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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.
January 08, 2020
India’s Domestic Troubles Are the Greatest Problem for Its Foreign Policy
By Manasi Pritam
The Narendra Modi government’s brutal approach to India’s domestic affairs has cast a long shadow on Indian diplomatic achievements built over decades.
January 08, 2020
How the Philippine Government Gets the Concept of ‘Intervention’ Wrong
By Gemmo Fernandez
Yes, international law proscribes interference in domestic affairs. But the human rights criticisms of the Duterte administration don’t rise to that level.
January 04, 2020
USMC’s Futenma Replacement Facility in Okinawa Delayed – For How Long?
By C. Douglas Lummis
Yet more delays for the controversial facility as local opposition continues unabated.
January 03, 2020
The Morrison Government’s Spin Addiction
By Henry Storey
From climate change to international relations, Australia’s prime minister seems to value optics over substance.
January 01, 2020
Is US Congress Making Life Harder for Hong Kong Protesters in 2020?
By Richard Hanania
Sympathy for Hong Kong's young protesters is understandable, but trying to use economic sanctions to force change will backfire.
January 01, 2020
Don’t Close the US-Funded American University of Afghanistan
By Ahmadullah Azadani
Washington’s commitment to supporting the institution is vital for its students and all of Afghanistan.
December 30, 2019
(Dis)integrating Muslims, Dismantling India
By Muqtedar Khan
India, where Muslims have been at home for more than a millennium, is trying its hardest to alienate, disenfranchise, and disintegrate them.
December 25, 2019
What Australian Media Gets Wrong About China
By Yuan Jiang
In 2019, China’s image in Australian media outlets took a noticeable turn for the worse.
December 24, 2019
2019 Was a Dark Year for Civic Freedoms in Asia
By Josef Benedict
In Asia, 95 percent of people live in countries that violate political and democratic freedoms.
December 24, 2019
After the Junaid Hafeez Verdict, Time to Face the Truth About Pakistan’s Blasphemy Law
By Kunwar Khuldune Shahid
Pakistan’s blasphemy law needs to be sentenced to death -- not so-called 'blasphemers.'
December 23, 2019
Can Sri Lanka’s Rajapaksas Walk the Talk on Hambantota?
By Ankit Panda
The deal by the previous government to hand over control to a Chinese firm was seen as a cautionary tale on the dangers of ‘debt trap’ diplomacy.
December 21, 2019
Reflections 70 Years After Leaving China for the US
By Chi Wang
A story of seven decades of changes in each country and in their bilateral relationship.