Chinese leaders have long sought to present themselves as equals to American presidents. Xi Jinping has wanted something more: a special relationship that sets China apart, as the other great… Read more »
China’s President Xi Jinping has created his own political ideology, in a step towards entrenching his position at the top of the Communist Party. Top officials have made multiple… Read more »
Many observers been assuming that China’s rise is loading the dice against democracy in Asia and is part of a global authoritarian resurgence, notes Maiko Ichihara, an associate professor at… Read more »
It is too early to know if the current democratic recession represents a blip or something more malignant, says a leading expert. “But the recession is certainly deepening,” Stanford University’s… Read more »
Asia’s democracies are threatened by a growing source of strategic instability at the sub-state level, as increasing religiosity and extremist ideologies gain momentum in the national consciousness of several countries in… Read more »
Thailand’s junta has failed to fulfill pledges to respect human rights and restore democratic rule three years after the military coup. The ruling National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO), led… Read more »
East Timor is voting for a new president in an election that will test Asia‘s newest and poorest nation, VOA reports. Meanwhile, Cambodia’s ongoing crackdown against opposition politicians and… Read more »
For civic activism, it appears to be both the best and worst of times, argues analyst Richard Youngs. The positive dynamics of empowerment and the negative trend of constraints on… Read more »
King Bhumibol Adulyadej’s death may set off shockwaves in Thai politics that the eventual passing of the British queen will not, writes Council on Foreign Relations analyst Joshua Kurlantzick: Most… Read more »
The voters of the world have had quite a year: They rejected Colombia’s peace deal; split Britain from the European Union; endorsed a Thai Constitution that curtails democracy; and, in… Read more »
