While Chinese athletes try to gobble up Olympic gold in London, half a world away Chinese strategists are trying to gobble up vast tracts of contested territory in the South China Sea. Without strong push back, Beijing may be able to do just that. You see, Beijing believes many of these South China Sea islands (and their adjacent waters) are “indisputable”…
America’s Enduring Leadership in Asia America has been engaged in Asia since a few decades after securing its independence. Its early interest is documented in the 1833 Treaty on Amity and Commerce between the U.S. and the Kingdom of Siam Thailand), and later in the market-opening 1854 Treaty of Kanagawa with Japan. The U.S. has, in fact, been a “resident…
The global financial crisis has had a major impact on perceptions of American power and its relationships in Asia. Many of the perceptions are not founded on facts. Among the facts often overlooked: American companies invest far more abroad than does all of Asia combined. For every dollar the U.S. has invested in China it has invested two in Australia…
Abstract: Backroom deals between members of the governing class and their hand-picked cronies influence the legislative, executive, and regulatory actions of governments around the world. Examples of this ancient form of corruption abound. Government intrusions into the private sector as a partner, financier, or outright owner are not only morally hazardous, but…
Amidst all the regional concerns about North Korea, the Senkaku dispute between China and Japan has continued to...…
Thousands of Rohingya are fleeing Burma and seeking refuge in Bangladesh, Malaysia, and Thailand only to find...…
Last week, India assisted the U.S. in securing dialogue-partner status in the Indian Ocean Rim Association for Regional...…
Millions of barrels of Iranian oil have gone undetected by sanctions enforcement, according to a recent Reuters...…
The Malaysian “street” needs an education. The Malaysian High Court’s decision to overturn a three-year ban on the...…