Region
East Asia
The Hidden Motive of China’s Zero Emissions Pledge: Energy Security
By Chan Kung and He Jun
China’s embrace of electric vehicles and the hydrogen economy is also about reducing its reliance on foreign energy sources.
Japan’s Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant Operators Penalized for Sloppy Safeguards at Niigata
By Thisanka Siripala
A series of safety breaches compounds fears that TEPCO has failed to learn from the Fukushima nuclear disaster in its bid to restart a Niigata nuclear power plant.
China’s Hard and Soft Lines on Xinjiang
By Eleanor Albert
Beijing's softer messaging efforts on Xinjiang collide with its harsher tactics at home and abroad.
Seoul and Busan Mayor By-Elections Spell Trouble for President Moon
By Mitch Shin
The ruling Democratic Party failed to keep the mayor positions in the country’s two biggest cities in by-elections on Wednesday.
How Japanese Women Saved Shinto
By Cristian Martini Grimaldi
A Shinto priest explains the ancient Japanese religion – and the crucial, often forgotten role women played in keeping it alive after World War II.
Japan Regulator Bans Nuke Plant Restart Over Lax Safeguards
By Mari Yamaguchi
Of the 54 nuclear reactors Japan used to have, nine have been restarted under tougher post-Fukushima safety standards and four are currently operating.
Taiwan Will Fight ‘to the Very Last Day’ If China Attacks
By Associated Press
Amid growing worries that China is preparing for military action, Taiwan’s foreign minister affirms Taiwanese “are willing to defend ourselves.”
Yes, China Has the World’s Largest Navy. That Matters Less Than You Might Think.
By Benjamin Mainardi
China’s fleet relies disproportionately on smaller classes of ships – and U.S. capabilities are bolstered by its allies’ navies.
Can Japan Be Both Carbon-Free and Nuclear-Free?
By Daisuke Akimoto
Japan can – and should – pursue an energy mix that is both carbon-neutral and avoids reliance on nuclear energy.
2022 Watch: Chen Yixin Likely to Become China’s Internal Security Commissar
By Tristan Kenderdine
Chen, the head of Xi’s rectification campaign, is likely to ascend through a restrengthened Politics and Legal Affairs Commission.
Is the China-Japan Thaw Over?
By Shannon Tiezzi
A year after what was supposed to be a landmark in the renewed relationship, rhetoric from both Beijing and Tokyo is increasingly frosty.
North Korea Says It Won’t Participate in Tokyo Olympics
By Kim Tong-Hyung
Pyongyang cited concerns over COVID-19 for its decision. Its absence from the Games further dims hope of a diplomatic breakthrough.