The U.S.-ROK security alliance has been one of the key components of U.S. policy in Asia for over five decades, but the alliance has traditionally been premised on the narrow coldwar task of guarante…

Not only do we live in a new "age of authoritarianism," but we live in a world where autocratic governments increasingly finance democratic governments. Consider a chart that shows the increase in…

Photo courtesy of REUTERS/Jason Lee I have a Ph.D. in Chinese politics—which means I have an abiding faith in the idea that, yes, China actually does have politics. That’s always been true, even in…

Jim Young/courtesy Reuters In Liz Economy’s assessment of Simon Tay’s new book Asia Alone, she writes that Tay argues that the United States should accept ASEAN as a full partner in a more multilate…

Sukree Sukplang/courtesy Reuters Now that Thailand has resolved the short term crisis of the red short protestors occupying – and often destroying – parts of central Bangkok, the Thai government has…

In an increasingly competitive region, and a world where a prolonged economic slowdown looks more than likely, the countries of Southeast Asia, constantly worried about competing with China and Ind…

On Tuesday, a bombing at an apartment building in Bangkok killed three people and wounded four others. This attack got only minimal coverage in the international media – largely because, over the p…

All the political swirl surrounding Liu Xiaobo and his Nobel Peace Prize will soon die down, returning again no doubt when the prizes are actually awarded in December. For me, as I have written in pr…

Cairo - It used to be that Egypt did big things based on big ideas. The Aswan High Dam, unity with Syria, Nasserism, the Crossing (of the Suez Canal), infitah, and peace with Israel, to name just …