Region
East Asia
China’s Non-Leadership in the Taliban’s Afghanistan
By Barbara Kelemen
China has little interest in providing global leadership on the Afghanistan issue, especially when selective engagement seems to be paying off.
The Biden Administration’s China Strategy
By Mercy A. Kuo
Insights from Raymond Kuo.
Understanding China’s Military Operations Other Than War
By James Char
The latest trial guidelines are less ominous than comparisons to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine would make it seem.
Can Nuclear Energy Power South Korea’s Future?
By Eunwoo Lee
President Yoon wants nuclear energy to catapult South Korea to carbon neutrality and international prestige. But a rough road lies ahead.
China’s ‘Fragmented Authoritarianism’ During the COVID-19 Pandemic
By Zhenze Huang
China’s pandemic response has been heavily mediated by the always-complex relationship between central and local governments.
Japan’s PM Kishida Faces a Crucial National Election
By Purnendra Jain and Takeshi Kobayashi
Amid economic turmoil, how will Japan’s ruling bloc fare in upper house polls on July 10?
Falling out of Favor: How China Lost the Nordic Countries
By Andreas B. Forsby
In 2016, the Nordic countries were actively seeking to deepen cooperation with China. Today, they are looking instead to limit China's presence and influence. What happened?
China’s Political Surveillance System Keeps Growing
By Chauncey Jung
As long feared, China’s COVID-19 measures are being integrated into its architecture of political repression.
Kim Jong Un Convenes 3rd Enlarged Meeting of WPK’s Military Commission
By Mitch Shin
Kim Jong Un discussed major agendas of his country’s military with his officials, raising speculation that a seventh nuclear test is imminent.
What ‘Zhong Sheng’ Says About China’s Perceptions of the Ukraine Conflict
By Brandon Valeriano and Juan Garcia-Nieto
What has China communicated -- through the state run Zhong Sheng pen name in the People’s Daily -- about the conflict in Ukraine?
Japan’s MHI Launches 5th Mogami-Class Multirole Frigate for JMSDF
By Kosuke Takahashi
The Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force is pursuing more compact ships to counter China and Russia in the East China Sea and broader Indo-Pacific.
Ukraine Disinformation Fight Sounds Warning Bells for Taiwan
By James Baron
Short of a drastic overhaul, Tsai Ing-wen’s administration must gain a firmer understanding of vulnerabilities in the domestic information environment.