North Korea: Defining the Danger and the Way Out

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

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

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

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…

The Leaderboard: Hatta Rajasa

Who is he? Hatta Rajasa has served as Indonesia’s economic coordinating minister since 2009 and as state secretary since 2007. Rajasa previously served as transportation minister from 2004 to 2009, and research and technology minister from 2001 to 2004. He…

On Path to Political Opening, Laos Stumbles

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…

APEC: Business’ Voice in the Asia-Pacific

By Monica Whaley APEC has always operated differently than most international bodies and frankly, it is run in a way that is not naturally suited to business – it operates by consensus, there are no treaties or legal frameworks, and…