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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.
China’s Hypocrisy on America’s Democracy
By Bonnie Girard
The Global Times' narrative on the events of January 6 and beyond conveniently avoids any need for Chinese introspection.
Love-Hate Relationships: The Divergent US Perceptions of Japan and China
By Su-Mei Ooi
A pervasive pro-Japan bias in the U.S. has blinded Americans to the dangers of Japan’s far-right leaders – and reinforced enmity with China.
The Jury Is Still Out on Beijing’s ‘Vaccine Diplomacy’
By Kim Beng Phar and Clementine Bizot
It is too soon to declare China's government victorious in the race for COVID-19 vaccines.
A Crisis Waiting to Happen: Unemployment and Informality in Southeast Asia During COVID
By Deepali Khanna, Pitchanuch Supavanich, Nicola Nixon, Geoffrey Ducanes
The pandemic has laid bare the weak foundations of Southeast Asian labor systems, particularly when it comes to informal workers.
Vietnam’s Prisoners of Conscience: ‘Like Fish Under the Blade’
By Judith Bergman
Leading partners including the United States and European Union can and should do more to discourage Vietnam's fierce crackdown on dissent.
How to Control the Masses by Silencing the Press
By Emilie Lehmann-Jacobsen
Press freedom is at a low in Southeast Asia – and the region’s governments all seem to be following the same playbook.
Against the Memory Police: War and Remembrance in Sri Lanka
By Thamil Venthan Ananthavinayagan
The recent destruction of a memorial for Sri Lankan Tamils massacred during the civil war raises important, difficult, questions.
India Must Legalize Same-Sex Marriage
By Kanav Narayan Sahgal
When it comes to gay rights, Indians have come too far forward to go back in time.
The US Rescinded Its Taiwan Guidelines. What Does That Actually Mean?
By Gerrit van der Wees
A look at the history of the guidelines, and the timing and implications of the move to end them.
China Is Making Support for Democracy a Crime in Hong Kong
By Frances Hui
Nearly all of the city's prominent pro-democracy voices have been arrested or forced into exile.
To China, Spades Are Trumps
By Harry Harding
China has inherited the confidence of Khrushchev’s famous declaration to the West: “We will bury you.”
Want a Rules-Based Order for the Indo-Pacific? Start With Diego Garcia.
By Peter Harris
The U.S. pushing for the divesting of colonialism in the Chagos Archipelago would be a good place to begin.