Asia and Pacific
Whaling debate redux
With Japan having just made its closing argument in the International Court of Justice case launched by Australia, some highlights from a debate we hosted back in March between…
Interview: 'How Asia Works' part III
Below is the third part of my exchange with Joe Studwell, author of How Asia Works. Here's part 1 and part 2.
SR: In your previous answer you took a swipe at the IMF for its…
Why does China still receive foreign aid?
Dr Philippa Brant is a Lowy Institute Research Associate.
Over the weekend ForeignPolicy.com published an article by Isaac Stone Fish pondering why the US and Japan still provide…
China: What about the workers?
While the worrywart commentators are focused on the slowing of China's growth (even though most forecasts still start with a '7', which doubles income in a single decade), they…
The 'win-win' New Zealand-Taiwan FTA
On the measure of FTAs signed, New Zealand's 'Asian Century' project is doing better than that of its larger, louder neighbour.
Last week, New Zealand became the first OECD…
China links: Democracy, Osnos, carbon trading, China Dream and more
Quite an achievement: NZ now has free trade deals with China and Taiwan. (We'll have more on this later in the week.)
I've linked countless times to the New Yorker's China…
Background for Rudd's PNG visit
With Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd in Papua New Guinea this Sunday and Monday to meet with his counterpart Peter O'Neill, it's useful to recall that the PNG PM gave an…
India links: Food security, Bhutan, corruption, Australia, social media, Pakistan and more
Danielle Rajendram is a Research Associate in the Lowy Institute's International Security Program.
Debate over the food security bill continues in India. Here's Devesh Kapur on…
Interview: 'How Asia Works' part II
Below is the second part of my exchange with Joe Studwell, whose book, as I said in the intro to part 1, has tested some assumptions about economic development I've been carrying…
Asylum seekers and Konfrontasi
The Piping Shrike is an anonymous Australian blog with some of the sharpest (if not always most readable) political analysis you will see.
This post from 1 July is the first…