonne Chiu
The political theater of sending Marines to Los Angeles subtly eats at force readiness, morale, and urgent preparation for a large-scale, complex, distant war.
The Battle to Save the Uyghur Language From Extinction: China’s Plan to Erase a Civilization
By Omer Kanat
Uyghur Language Day matters, not just as celebration, but as defiance of the attempt to extinguish our civilization.
A Blank ‘Democracy Wall’ Sums up What Hong Kong Has Lost
By Lam Tran
Life goes on in Hong Kong – but to where?
China Abandoned Its Old Norms, But Failed to Craft a Replacement
By Ma Junjie
From “crossing the river by feeling the stones” to wandering without a map, China’s governance logic is lost in transition.
Why Asia Must Step Up to Rein in Corporate Accountability – Before It’s Too Late
By Debbie Stothard, Emilie Palamy Pradichit, and Shohel Hajong
For many countries in Asia, the Legally Binding Instrument on Business and Human Rights offers a rare opportunity to rebalance power in an international system that has long favored corporate interests.
Women Must Not be Left Behind in Myanmar’s Crisis
By Zue Padonmar and Maggi Quadrini
The country's women are challenging patriarchal norms, both within the resistance movement and beyond.