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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.
What Are America’s Interests in Hong Kong?
By Jin Kai
The hardnosed new U.S. approach to Hong Kong may actually end up undermining U.S. interests in the region.
Concert of Indo-Pacific: An Option for Peace and Order in the East Asian Seas
By Thuc D. Pham
Suggestions for lasting peace in the South China Sea and beyond need to incorporate small and medium states as well.
Timor-Leste’s Coronavirus Response
By Fidelis Magalhães
Timor-Leste’s COVID-19 state of emergency is a twin effort to save people’s lives and their livelihoods.
8 Chinese Arguments Against Western ‘Hubris’ and Why They Fail
By Denny Roy
It may be premature to assess a decline of the West.
COVID–19 Is No Excuse to Abandon Basic Principles Protecting Refugees and Asylum Seekers
By Pierfilippo M. Natta†
Have governments issued international law a Leave of Absence?
The Missing Piece of Nepal’s MCC Debate
By Anirudha Nagar
Addressing the concerns of local communities is key to Nepal’s $500 million question.
How to Enforce COVID-19 Emergency Measures Without Putting Women at Risk
By Carla Silbert
The security forces policing Asia’s COVID-19 response measures must show greater sensitivity to women’s specific rights and needs.
Ukraine’s Road to Asia
By Dmytro Kuleba
Ukraine will prioritize the Asia-Pacific in its foreign policy.
COVID-19 and Risk Analysis: Look Beyond the Black Swan Talk
By Prashanth Parameswaran
The focus on “black swan” terminology detracts from the argument’s more sobering realities for risk analysis and prediction.
Bangladesh Is Suppressing Free Speech During the COVID-19 Pandemic
By AKM Wahiduzzaman
The crackdown on dissent during the crisis is part of a larger pattern from the Awami League government.
Kim Jong Un Death Rumors Expose Washington’s Lacking Diplomacy and Strategy
By Bonnie Kristian
Whatever Kim Jong Un’s health status, the United States needs to correct course on North Korea policy.
China’s Investment in Africa Cannot Buy the Silence of a Continent
By Deprose Muchena
“Among the general public in Africa, scenes of discrimination from Guangzhou prompted fury on a scale I have not witnessed before.”