Russian defense minister Sergei Shoigu met with Vietnamese defense minister Phung Quang Thanh in Hanoi on March 5 to discuss strengthening maritime defense ties between their two countries. Following Japanese foreign minister Fumio Kishida’s January visit to Manila, the Philippines…
Who is he? Joseph Yun is the acting assistant secretary of state for East Asian and Pacific affairs. Prior to his current position, he served as the principal deputy assistant secretary of state and as a deputy assistant secretary of…
By Lynn Kuok Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel had an unenviable task at this year’s Shangri-La Dialogue officially known as the IISS Asia Security Summit, which ran from May 31 to June 2 in Singapore. The main purpose of Hagel’s…
The East Asia regional meeting of the World Economic Forum (WEF), formally opened on June 6 in the Myanmar capital of Naypyidaw. The WEF is an independent Switzerland-based organization that aims to improve economic growth by bringing together business, political,…
Southeast Asia now has more billionaires than ever, as the region continues to grow at a fast pace. Like wealthy individuals everywhere, Southeast Asian billionaires are politically connected, trying to influence their home economies, and are pushing their influence beyond…
By Murray Hiebert Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak on May 5 held onto power in the toughest election fight the ruling coalition faced in over 40 years, but the challenges are far from over. For the first time since the…
By Matt Goodman All roads may no longer lead to Rome, but someday they may lead to the FTAAP (Free Trade Area Asia Pacific). In addition to the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), the other main route to the APEC vision of…
The North Korean regime announced that it was prepared to return to the negotiating table with the United States over its nuclear program following weeks of heightened rhetoric and provocative posturing. The DPRK’s spokesperson indicated certain conditions were necessary for…
The U.S. Trade Representative’s Office agreed with the Japanese government this week on terms for Japan to accede to the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) negotiations. There will be 90-day comment period for the U.S. Congress, and then each of the other…
Who is he? Wang Yingfan has served as China’s assistant foreign minister and, most recently, as the vice-chairman of the foreign affairs committee of its National People’s Congress. A veteran diplomat, he has also served as China’s permanent representative…
