East Asia

A dispute with South Korea over a remote reef has prompted a tense exchange of words between the two countries. There could be more to come.

The U.S. is increasingly dependent on the Internet for its well-being. It makes its lack of preparedness for cyberattacks from China, Russia and others all the more worrying.

The Japanese Self-Defense Forces performed admirably after last year’s tsunami. Expect a more confident force to play a growing role in disaster response.

The open ambitions of rising political star Bo Xilai were partly responsible for his fall. But the frustrations that fueled his popularity could come back to haunt the Party.

Asia’s democracies have remained embarrassingly quiet over the atrocities being committed in Syria. If Asia wants to be taken seriously, it needs to step up.

Are Romney’s China complaints campaign rhetoric or genuine belief? Either way, he must resist ideologically pleasing solutions that risk military overreach.

Worried Russia will be marginalized by China, expect Vladimir Putin to push his Eurasian Union vision – and perhaps spring a surprise over Pakistan.

Last year’s nuclear crisis in Fukushima rocked confidence in nuclear power. Will a lack of transparency and safety controls further undercut nuclear prospects in China?

Japan has made extraordinary progress in recovering from last year’s earthquake and tsunami. But will political bickering stop progress in its tracks?

The U.S. military is no longer as overwhelmingly superior in numerical and qualitative terms as it was not so long ago. That has big implications for its plans in Asia.

The U.S. must stop taking an “instant pudding” view of military planning. The Air-Sea Battle plan is the best hope to ensure security in the Pacific.

China says they are migrants, and the U.N. refers to them as detained. Either way, fleeing North Koreans could face forced labor or execution if sent back.