East Asia
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.
China’s Credit Downgraded amid Negative Future Forecast
This week, U.S.-based credit rating agency Moody downgraded China’s economic outlook. Though not an official credit downgrade — China’s credit remains rated A1 — the news still carries heavy significance, as an outlook downgrade is generally the first step taken before credit is downgraded in the future.
China, Japan, and South Korea Vow to Restart Cooperation Summits
“We three ministers agreed to restore and normalize three-nation cooperation at an early date,” stated the South Korean foreign minister, signaling a resumption of talks in 2024.
The Mayhem of Taiwan’s Presidential Race
In a televised meeting on Thursday, plans for a 2024 unity ticket between two of Taiwan’s major political parties fell apart due to disagreements over which candidate would top the ticket.
Tech War Tensions: China Restricts Graphite Exports
On Friday, Dec. 1, China began new export restrictions on the key rare earth mineral of graphite. The new restrictions will require state approval for high-grade graphite exports to foreign nations.
Commonality or Confrontation? Sino-Japanese Relations at APEC and Beyond
At the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation summit this weekend, all eyes were on the United States and China, but Xi Jinping was looking to shore up ties with another country as well: Japan.
A Joint Opposition Ticket May Upend the Taiwanese Elections
On Nov. 15, Taiwan’s two main opposition parties in the 2024 presidential election agreed to a joint presidential ticket that may have serious implications for the outcome of the elections and the trajectory of Taiwan. The landmark election will take place on Jan. 13, 2024, and may alter Taiwanese independence for decades to come.
APEC Summit: Biden’s Bittersweet Meeting with Xi Jinping
On Wednesday, Nov. 15, US President Joe Biden hosted Chinese President Xi Jinping at the Filoli Estate in San Francisco for a four hour one-on-one discussion. The meeting comes amidst the backdrop of this year’s Asian-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit where leaders from twenty-one Asian-Pacific nations gather to discuss economic cooperation and trade integration.
Changes in Rhetoric to China's Women's Congress Push Patriarchal Values
A patriarchal agenda dominated China’s 13th National Women’s Congress this year. The Congress, held every five years, has largely symbolized the Chinese Communist Party’s dedication to gender equality and women’s rights.
Japan and South Korea Deepen Clean Energy Cooperation
As threats loom and energy resources grow scarce, Japan and South Korea find themselves increasingly pushed together - despite their historical animus.
Economic Meltdown: China Faces Capital Outflow
For the first time in twenty-five years, Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) into China has fallen below zero. That is, there is more capital currently leaving China for other markets, than there is foreign capital being invested into China, a phenomenon called capital outflow.
North Korea Sends Mass Munitions Shipments to Russian Military
As Ukraine struggles to keep the world’s attention on its struggle against Russian forces, one country has seemingly continued to pay attention: North Korea.
A New Chapter: Japan and South Korea Soften Relations
On Sunday Oct. 21, Japan, South Korea, and the US conducted their first joint aerial exercise near the Korean Peninsula. The exercise comes on the heels of revived tensions between North Korea and its two Northeast Asian neighbors, as well as continued efforts to soften South Korean-Japanese relations due to the growing threat of China.
The Plight of Japan’s Imperial Family
For years, Japan’s imperial family has struggled to find heirs. Now, the Japanese government hopes to reform the system, and in doing so, preserve a lineage that claims to have stood for over 2,000 years.
Belt and Road Forum: More Than Infrastructure
China continued its push for an alternative international environment at the third Belt and Road Initiative forum this past week. The conference took place from October 17 to 18, hosting two dozen world leaders and delegations from more than 100 countries, where they discussed the global infrastructure and development endeavor that began a decade ago.
China vies for Middle East Influence through Palestinian Support
In 1965, China became the first non-Arab nation to forge ties with the Palestinians. A couple decades later in 1988, China officially recognized Palestinian statehood.
Breaking Up the Unification Church of Japan
Last year’s assassination of the Japanese former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe launched a year-long examination into the Unification Church, ending on Friday, October 13, 2023, with the Japanese government officially asking the Tokyo District Court to legally dissolve the Church.
Taiwan Examines Israel-Hamas Conflict, Searching for Insight
Countries all around the world are watching the war between Israel and Hamas — and Taiwan is no exception.
China Ramps up Efforts to Tackle its Population Crisis
On Tuesday October 10, 2023, Chinese state media announced the CCP’s plan to conduct a nationwide survey to “monitor China’s population developmental changes and provide a basis for the Communist party… to formulate… population related policies.” The survey comes as China begins to see its long-growing population begin to shrink for the first time in six decades.