East Asia
Kim Jong Un’s Teenage Daughter Joins Military Drill Amid Succession Conversations
South Korean intelligence agency receives insider information about Kim Jong Un’s Succession.
Energy Shocks and Economic Vulnerability in East Asia
Rising oil prices driven by Middle East tensions are exposing structural vulnerabilities across East Asian economies
China Sanctions Japanese Lawmaker Over Taiwan Ties, Deepening Tensions With Tokyo
Beijing’s sanctions on Keiji Furuya highlight how Taiwan is becoming an even more sensitive flashpoint in China-Japan relations and regional security politics.
Protests in South Korea Over Trump’s Request For Aid in the Middle East
South Korean protesters crowd the US Embassy in Seoul to push back against possible deployment of Korean naval soldiers to the Middle East.
Japan Seeks US Backing Ahead of Trump’s China Talks
In their March White House summit, Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi urged US President Donald Trump to publicly commend Japan amid tense relations with China, a request that Trump agreed to honor during his upcoming talks with Xi Jinping.
North Korea’s Missile Tests and Escalating Security Tensions in East Asia
Missile tests and military exercises are reinforcing a cycle of tension in East Asia
Strait of Hormuz Closure and the Resulting Effects on Japan’s Energy Supply
Iran’s closure of the Strait of Hormuz following the US-Israel attacks have had disastrous repercussions for Japan’s supply of oil.
Rising Tensions Between China and Japan: Taiwan, Security, and Economic Fallout
Political tensions over Taiwan are beginning to reshape diplomatic relations and economic exchanges between China and Japan.
After Trump’s ‘Dry in the U.S.’ remark, South Korea’s nuclear submarine debate reignites entirely
South Korea’s options are becoming more complex as variables from the United States emerge in the discussions that were conducted on the premise of low-enriched uranium.
Japan PM Takaichi: "Defense Spending to Reach 2% of GDP Two Years Ahead of Schedule"
The new Prime Minister of Japan signals a sharp turn in security policy in the midst of rising security tensions with China and North Korea.
Op-Ed: Will the US Stand by Taiwan? Probably Not.
Tensions between China and Taiwan have reached alarming heights as a surge in military activity from Beijing heightens the possibility of warfare. A key instigator is the 2024 election of Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te, who describes himself as a “pragmatic worker for Taiwan independence.” Lai’s election coincides with an exacerbation in Chinese aggression, including a 300 percent increase in military flights around Taiwan since May and a major October drill involving Chinese army, navy, air, and rocket forces that encircled the island. Most recently, in early November, over 35 Chinese military aircraft, including nuclear-capable H-6 bombers and drones, were detected flying to the south of Taiwan for two consecutive days.
Japan and EU Forge Strategic Defense Pact Amid Rising Tensions in Indo-Pacific
In a historic move on Nov. 1, Japan and the European Union joined together in formalizing a security and defense partnership aimed at addressing growing problems within the Indo-Pacific region. The pact signifies a deepening relationship between Tokyo and Brussels, as both raise concerns over increasing Chinese influence as well as heightened Russian military aggression.
Shigeru Ishiba: Japan’s New Prime Minister
On Oct. 1, Japan’s new Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba was sworn into office. Ishiba is a member of the ruling LDP (Liberal Democratic Party), the same party as previous Prime Ministers Fumio Kishida and the late Shinzo Abe.
Hong Kong’s Top Court Loses Another Foreign Judge as Nicholas Phillips Resigns
British judge Nicholas Phillips has become the latest overseas justice to resign from Hong Kong’s Court of Final Appeal, stepping down on Sep. 30.
Beyond the Ban: China's Path to AI Supremacy
The United States’ strategy of export restrictions on computing chips has proven futile as Chinese companies find ways to circumvent these barriers. As China surges ahead with state-backed investments and open-source innovation, the U.S. risks losing its technological edge unless it reevaluates its approach in this escalating AI competition.
Japanese Warship Sighted in the Taiwan Strait for the First Time
This past Wednesday, a Japanese warship sailed through the Taiwan Strait for the first time. Government officials reported to Yomiuri Shimbun that the JS Sazanami would complete exercises within the South China Sea, a territory contended between China and Taiwan.
Sino Stimulus Splurge: China’s Unprecedented Response to Economic Slowdown
On Tuesday, Sept. 24, Chinese government officials and the People’s Bank of China (PBC) announced a new fiscal stimulus package aimed at uplifting the decelerating Chinese economy and restoring faith in the nation’s domestic stock markets.
Revisionism or Revanchism: Japan’s New Foreign Policy
On April 14, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida sat down with CNN to discuss his upcoming summit with President Biden. During the discussion, Kishida discussed the rising tensions around the world as well as how Japan’s foreign policy is acclimating to the new geopolitical environment.
South Korea’s 2024 Elections: What to Know
People across the world have already started eyeing the U.S. presidential race between Joe Biden and Donald Trump, but there’s another high-stakes election across the Pacific. On April 10, South Korea will elect a new National Assembly, the country’s 300-member unicameral legislature. The results will in large part indicate citizens’ satisfaction with President Yoon Suk Yeol, elected in 2022, and his conservative People Power Party (PPP), while also testing the mettle of the main opposition, the more liberal Democratic Party (DP), which seeks to keep Yoon from gaining momentum as it looks ahead to the 2027 presidential election.
China & Russia Seek Closer Security Cooperation Amidst Growing American Influence
On Tuesday, April 9, Chinese State Official Wang Yi hosted his Russian counterpart Minister Sergey Lavrov in Beijing for talks on economic and security cooperation. The new cooperative measures are set to displace American influence in Asia and Europe, the United States’ most strategically important region and former most strategically important region, according to political scientist and professor John Mearsheimer.