By Aung Din Editor’s Update: On August 12, 2015, Shwe Mann was ousted as party chief, though he remains speaker of the parliament. Security forces surrounded the USDP headquarters in Naypyidaw ahead of the decision, leading many to describe Shwe…
This week on the podcast we turn to Chinese politics. In a new article for Foreign Affairs, CSIS Freeman Chair in China Studies scholars Christopher Johnson and Scott Kennedy argue that Xi Jinping has reasserted and expanded the role of…
By Gene Choi South Korea and six Central American countries under the Secretariat for Central American Economic Integration (SIECA) officially announced on June 19, 2015 that they will begin negotiations for the Korea-Central America Free Trade Agreement (FTA). Although the…
On the podcast this week we take a broader look at developments in the Philippines. Sumitro Chair Fellow Gregory Poling joins to discuss the candidates for next year’s election and what challenges Manila faces in ensuring both economic growth and…
By Michael Sheng-ti Gau On January 22, 2013, the Philippines initiated a compulsory arbitration against China according to Article 287 of the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, under the procedure described by Annex VII of the treaty.…
By Cu Chi Loi The visit of Communist Party general-secretary Nguyen Phu Trong to the United States in early July contributed significantly to trust building between the U.S. and Vietnamese governments, and helped address what many described as the lingering…
By Donald K. Emmerson At the 7th U.S.-China Strategic & Economic Dialogue on June 24, 2015, Secretary of State John Kerry and State Councilor Yang Jiechi made closing remarks. Included in Councilor Yang’s statement were a few sentences on the…
By Emily Chen The CSIS Freeman Chair in China Studies has prepared a timeline summarizing security developments in the South China Sea during the first half of 2015. The included chronology and infographic covers events through July 15, 2015 and…
By Phuong Nguyen & Rui Hao Puah Prime Minister Najib Razak is facing serious challenges to his power. He faces criminal charges over allegations of his involvement in the mismanagement and corruption at state investment fund 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB),…
The CSIS Sumitro Chair for Southeast Asia Studies hosted General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Nguyen Phu Trong for a major speech on Wednesday, July 8, 2015 as part of the Banyan Tree Leadership Forum. The theme for the general…