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Politics

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Even North Korea is changing

More and more North Koreans now have access to information from the outside world that starkly contrasts with official propaganda. Could this undermine the control of this authoritarian state? Read more...
Democracy Monument

Democracy in Asia

That democracy has shallow roots in Asia, the most dynamic part of the world economy, is clearly evident from the Economist Intelligence Unit's "Democracy Index 2011". Read more...
man-portable air defense systems (MANPAD) ... Libya's missing missiles: a threat to US airline passengers -- whose 10,000-foot range could hit them during takeoffs and landings. (December 9, 2011) ...

Asia's Failed States

As Asia sits on top of the world economy, it may be difficult to imagine that this vast unwieldy region is also home to more than a handful of the world's "failed states". Read more...
Secretary Kerry Poses for APEC Leaders' Family Photo

Asia's dearth of leadership

Asia's miracle development was driven by "determined, devoted, and inventive leaders, in both business and government". But what is striking today is the dearth of Asian leadership. Read more...
Fukushima *

Japan's nuclear madness

"Two years after the 2011 disaster, we are building a new future", says Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.

Honto desu ka? Really? Read more...
光る小沢（Ichiro Ozawa, shiny）

Japan's dysfunctional politics

Japan's triple crisis of earthquake, tsunami and nuclear disaster was an exceptional and unprecedented event. So why didn't Japan respond in an exceptional and unprecedented way? Read more...
Japanese Teen ups WC 100_1769

Japan's bribery problems

The OECD has recently issued a scathing report on Japan's efforts to fight bribery and corruption. Read more...
Prime Minister Tony Blair

Tony Blair advises Thailand

Tony Blair recently delivered in Bangkok the first of the Special Lecture Series on "Uniting for the Future: Learning from each other's experiences". Read more...
aung san suu kyi

Burmese Nobel thoughts

Aung San Suu Kyi Nobel lecture, finally delivered on 16 June, 2012, in Oslo, Norway, was very moving and insightful. Read more...
China Breeding Programme

How powerful is China?

China has the world's 2nd largest economy and has been growing at a 10% rate for over three decades straight. It is also the world's biggest exporter, and has an enormous amount of foreign reserves. Read more...
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China: is “state capitalism” in crisis?

In this week's invited contribution, Emanuele Schibotto* asks if China's "state capitalism" is in crisis. Read more...
David Li Daokui - Annual Meeting of the New Champions Dalian 2009

China's lack of global leadership

China seems neither willing nor able to exert global economic leadership according to Tsinghua University's David Li. Read more...
120214-N-TT977-108

China's foreign policy

The enigmatic nature of China's foreign policy is evident as the US pushes China to tame North Korea. An excellent SIPR paper by Linda Jakobson and Dean Knox can help us understand the enigmas. Read more...
Homage to the Unknown Rebel - 4 June, 1989 - Tiananmen Square Massacre

China's democratic future??

Minxin Pei recently wrote an interesting piece speculating on how China could become a democracy. But will China's future really be democratic? Could China even break up, like the former USSR? Read more...
Coca-Cola: Millions to Washington Politicians, Billions to Invest in China (g1a2d0040c1)

China's Communist Party

As the Chinese Communist Party prepares its once in a decade leadership change, and tries to turn the page on its recent scandals, Richard McGregor's book on the Party is essential reading. Read more...
Gu Kaili, painted portrait - img_2347

China's BO Xilai affair

The BO Xilai affair is China's biggest scandal since Tiananmen Square. But our Paris-based China watcher, Frederic Langer, argues that the West cannot wash its hands of BO's judiciary troubles. Read more...
Michael Ignatieff - Liberal Leader

China and Russia -- global strategic threats

Russia and China are the chief strategic threats to the moral and political commitments of liberal democracies, argues Michael Ignatieff. Read more...
080201_113

China -- rotten at the top

The revelations of the ill-gotten wealth of Wen Jiaobao's family is just the latest evidence that China is rotten at the top -- including at the top of China's new leadership. What does it mean? Read more...
Chinese Communist Party Early Leaders,wax figure

Asia's democratic future

Democracy is at the heart of development. But democracy only has very shallow roots in Asia. Democratic development lags well behind the economy. Read more...
Fukushima *

Social media and Japan's anti-nuclear movement

Vanessa Vyvial, currently studying at Tokyo's Sophia University, has shared with us this interesting piece on social media and Japan's anti-nuclear movement. Read more...