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Asia Unbound

CFR fellows and other experts assess the latest issues emerging in Asia today.

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A man attends the groundbreaking ceremony of the China-funded Funan Techo Canal Logistics System Project in Kandal province, Cambodia, August 5, 2024.
A man attends the groundbreaking ceremony of the China-funded Funan Techo Canal Logistics System Project in Kandal province, Cambodia, August 5, 2024. Chantha Lach/Reuters
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Why Is China Investing In a $1.7 Billion Canal in Cambodia?

by Zongyuan Zoe Liu and Nadia Clark September 30, 2024

The Funan Techo Canal is the latest in a string of flashy Chinese investments in Cambodia. How did Cambodia, a lower-middle-income nation of 17.5 million people, become a focal point of Chinese foreign policy and investment?

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South China Sea
Rising Tensions in the South China Sea Lead the Philippines to Side With the United States
In contrast to other Southeast Asian countries, the Philippines has expressly aligned itself with the United States amid rising tensions in the South China Sea.
Blog Post by Joshua Kurlantzick September 5, 2024 Asia Unbound
Japan
The LDP Leadership Race: The Early Birds
When Prime Minister Kishida Fumio announced on August 14 that he would not seek re-election, the door opened for a number of LDP legislators with ambitions to lead Japan.
Blog Post by Sheila A. Smith September 3, 2024 Asia Unbound
Election 2024
How Harris and Walz Might Handle Asia Policy
Former President Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris would take vastly different approaches to Asia policy if they won the White House.
Blog Post by Joshua Kurlantzick August 29, 2024 Asia Unbound
  • Asia
    Japan in Focus
    I am fortunate to participate in projects on Japan or Asia hosted by other experts. Each month, I will share these with you in Japan in Focus. This month, we have two highlights to share.
    Blog Post by Sheila A. Smith August 27, 2024 Asia Unbound
  • Thailand
    Paethongtarn Shinawatra, Thailand's New Prime Minister, Demonstrates the Excessive Power of the King and Royalist Elites
    Thailand’s new prime minister is a member of the Shinawatra political dynasty.
    Blog Post by Joshua Kurlantzick and Pavin Chachavalongpun August 26, 2024 Asia Unbound
  • South Korea
    A Diplomatic Early Warning: Resolving the Recurring Historical Grievance Litigation Between South Korea and Japan
    South Korea and Japan’s leaders must develop creative policies to resolve recurring historical grievance litigation.
    Blog Post by Cornelius Cornelssen August 26, 2024 Asia Unbound
  • Japan
    Tourism: Japan’s Double-Edged Sword
    Tourism has become a priority in Japan’s economic growth strategy. The pandemic blunted that effort, but when the Kishida Cabinet lifted its restrictions on foreigners entering Japan in 2022, the foreign visitors began to flock to Japan.
    Blog Post by Chris Baylor and Sheila A. Smith August 20, 2024 Asia Unbound
  • Election 2024
    What a Harris-Walz Administration Would Mean for Southeast and South Asia
    A Harris-Walz administration would build upon the Biden administration’s focus on partners and allies and likely struggle to respond to regional democratic backsliding.
    Blog Post by Joshua Kurlantzick August 19, 2024 Asia Unbound
  • Bangladesh
    Bangladesh Teeters on the Edge of Reconciliation and Chaos
    Leaders and students are stepping up to fill Bangladesh’s power vacuum, but communal violence and state collapse threaten to further destabilize the country.
    Blog Post by Joshua Kurlantzick August 13, 2024 Asia Unbound
  • Japan
    Miura Mari: The Fight for Gender Parity
    Miura Mari, a professor of political science at Sophia University, helps build a path to gender parity in Japanese politics. 
    Blog Post by Sheila A. Smith August 12, 2024 Asia Unbound