ISDP Voices

While demonstrations in Hong Kong have grown in scope and intensity this summer, little attention has been paid to China’s other former European colony turned Special Administrative Region (SAR); Macau. Much has been made of the many anniversaries China is marking this year, whose political leaders are very conscious of political symbolism: 100 years since […]

Amidst a flurry of news and debates on Taiwan’s future in the Pacific region, with two of its last allies worldwide ultimately switching ties from Taipei to Beijing, it was almost all too easy to get distracted. Caught up in discussions about a shifting balance of power and China’s presumed winner-takes-all mentality, the news that […]

Climate researchers have recently released alarming reports indicating that the thaw of Arctic permafrost has already reached record levels for this year. Although a sign of a looming climate catastrophe, many actors, from east to west, view it as an opportunity: the Arctic Circle is becoming more accessible for trade routes and resource excavation. The […]

South Korea’s defense industry ambitions have increased significantly over the past couple of years as part of President Moon Jae-in´s wider Defense Reform 2.0. The program aims to support defense sector growth as well as the general economic development, with a focus on manufacturing high quality weaponry for the ROK Armed Forces and elevating South […]

On July 8, the U.S. Defense Security Cooperation Agency announced a $2 billion sale of weapons to Taiwan, including M1A2T Abrams tanks, Hercules armored vehicles, and heavy equipment transporters. The world never fails to notice when this kind of brinksmanship occurs at China’s doorstep. But we should take note of China’s recent activities in Jamaica […]

May and June were busy times for Japan’s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. Within a week, Abe hosted several heads of state, including  Bangladesh’s Prime Minister Hasina. Amidst a recent push to develop “quality infrastructure”, the meeting ended with Abe committing 1.2 billion USD towards infrastructure projects, ranging from a high-speed rail network to a commercial […]

U.S.-DPRK relations have reached an uncertain stalemate after the Hanoi Summit resulted in no deal. With both sides seemingly unwilling to compromise, and putting the onus on the other to make the first move, what can we expect in the months ahead? ISDP Korea Center’s Alec Forss chatted with Frank Aum, a former advisor to […]

Last year’s passing of a non-binding act to promote more women to run for political office was a first effort to address Japan’s long-standing issue of gender inequality. Yet, 2019’s local unified election results proved this act to be more of a legislative gesture than a decisive gamechanger. Despite a “record” number of women winning […]

Japan’s collaborative investments in African markets are set to increase as the country attempts to offset the dominance of Chinese economic involvement on the continent. The Japanese government recently announced that it intends to establish a permanent joint council, involving government officials, economic organizations, and Japanese companies operating in Africa. The launch of the new […]

Beijing marked a seminal event in the Chinese political calendar last week: the “Lianghui” or “Two Sessions.” The Two Sessions refers to the annual plenary sessions of both the National People’s Congress (NPC) and the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Committee (CPPCC), which coincide at the beginning of each year. On paper these events are given seminal importance, though how much of a role do they really have in terms of affecting Chinese political decision making?   Explaining the Two Sessions […]