Region
East Asia
North Korea Fires ‘Apparent’ Hypersonic Missile Off Its East Coast
By Mitch Shin
North Korea conducted a hypersonic missile test again on Tuesday, six days after it test-fired its second hypersonic missile.
South Korea’s Naval Shipbuilders Are Stepping Up in Southeast Asia
By James Guild
Unresolved disputes have prompted the region to look to Seoul to acquire stronger maritime deterrents.
Will China’s Railway in Laos Help Bolster Its ‘Soft Power’?
By Daniele Carminati
The inauguration of the long-promised rail line offers Beijing a chance to burnish its image in mainland Southeast Asia.
Japan’s COVID-19 Surge Spreads at Alarming Speed
By Thisanka Siripala
Japan is showing signs of a “sixth wave” of coronavirus infections as the highly contagious Omicron variant tears through the community.
KMT Served Double Defeat in Taiwan’s Latest Recall and By-Election
By Brian Hioe
A recall against independent Freddy Lim fell short, and the KMT's candidate lost a by-election to fill another seat vacated by a previous recall campaign.
A Tale of Two Crises: Why US Strategy in Ukraine Has Few Implications for Taiwan
By Scott Singer and Mathias Gjesdal Hammer
The strategic lessons to be learned in a potential Ukraine conflict are limited – and potentially misleading when applied to Taiwan.
North Korea Will Skip Beijing Winter Olympics
By Mitch Shin
North Korea decided not to participate in the Beijing Olympics due to “hostile forces” and the pandemic.
Fuzzy Logic: China’s Second Order Foreign Policy
By Joseph Cash
China’s foreign policy specialists are struggling to satisfactorily explain China’s rise or how it is likely to behave as a prominent global leader.
North Korea’s Strict COVID-19 Policies Undermine Kim Jong Un’s Goal of Ending Hunger
By Troy Stangarone
Dismal trade figures for 2021 attest to the toll the North’s border closures are taking on its food supply.
China Looks to Play More Active Role in Horn of Africa Conflicts
By Shannon Tiezzi
Just after his visit to Eritrea, Foreign Minister Wang Yi announced the creation of special envoy post for the region, presumably to address the Tigray war.
Australia, Japan Sign Defense Pact as China Concerns Loom
By Haruka Nuga and Steve McMorran
It’s Japan’s first Reciprocal Access Agreement with any country other than the United States.
What’s Next for ASEAN-South Korea Security Ties?
By Prashanth Parameswaran
A closer look at some of the opportunities and challenges that lie ahead for Seoul’s security vision for the region.