Japan

Geopolitics

Japan’s Taiwan Policy – Is Deeper Engagement the New Normal?

Thursday, September 9, 2021

Suga Yoshihide’s successor as prime minister will have to navigate a tricky environment.

Population & Society

The Tokyo Olympics and Japan’s Quest for Unity in Diversity

Thursday, August 19, 2021

Early results from surveys indicate that the pandemic-plagued Olympiad had little social impact among young Tokyo residents.

Population & Society

Earth’s Amphibious Transformation: Urbanizing Asia’s Seas

Thursday, August 12, 2021

Instead of focusing only on how to control the movement of water, cities should also embrace the ongoing “amphibious transformation” by adapting to life on water.

Geopolitics

Japan, the US and China: A Shared Olympic History

Thursday, August 12, 2021

A reflection on the possible implications of Tokyo 2020 on Beijing’s 2022 Winter Olympic Games and the future of China-US relations.

Geopolitics

Decoupling and Diversification: China, the Belt and Road, and the Supply Chain Resilience Initiative

Wednesday, June 2, 2021

A closer look at the initiatives to create alternate global supply chains that are durable, resilient and less reliant on China.

Geopolitics

Biden’s Indo-Pacific: The Good, the Bad – and the Unwieldy

Thursday, March 18, 2021

The pitfalls of a US Indo-Pacific strategy

Geopolitics

An Asian Century Is A Long Way Off

Thursday, March 4, 2021

Asia's economies cannot sustain high growth forever, social tensions are increasing and ageing government leaders lack the capacity to cope with critical challenges.

Geopolitics

After Trump’s Disruptions, Biden Has a Full Agenda in Asia

Wednesday, November 18, 2020

The new president’s advantage, according to Mumbai-born journalist and author Salil Tripathi, is his experience and maturity.

Politics

From Abe to Suga: Japan’s Quest for Inspiring Leadership

Tuesday, September 29, 2020

While the longest-serving Japanese leader will rank high among the more memorable and effective of his predecessors, he tended to be more popular abroad than at home.

Geopolitics

After Covid-19, Japan Recalibrates its Foreign Policy

Thursday, July 2, 2020

The diminished prestige of China and the US will prompt Japan to step up engagement with like-minded powers to reinforce stability and the existing rules-based order.

Economy

Two Decades On, ASEAN’s Fragile Safety Net is Untested

Wednesday, June 24, 2020

The purpose of the Chiang Mai Initiative should be renewed and deploying it would be a step towards ASEAN regional financial integration.

Politics

The Thrill of Victory, the Agony of Defeat – and the Yawn of Postponement?

Thursday, April 2, 2020

Even before the coronavirus pandemic forced their postponement, the 2020 Tokyo Games were haunted by memories of past Japanese Olympiads.

Politics

Democracy in Southeast Asia: Elites are an Obstacle

Thursday, March 19, 2020

Robin Ramcharan of the Asia Centre in Bangkok offers an approach for strengthening democratization in the region.

Security

Rethinking US Alliances and Partnerships as Insurance Contracts

Wednesday, February 19, 2020

Alliances and partnerships with the US should be viewed as insurance contracts to hedge against the uncertainties of Beijing’s growing power and influence.

Geopolitics

Asia 2020: Learn the Lessons of 2019

Thursday, January 2, 2020

Vasuki Shastry, Associate Asia Fellow of Chatham House in London, offers lessons from the past year and considers what they may portend at the beginning of a new decade.

Geopolitics

Abe Power and the US-China Cold War

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Shinzo Abe, now Japan’s longest-serving prime minister, is steering Japan across tricky diplomatic waters.

Development

ASEAN’s Infrastructure Dilemma

Thursday, September 19, 2019

Japan-financed urban railway project in Ho Chi Minh City: ASEAN needs a collaborative and coordinated approach to infrastructure development

Geopolitics

History Hurts: Japan and Korea Should Dial their Dispute Down

Thursday, September 5, 2019

Domestic politics trumps diplomacy: Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has taken a strong line on Korea to boost his approval ratings