A storm is brewing in the Western Pacific. As the Asia-Pacific region descends into a period of destabilizing conflict, the Philippines is quickly becoming a frontline state in the U.S. strategy to contain China—the central thrust of the Obama administration’s...
Uighur Unrest in Xinjiang Has Nothing to Do With “Terrorists”
Xinjiang, China’s largest and westernmost province, is home to over eight million Uighurs, a Turkic-speaking, predominantly Muslim ethnic minority. The Uighurs have lived uneasily alongside China’s Han majority for centuries, ever since the Qing dynasty seized control...
NSA Spying Leaves Washington Lonelier than Ever
As President Barack Obama arrived in Berlin last month to deliver a speech at the Brandenburg gate, many Germans were already expressing concern about revelations of NSA spying. Little did they know that they were viewing the tip of the iceberg and that tensions in...
Cyberwar and Nuclear War: the Most Dangerous of All Conflations
Former counter-terrorism official Richard Clarke, famous for criticizing the Bush administration’s lax stance toward terrorism before 9/11, and former Clinton administration National Security Council official Steve Andreasen addressed the wisdom of responding to a...
When American Universities Expand to China, Does Academic Freedom Suffer?
The expansion of American universities into authoritarian countries raises troubling questions about their ability to guarantee academic freedom and student expression on their satellite campuses.
Russia and China Fail to Meet Minimum Standards in Human Trafficking
As a consequence, the U.S. could theoretically withdraw non-humanitarian and non-trade aid.
Hydrofluorocarbons: Finally, Something the U.S. and China Can Agree On
During their recent summit, Presidents Obama and Xi Jinping made strides to reduce their production.
Overcoming ‘Strategic Suspicion’ — Goal of Obama-Xi Summit
This week’s relatively informal and unscripted summit between the presidents of the United States and China on a private estate in southern California is being welcomed by most analysts here as a virtually unprecedented opportunity for each side to gain a better understanding of the strategic aims of the other.
Empire, Capitalism, and Human Trafficking in Northeast Asia
The trafficking of North Korean women throughout Northeast Asia is a process whereby women are commoditized. They are sold to Chinese men as brides, or forced into prostitution to pay off debts accumulated while escaping North Korea. In many ways, North Korean women are inheritors of the suffering of Japan’s “comfort women.”
Burma as Capable of Scapegoating Muslims as Anybody
Army hard-liners in Burma are resisting President Thein Sein’s opening to the West.