East Asia

A rare visit by a North Korean official to Cambodia raises the faint prospect of more engagement with Southeast Asia. But ties with Phnom Penh are complicated.

There’s been much speculation about the implications of China’s first aircraft carrier. The Diplomat answers some of the key questions.

Reports that Japan is considering taking the Dokdo/Takeshima dispute to the ICJ risk further inflaming tensions with South Korea. Neither side seems likely to give in.

The centre of international gravity is shifting toward East Asia. With China rising, Washington must focus its economic and security policies there, not the Middle East.

Chinese policymakers face a choice – continue with investment-led growth or focus on building a middle class. Either way, the government can’t defy gravity forever.

Foreigners are often quick to claim that South Korea has a significant racism problem. But the vocal views of many English teachers overshadow a complex issue.

The current turmoil in the US will make it harder to bridge the cultural divide between China and the West – and will bolster efforts to internationalize use of the renminbi.

The Communist Party has been constantly adjusting its ideology through revisions to the constitution. Expect this approach, not outside pressure, to produce change.

August 1 is Army Day in China. Recent improvements in Sino-US military ties are welcome, but conflicting interests mean tensions might still be inevitable.

Shanghai students are ranked the best in the world, according to an OECD assessment. So why are they so much better than their peers?

The US debt negotiation ceilings are going to the wire. China, the biggest holder of Treasury debt, is watching on helplessly as it gets taken to the financial cleaners.

With growing concerns over its energy security, Japan is increasingly looking at MERCOSUR as an alternative to nuclear power and the Middle East.