By Huy Duong On April 25 2013, Shunji Yanai, president of the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS), appointed the final three of the five arbitrators to the tribunal adjudicating legal proceedings that the Philippines has brought…
By Amy Killian When Laos joined the World Trade Organization in October 2012, many applauded. The move was expected not only to integrate the long-isolated country into the global economy, but into global political norms and rule of law as…
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…
By Monica Whaley Enough with the ‘clever’ jibes about silly shirts or acronym fatigue. Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) is a robust, reliable and flexible “multi-tool” in the United States’ foreign and economic policy toolkit that has served U.S. interests effectively…
By Sharon Squassoni Two months ago, North Korea conducted a third nuclear weapons test, prompting a rebuke from the UN Security Council and more sanctions from the United States and others. Amid the torrid rhetoric of preemptive nuclear strikes…
By Michael Vatikiotis It has been a terrible year so far in terms of security in the Asia Pacific region. Japan and China have come close to trading blows over disputed Senkaku/ Diaoyu islands in the East China Sea; North Korea…
By Tianyi Wang On February 12, 2013, North Korea conducted its third underground nuclear test, potentially improving its capacity to develop miniaturized nuclear devices for possible delivery on intercontinental ballistic missiles. In response to yet another nuclear provocation, the Chinese…
This week sectarian violence erupted between Buddhists and Muslims in the central Myanmar town of Meiktila, leaving at least 20 dead, though the tally is likely much higher, and includes men, women, and children. The clashes, triggered by a dispute…
With continuing public outcry in the wake of the high-profile gang rape of a young woman in Delhi in December 2012, the Indian and American media have been examining India’s cultural attitudes towards women as well as personal security in…
By Jeremiah O. Magpile Indonesian president Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono is entering the final two years of his 10-year presidency and is clearly making efforts to define his legacy. Throughout his tenure, Indonesia stabilized both its democracy and economy following the…
