Blog
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.
Trump’s COVID-19 Blame Game
By Chi Wang
Trump’s “Chinese virus” rhetoric is politically motivated, but diplomatically damaging.
COVID-19 and Protests Need Not Cripple Tourism-Heavy Hong Kong
By Jason Hung
The city is well-positioned to weather both challenges, but it will take innovative policy thinking.
China’s Coronavirus Information Warfare
By Valérie Niquet
Beijing has embarked on a desperate information war in an attempt to revive its global image amid the pandemic.
The Taliban Doesn’t Care About Women’s Rights and Neither Does the Afghan Government
By Sabera Azizi
The Afghan government must take a greater stake in the future of the country’s women.
Why China’s COVID-19 Disinformation Campaign Isn’t Working in Taiwan
By Yi-Ting Lien
Taiwan’s resiliency highlights the importance of its participation in global efforts to fight coronavirus misinformation.
Cooperating to Save Laos’ Plain of Jars
By Kamonrat Chayamarit
With disaster management efforts just now underway, the Plain of Jars is an important example of safeguarding World Heritage.
India’s Banks Are Imploding – As Is Its Fintech Bubble
By Sarika Kumar
No investor will be convinced to enter India until it gets its house in order.
It’s Time for US Companies to Investigate Forced Labor in China
By Richard Altieri and Benjamin Della Rocca
The U.S. government should shift the burden of due diligence to companies, which are best positioned to uncover their business partners’ labor practices.
Uneven ‘Extremism’ Justice in Kyrgyzstan
By Laura Mills
In Kyrgyzstan, there are people serving time for a crime no longer in the books.
Coronavirus and the Future of Globalization
By Mie Oba
The pandemic may exacerbate an existing tendency for countries to turn inward.
A Rare Rights Victory in China
By Shen Tingting
NGOs helped convince China to end the arbitrary detention of sex workers. A crackdown on civil society will make future reforms harder.
Democracy? Autocracy? Coronavirus Doesn’t Care.
By Maylin Meisenheimer
Capacity for governance best predicts the performance countries have against the coronavirus.