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Expert Bio
Joshua Kurlantzick is senior fellow for Southeast Asia at the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR). He is the author, most recently, of A Great Place to Have a War: America in Laos and the Birth of a Military CIA. Kurlantzick was previously a visiting scholar at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, where he studied Southeast Asian politics and economics and China's relations with Southeast Asia, including Chinese investment, aid, and diplomacy. Previously, he was a fellow at the University of Southern California Center on Public Diplomacy and a fellow at the Pacific Council on International Policy. He is currently focused on China’s relations with Southeast Asia, and China’s approach to soft and sharp power, including state-backed media and information efforts and other components of soft and sharp power. He is also working on issues related to the rise of global populism, populism in Asia, and the impact of COVID-19 on illiberal populism and political freedom overall.
Kurlantzick has also served as a columnist for Time, a correspondent for The Economist based in Bangkok, a special correspondent for the New Republic, a senior correspondent for the American Prospect, and a contributing writer for Mother Jones. He also serves on the editorial board of Current History.
He is the winner of the Luce Scholarship for journalism in Asia and was selected as a finalist for the Osborn Elliott Prize for Excellence in Journalism in Asia. His first book, Charm Offensive: How China’s Soft Power Is Transforming the World, was nominated for CFR’s 2008 Arthur Ross Book Award. He is also the author of State Capitalism: How the Return of Statism is Transforming the World, and Democracy in Retreat: The Revolt of the Middle Class and the Worldwide Decline in Representative Government.
Kurlantzick received his BA in political science from Haverford College.
Affiliations:
- Freedom House, contributor to Freedom in the World
- Gerson Lehman Group, participant in expert network
- Japan Times, monthly contributor
- Pinter Politik, contributor
- World Politics Review, contributor
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The early days of the Marcos Jr. administration may preview the remainder of his term.
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The latest on Sino-Lithuanian relations, and their global implications.
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Marcos Jr's decisive victory would change the political landscape in the Philippines.
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The U.S.-ASEAN Special Summit will likely revolve around several key themes.
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Most Southeast Asian states are heavily conflicted about condemning the Russian invasion of Ukraine, or going farther and joining international sanctions and other similar measures against the Kremlin.
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The Philippines’ upcoming presidential election is likely to bring to power the son of the country’s longtime dictator and may end Philippine democracy.
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The military enjoys the support of a major nearby power.
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The latest in our series on Southeast Asian relations with Russia looks at two important U.S. partners.
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China Doubles down in Myanmar with World Distracted by Ukraine.
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Although the actual election isn’t for another six weeks, current polling suggests Ferdinand Marcos Jr. is all but a lock to succeed Rodrigo Duterte as the Philippines’ next president.
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China's support of Russia's invasion of Ukraine is hurting Beijing's image across Central and Eastern Europe.
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Russia’s ties across Southeast Asia keep most countries in the region from opposing the war in Ukraine.
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Longstanding ties and weapons sales to a number of countries in Southeast Asia insulate Russia from ASEAN criticism over Ukraine war.
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As Russia continues its war in Ukraine, collaboration between Moscow and Beijing on information and disinformation operations continues to grow.
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Given the lukewarm responses on the crisis so far, don't expect too much from the region's democracies.
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The resurgence of military political power is particularly notable in Southeast Asia, given that many of the states of the region had previously advanced toward becoming consolidated democracies.
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Can Europe compete in the Indo-Pacific?
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Why are some large democracies struggling to contain COVID-19?
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Next year will be a critical year for Southeast Asia.
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Myanmar’s junta still has nothing to fear from ASEAN.
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Will the Summit for Democracy deliver on its goal of renewing democracy around the world?
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