Media
Kashmir endures another year of utter despair
BY CLAUDE RAKISITS Two years ago, on 5 August 2019, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi removed the autonomy of Jammu and Kashmir as a state (the only Muslim-majority one in India) and redesignated...
Afghanistan: China’s Critical Jigsaw Piece
BY CLAUDE RAKISITS Even before all American military staff have left Afghanistan, the security situation in the country has deteriorated very quickly, with the Taliban having taken about half of the...
Uncle Sam Will Have to Change His Tune After November for Buy-in From Southeast Asia
BY HUNTER MARSTON Only weeks from the US presidential election on November 3, Southeast Asia sees an American electorate distracted by partisan divide, conspiracy theories, and culture wars. If...
A Review of 'Under Beijing’s Shadow: Southeast Asia's China Challenge' by Murray Hiebert
BY HUNTER MARSTON According to recent surveys of Southeast Asia, China is now the most influential strategic and political power in the region. Yet China’s rise has been so rapid and consequential...
Has Shinzo Abe left a lasting legacy?
Once again prime minister Shinzo Abe — the ultimate princeling of Japanese politics — has resigned because of declining poll numbers and ill health. In May, Abe’s approval ratings in national polls...
Ideology Is Hijacking the Trump Administration’s Asia Strategy
BY ELINA NOOR, HUNTER MARSTON, AND FRANCISCO BENCOSME As U.S.-China rivalry takes on a hardening ideological dimension, a great deal of ink has been spilled about the competition for influence in...
Stirring Hatreds Ahead of Myanmar Elections
BY HUNTER MARSTON Ethnic and religious nationalism has increasingly gripped Myanmar since intercommunal violence broke out between Burmese Buddhists and Rohingya Muslims in 2012. Viral...
Making the Most of US-ASEAN Ties, Even Without the Vegas Summit
BY CHARLES DUNST AND HUNTER MARSTON In an unfortunate turn of events linked to growing fears of a pandemic, the Trump administration has wisely decided to postpone a special summit with all 10...
Has the US Lost Myanmar to China?
BY HUNTER MARSTON Chinese leader Xi Jinping just wrapped up a two-day visit to Myanmar from January 17-18, the first trip by a Chinese head of state since Jiang Zemin traveled to Burma in 2001. Xi’s...
Review of "The Hidden History of Burma: Race, Capitalism, and the Crisis of Democracy in the 21st Century"
BY HUNTER MARSTON AND JOSHUA KURLANTZICK In the run-up to Myanmar’s elections next year, there is little positive news to report about a country that seemed like a democratic success story less than...
