East Asia

China’s rise will see the end of Western domination. But contrary to the suggestion of some alarmist commentators, this doesn’t mean the Western world is finished.

China’s economic growth has been meteoric. But a tough global environment in 2012 could herald several years of severe economic turbulence in China.

Pretending nothing is wrong in North Korea is a mistake. But if great power conflict is to be avoided, there are a few things that the U.S., China and South Korea must not do.

The U.S. should be promoting not “managing” ties with Taiwan. This week’s election in Taiwan is a perfect opportunity for a rethink.

Despite numerous domestic challenges, Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda has his eyes on Japan’s strategic future. And it’s not all about China.

The most important global trend is the emergence of a great people from millennia of despotic rule, says Gordon Chang. The Chinese people, in short, are the world’s unstoppable force.

China’s huge domestic market has long fueled dreams that once its consumers are unleashed, rising demand will help heal ailing Western economies. Don’t count on it.

Kim Jong-un is too weak to expect a shift in North Korean policy. The only question is whether 2012 will be a year of provocations.

Protests in China aren’t seen as an existential threat by leaders, but a policy issue. Still, citizens are likely to increasingly see them as the best way of ensuring things get done.

The Japanese government’s decision to relax rules on defense exports has the potential to give the country a much-needed national security boost.

Rapid economic growth hasn’t been able to stem the rising tide of discontent in China. Even as the economy has soared, the number of protests has jumped. So what’s really wrong?

The sudden death of Kim Jong-il came as quite a shock. Will Kim-Jong-un garner the same power his father did? Future events may provide clues to the coming North Korean succession.