cogitASIA CSIS Asia Policy Blog

The Leaderboard: Danny Russel

cogitASIA Staff — Sat, 18 May 2013 03:30:25 +0000

Who is he? Daniel R. Russel, better known as Danny, is currently serving as Special Assistant to the President and Senior Director for Asian Affairs on the White House National Security Staff (NSS). From 2009 to 2011, he was the…

Social Unrest from India’s Demographic Dividend

cogitASIA Staff — Fri, 17 May 2013 14:20:44 +0000

By Camille Danvers In the 1960s, the baby boomer generation shook the U.S., advocating social and political changes on an unprecedented scale. Today, India is facing a similar situation as an emerging educated and young middle class expects more transparency…

The Leaderboard: Le Thi Thu Thuy

cogitASIA Staff — Fri, 17 May 2013 13:00:50 +0000

Who is she? Le Thi Thu Thuy is the CEO and vice chairwoman of Vingroup Joint Stock Company, Vietnam’s largest real estate company. She joined Vingroup in 2008 and became CEO in June 2012 at the age of 39. Previously,…

U.S. – India Cooperation on Climate Change: Upping the Ante

cogitASIA Staff — Thu, 16 May 2013 15:03:19 +0000

By Guru Amrit Khalsa As two of the top three Co2 emitters worldwide, the U.S. and India both have much to gain through further collaboration on combating climate change, while also benefiting the entire international community. Unfortunately, pressing domestic realities…

Surprise or Déjà Vu? The Vietnam Communist Party’s Seventh Plenum

cogitASIA Staff — Wed, 15 May 2013 16:18:47 +0000

By Hung Nguyen The Seventh Plenum of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) met from May 2 to May 11 to discuss, among other things, “possible ways to perfect the political system, [strengthen] party building, and [promote] the party…

The Leaderboard: Enrique K. Razon, Jr.

cogitASIA Staff — Tue, 14 May 2013 12:16:23 +0000

Who is he? Enrique “Ricky” Razon, Jr. is the third richest man in the Philippines, with a net worth of $3.6 billion according to Forbes. He is the CEO and chairman of International Container Terminal Services, Inc. (ICTSI), a Manila-listed…

Malaysia: Asia’s Top Investor in Africa?

cogitASIA Staff — Mon, 13 May 2013 12:35:04 +0000

By Tianyi Wang & Andy Lim On March 25 the UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) released a report, “The Rise of BRICS FDI and Africa.” Published during China’s new President Xi Jinping’s first visit to Africa and before…

Considering International Military Education and Training in Myanmar?

cogitASIA Staff — Fri, 10 May 2013 19:21:59 +0000

By Ravi Balaram Acting Assistant Secretary Joseph Yun’s Senate testimony on April 25 on security cooperation and challenges in the U.S. rebalance to Asia reflects the intersection of security and development domains. Inextricably linked, Secretary Yun said that U.S. security…

By the Numbers: Tracking Southeast Asia’s Billionaires

cogitASIA Staff — Thu, 09 May 2013 12:48:56 +0000

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…

Post-Summit Assessment: President Park Geun-hye’s First Visit to Washington, D.C.

Victor Cha — Wed, 08 May 2013 22:48:08 +0000

By Victor Cha On May 7, President Park Geun-hye of the Republic of Korea made her first official visit to the United States and had a summit meeting with President Barack Obama at the White House. It is the first…

Elections in Malaysia: “Chinese tsunami”?

cogitASIA Staff — Wed, 08 May 2013 12:34:47 +0000

By Lynn Kuok The elections in Malaysia on May 5 saw the ruling coalition Barisan Nasional (BN) remain in power, marking 56 years of uninterrupted rule since independence. When the coalition, led by the United Malays National Organisation (UMNO), lost…

Australia’s Changing Outlook on China: From Strategic Threat to Strategic Partner

cogitASIA Staff — Tue, 07 May 2013 17:16:03 +0000

By Jack Georgieff The release of Australia’s new Defence White Paper (DWP) on May 3 was nothing short of a repudiation of its 2009 predecessor. Gone were the references to China’s increasing military heft as a threat to regional and…

In Flight Reading: President Park’s Summit with President Obama

cogitASIA Staff — Tue, 07 May 2013 14:00:10 +0000

President Park Geun-hye of South Korea arrived in Washington, D.C. for her first meetings with President Barack Obama this week. CSIS Asia House scholars Victor Cha, Mike Green, Chris Johnson and Matthew Goodman discussed the backdrop and agenda of the…

Malaysia Prime Minister Faces Challenges despite Winning Elections

Murray Hiebert — Mon, 06 May 2013 19:25:07 +0000

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…

North Korea: Defining the Danger and the Way Out

Christopher K. Johnson — Mon, 06 May 2013 14:51:09 +0000

By Chris Johnson, Victor Cha, & Mike Green Over the past month, North Korea’s 29-year-old leader, Kim Jong Un, has threatened to attack Washington with nuclear weapons, declared a state of war with neighboring South Korea and warned diplomats to…

The Windy Road to FTAAP

Matthew P. Goodman — Mon, 06 May 2013 11:00:52 +0000

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 Leaderboard: Hu Pang Chow

cogitASIA Staff — Sat, 04 May 2013 14:02:46 +0000

Who is he? Hu Pang Chow is a member of the opposition party Pan-Malaysian Islamic Party (PAS) Supporters Congress. Hu used to be a teacher and is a Christian of Chinese descent. PAS is Malaysia’s largest Islamic-based political party. Why…

The Philippines’ Prospects at the UN Tribunal

cogitASIA Staff — Fri, 03 May 2013 16:21:08 +0000

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…

Enter Froman: Is the United States Back in the Trade Game?

Ernest Z. Bower — Fri, 03 May 2013 13:31:44 +0000

By Ernie Bower Yesterday, President Obama nominated the White House’s deputy national security advisor for international economics Mike Froman to lead the Office of the United States Trade Representative. This was a key signpost signaling that the White House is…

Transparency in the Wake of the H7N9 Flu Outbreak: Is China Keeping its Promises?

cogitASIA Staff — Thu, 02 May 2013 15:30:33 +0000

By Katherine Sliney Eastern China has become the epicenter of an outbreak of H7N9, a new strain of “bird flu” previously unknown to infect humans. Proven to be highly lethal, the most severe cases result in septic shock and organ failure…