Region
East 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.
Xi’an Residents Voice Frustration Amid Lockdown
By Ken Moritsugu
China’s largest-scale lockdown since 2020 has residents complaining about food shortages and harsh restrictions.
China Is Targeting Lithuania. The EU Must Push Back.
By Chien-Huei Wu and Nai-Yu Chen
Europe must resist Chinese economic coercion with one voice.
North Korea Fires Unidentified Projectile Off Its East Coast
By Mitch Shin
The response and counter-response to North Korea's latest missile test will send crucial signals about the possibility for talks in 2022.