- 4 Jun 2015 14:25
Last month I wrote about the possibility that 'Korea fatigue' – a Japanese phenomenon arising from Korea's relentless criticism of Japan over its World War II conduct – might be coming to the US. It was one of my most-read posts on The Interpreter, and I received a lot of comments and retweets regarding my suggestion that South Korea's 'anti-Japanism' flows from its debilitating national legitimacy contest with North Korea.
Long reads
Despite encroachments, China is still Russia’s preferred partner
As long as China doesn't challenge the fundamental system of rule in Russia (as the US does), then it will remain a preferred partner if not an ally.
23 May 2017 11:59
Why Trump’s Middle East trip matters to Australia
There are two reasons why US President Donald Trump’s visit to the Middle East matters to Australia.
First, the President’s visit to Saudi Arabia, where he also held a summit with Arab leaders, and Israel are a signal of where the administration’s foreign policy priority lies, and this does not...
23 May 2017 8:26
Capital flows to emerging economies: Still unresolved
This year marks the 20th anniversary of the Asian Financial Crisis. Many factors were involved in that disaster, but grossly excessive foreign capital inflows were the key macro-economic problem during the boom years preceding the crisis. These flooded out when 'euphoria turned to panic without...
22 May 2017 17:25
The birth of a multipolar Asia?
In 2014 Chinese President Xi Jinping called for an ‘Asia for Asians’ as part of a proposed ‘Asian Security Concept’. This remark seemed provocative at the time but today it increasingly reflects an emerging reality: that Asian powers are having to step up and assume the reins of leadership in...
22 May 2017 14:19
Iranian politics nothing if not opaque
It is often difficult to make sense of Iranian electoral results.
On the one hand, presidential elections feature such a narrow range of choice (the 1600-plus would-be candidates for this year's contest were whittled down by the Council of Guardians to just six, of whom two withdrew before...
22 May 2017 13:13
Belt and Road will go ahead with or without Australia
A divide has once again opened between Australian economic commentators and defence hawks, this time over China's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and what Australia's response to it should be.
The latter accuse the former of being naïve about Beijing's geopolitical intentions and the BRI's...
22 May 2017 12:26
Can the US capitalise on the quiet realignment between Israel and the Gulf States?
President Donald Trump’s visit to Saudi Arabia and Israel and his much-hyped speech to Arab and Islamic leaders in Riyadh on Sunday portend a new phase of US engagement with the Middle East that is far more transactional and less values-laden than before. The Trump administration has thrown in its...