East Asia

Asia is bound to be a focus for Leon Panetta as US defence secretary. With China’s rise, India and Pakistan squabbling and a belligerent North Korea, there’s plenty to do.

The United States is so far lacking a strategy for managing future Chinese investment. With Beijing pushing for more access to its high tech sector, it needs one.

Any big shift from nuclear power will take years. It’s time for Japan’s politicians to show some leadership to ensure the country’s reactors get back online.

Burma’s opposition leader may have achieved less than the Chinese premier. But Suu Kyi’s less is definitely more.

The Thai opposition’s election triumph should act as a warning to China’s leaders – they resist political change at their peril.

China appeared to weather the global economic downturn better than most. But massive local government debt could bring growth to a screeching halt.

Relations between the US and South Korea have been steadily warming. The problem is, it could push North Korea into even worse behaviour.

Taiwan’s South China Sea claims are outdated. It could earn some vital regional goodwill by abandoning them.

The current tensions in the South China Sea can’t just be blamed on Beijing. The shortcomings of ASEAN have played a big part.

The US, China and Southeast Asian nations look likely to keep clashing in the South China Sea. But there are ways to ease tensions.

Despite early fears freedoms would be curtailed after their colony was returned to Beijing, many in Hong Kong now see ties as an opportunity.

Tokyo seems poised to spend billions developing the country’s first homegrown stealth warplane. But is the Shinshin really meant for military service?