Asia | Council on Foreign Relations

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

China

What to Know About the Border Conflict Between China and India

China and India have disputed their shared border for years—they even went to war in 1962. Here’s what to know about the latest escalation between the two Asian giants.

Explainer Video with Thamine Nayeem and Lindsay Maizland June 11, 2021
Human Trafficking

Ending Human Trafficking in the Twenty-First Century

Human trafficking bolsters abusive regimes and criminal groups, weakens global supply chains, fuels corruption, and undermines good governance. Jamille Bigio and Rachel B. Vogelstein urge the United States to increase investment in anti-trafficking measures.

Council Special Report by Jamille Bigio and Rachel B. Vogelstein June 10, 2021 Women and Foreign Policy Program
China

A Review of “The Perfect Police State” by Geoffrey Cain

Eric Schluessel is assistant professor of modern Chinese history at George Washington University. The Xinjiang region of northwest China (or East Turkestan) is the homeland of the Uyghurs, a group…

Blog Post by Guest Blogger for Asia Unbound June 10, 2021 Asia Unbound

Space

U.S. Leadership in Space: A Conversation With General John Raymond

General John Raymond discusses the establishment of the U.S. Space Force, current and potential national security threats in outer space, and areas of cooperation between the United States and both foreign allies and private-sector organizations.

Virtual Event by John W. Raymond June 10, 2021
Southeast Asia

The Digital Silk Road and China’s Technology Influence in Southeast Asia

Dai Mochinaga is a senior researcher at the Keio Research Institute at SFC. China has expanded its influence over Southeast Asia's technological development through its Digital Silk Road (DSR) ini…

Blog Post by Guest Blogger for Asia Unbound June 10, 2021 Asia Unbound
Public Health Threats and Pandemics

Global Health Symposium: Lessons From Abroad on American Health

The 2021 Global Health Symposium on Lessons From Abroad on American Health will discuss how practices from other countries can be applied to current critical health crises in the United States and provide a framework for analysis to help strengthen health systems and guide public health investment strategies. The full agenda is available here. The Global Health Symposium, in partnership with Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, is made possible through the generous support of Bloomberg Philanthropies.

Virtual Event by Angus S. Deaton, Emily Gurley, Joneigh Khaldun, Tolbert Nyenswah, Vikram Patel, Sema K Sgaier and Joshua Sharfstein June 9, 2021 Global Health Program
China

China's Internet Trolls Go Global

Chinese trolls are beginning to pose serious threats to economic security, political stability, and personal safety worldwide.

Blog Post by Guest Blogger for Net Politics June 7, 2021 Net Politics
Southeast Asia

Of Questionable Connectivity: China’s BRI and Thai Civil Society

Benjamin Zawacki is a senior program specialist with the Asia Foundation’s office in Thailand, focused on regional security and cooperation, and the author of Thailand: Shifting Ground between the US…

Blog Post by Guest Blogger for Asia Unbound June 7, 2021 Asia Unbound
Tibet

The Question of Tibet-Xinjiang Equivalence: China's Recent Policies in Its Far West

Tenzin Dorjee is a Senior Researcher and Strategist at the Tibet Action Institute and a PhD candidate at Columbia University. In a post published on the Council on Foreign Relations’ Asia Unbound …

Blog Post by Guest Blogger for Asia Unbound June 3, 2021 Asia Unbound
Elections and Voting

Mexico’s Midterms, Hong Kongers Remember Tiananmen, and More

Mexico holds pivotal midterm elections, Hong Kongers attempt to mark the anniversary of the Tiananmen Square massacre, and Peruvians vote in a divisive presidential runoff.

Podcast with Robert McMahon and Shannon K. O'Neil June 3, 2021 The World Next Week
Philippines

Duterte's China Policy Has Been A Bust

As Filipinos of all stripes vent their anger at Beijing, they should be equally furious with their own leader. His policy toward China has failed to either protect the Philippines’ national security or to boost its economy.

Blog Post by Joshua Kurlantzick June 2, 2021 Asia Unbound
Myanmar

Resistance Amid Digital Totalitarianism: The Case of Myanmar

As the military junta continues to suppress internet access across the country, the people of Myanmar are discovering new techniques of digital resistance.

Blog Post by Guest Blogger for Net Politics June 2, 2021 Net Politics