Asia | Council on Foreign Relations

Afghanistan

What’s Next for Afghan Women: An Interview with Judge Najla Ayoubi

This post is part of the Council on Foreign Relations' blog series on women's leadership in peacebuilding and non-violent movements, in which CFR fellows, scholars, and practitioners highlight new security strategies. This post was authored by Karen Sherman, president of Akilah, East Africa’s preeminent institute for women’s leadership and career development.

Blog Post by Guest Blogger for Women Around the World June 28, 2021 Women Around the World
Japan

Here’s Why Tokyo Is Hosting the Summer Olympics Despite COVID-19

The challenge of hosting the Olympic Games in Tokyo amid the coronavirus pandemic has confounded Japan’s government, but postponing the Olympics further does not seem to be an option.

In Brief by Sheila A. Smith June 28, 2021 Asia Program
Southeast Asia

Southeast Asia’s Democratic Woes Accelerate

In the past decade, Southeast Asian democracy has suffered enormous setbacks, with the exception of tiny Timor-Leste. Countries from the Philippines to Indonesia to Cambodia to Myanmar to Thailand to…

Blog Post by Joshua Kurlantzick June 28, 2021 Asia Unbound

Labor and Employment

Ending Human Trafficking in the 21st Century Symposium

The Ending Human Trafficking in the Twenty-First Century Symposium reflects on efforts to combat human trafficking over the past two decades and explores new tools to accelerate progress at home and abroad. The full agenda is available here. This symposium is cosponsored with the Women and Foreign Policy Program.

Virtual Event by Anita Ramasastry, Guy Ryder and Brent Wilton June 28, 2021
LGBTQ+

LGBTQ+ Rights: Snapshots From Around the World

Panelists discuss global LGBTQ+ rights, from persecutions in Russia to the legalization of same-sex marriage in Taiwan, as well as the role of U.S. foreign policy in advancing and protecting LGBTQ+ rights internationally.

Virtual Event by Julie Dorf, Masha Gessen and Jennifer Lu June 25, 2021
Technology and Innovation

When the Microchips Are Down

Silicon chips are in almost all electronics, and access to them can make or break a country’s economic future. Their production relies on complex supply chains, and during the pandemic, the world learned just how fragile these supply chains are. Many countries, including the United States and China, are investing billions of dollars to develop the capacity to produce chips domestically, and some analysts see chip-related conflict on the horizon.

Podcast with Gabrielle Sierra , Don Clark, Rebecca Heilweil, Ajit Manocha and David Sacks June 23, 2021 Why It Matters

Egypt

Virtual Roundtable: Life Lessons Learned With Frank G. Wisner

Frank G. Wisner discusses his distinguished career in public service, including working as former undersecretary of defense for policy, undersecretary of state for international security affairs, and ambassador to Zambia, Egypt, the Philippines, and India. Visit “How I Got Here: Frank Wisner” on the Foreign Affairs Career Center for more information. The Lives in Public Service Roundtable Series features some of the country’s outstanding public servants discussing the lessons learned from their lives and careers.

Webinar by Frank G. Wisner June 23, 2021
China

The Chinese Communist Party

The Chinese Communist Party faces a host of domestic and international challenges as it aims to bolster China’s great-power status.

Backgrounder by Eleanor Albert, Lindsay Maizland and Beina Xu June 23, 2021
China

The plan to 'Build Back Better' across the globe isn't enough to counter China

Below is an excerpt of an op-ed originally published at The Hill. For too long, the U.S. response to Belt and Road has been to highlight its pitfalls and warn countries not to accept Chinese fina…

Article by Jennifer Hillman and David Sacks June 16, 2021 Greenberg Center for Geoeconomic Studies
Southeast Asia

Duterte’s Ingratiating Approach to China Has Been a Bust

Philippine Foreign Minister Teodoro Locsin Jr. was peeved at Beijing. It was early May, and hundreds of Chinese vessels had been regularly intruding into the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone in t…

Article by Joshua Kurlantzick June 16, 2021 Asia Program
China

The Debate Over Boycotting the 2022 Beijing Olympics

Several countries are considering boycotting the 2022 Olympics in Beijing. What could a boycott accomplish, and how might China respond?

In Brief by Lindsay Maizland June 16, 2021
Southeast Asia

Irresistible Inducement? Assessing China’s Belt and Road Initiative in Southeast Asia

Cheng-Chwee Kuik is associate professor and head of the Center for Asian Studies at the National University of Malaysia. Southeast Asia occupies a central place on the map of China’s Belt and Roa…

Blog Post by Guest Blogger for Asia Unbound June 15, 2021 Asia Unbound
Southeast Asia

Myanmar’s Humanitarian Crisis Deepens

Along with the increasing repression of the Myanmar junta, which has included putting Aung San Suu Kyi on trial for sedition and other supposed crimes, detaining foreign journalists including America…

Blog Post by Joshua Kurlantzick June 15, 2021 Asia Unbound
Taiwan

The Time Is Now for a Trade Deal With Taiwan

A comprehensive U.S.-Taiwan trade agreement would benefit U.S. companies, bolster Taiwan's economic security, and underscore Washington's interest in cross-Strait stability.

Blog Post by David Sacks and Jennifer Hillman June 14, 2021 Asia Unbound
Middle East and North Africa

End the ‘Forever War’ Cliché

The war in Afghanistan needed to wind down. But Washington is learning the wrong lesson.

Article by Steven A. Cook April 22, 2021 Middle East Program