Region
East Asia
China’s Insistence on ‘Zero COVID’ in Hong Kong Has a Deeper Meaning
By William Nee
Beijing’s attack on Hong Kong’s elite may have consequences that outlast the pandemic.
South Korea’s Presidential Election: The Big Picture
Karl Friedhoff, Sang Kim, and Lee Sook-Jong on the issues driving South Korea's big election, and the implications for Korean politics and society.
Japan, UK to Collaborate on Future Fighter Sensor Development
By Kosuke Takahashi
The deal is just the latest in a string of defense projects undertaken by the “quasi-alliance.”
Why China Will Not Support a Russian Invasion of Ukraine
By Mu Chunshan
The reputational cost – both on the international stage and with the Chinese people – would be great if Beijing threw its support behind Russian aggression.
Fukushima Disaster’s Impact on Health Will Be Challenged in Court
By Thisanka Siripala
A link between radiation from the Fukushima nuclear disaster and cancer will be the focal point of the civil court case against operator TEPCO.
Chinese Olympians Balance Politics and Sport
By Patrick Beyrer
Chinese athletes must navigate not only their chosen sports but also CCP redlines, online nationalism, and corporate demands.
The UN Shouldn’t Let the Olympics’ Celebration of Uyghur Repression Go Unchallenged
By Sophie Richardson
Where is the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights’ report detailing human rights violations against Uyghurs?
What Does China’s Horn of Africa Envoy Mean for Its Non-Intervention Principle?
By Ovigwe Eguegu
China’s approach to security issues is meant to be in line with African frameworks, in accordance with the principle of non-intervention.
How Pandemic Paranoia Is Driving North Korea’s Strategy
By Riccardo Villa
COVID-19 will continue to be the fundamental factor determining North Korea’s approach to the world.
Xi Urges Hong Kong to Get Control as COVID-19 Cases Surge
By Alice Fung and David Rising
Hong Kong is facing its worst outbreak of the pandemic but doggedly persists in matching the mainland’s “zero-COVID” strategy.
Taiwan’s Tsai Lifts Import Ban on Food From Nuclear Disaster-Hit Area of Japan
By Brian Hioe
The import ban on foods from Fukushima and nearby provinces has long been a stumbling block to closer economic relations between Taiwan and Japan, but Tsai Ing-wen is taking a political gamble by lifting the restrictions.
This Is South Korea’s K-pop Soft Power Moment
By Brandon Valeriano and Aleydis Nissen
K-pop offers something different to the nationalism projected by China and the territorial politics of exclusion.