In The News

The US Confronts Pakistan’s Street Power

Dilip Hiro April 27, 2012
Lahore-based Hafiz Muhammad Saeed is founder of Laskar-e-Taiba, LeT, and alleged to be the mastermind behind the 2008 Mumbai terrorist attacks. Yet he’s also come to epitomize Pakistani street power, taking advantage of widespread seething discontent. Author Dilip Hiro details the history of Pakistan that encourages instability. Large numbers of Pakistanis are alert for any hint of disrespect...

Power Shift in China – Part I

Cheng Li April 16, 2012
Leadership transition in China is an opaque process. New appointments to the powerful standing committee of the Politburo are anticipated in October, as President Hu Jintao relinquishes his post as general secretary of the Chinese Communist Party and hands control to Vice President Xi Jinping. The firing of an ambitious Chongqing party secretary and investigation of his wife for a murder of a...

US Foundations Boost Chinese Government, Not NGOs

Anthony J. Spires March 28, 2012
The number of NGOs continues to multiply worldwide, and competition for funding is intense. US-based foundations that contribute to international endeavors tend to promote human rights and democracy. But recipient programs in China are tightly monitored and controlled by the government, explains Anthony J. Spires, sociology professor with the Chinese University of Hong Kong, adding that “major...

China: Hard Power at Home, Soft Power Abroad

Frank Ching February 8, 2012
China’s hard-edged regime, struggling to wield soft power, is concerned by the dominating influence of Western media and culture. China’s government is taking steps to remedy the problem, explains journalist Frank Ching. One success story is the establishment of more than 300 Confucius Institutes, many linked with universities, teaching Chinese language and culture in nearly 100 countries....

Thailand's Lèse-Majesté Witchhunt

Simon Roughneen December 29, 2011
Lèse-majesté charges are on the rise in Thailand, from a single case in 2000 to nearly 500 in 2010. Among the charged is Joe Gordon, an American who translated excerpts of a biography of the Thai King, receiving critical acclaim everywhere but Thailand. Gordon was sentenced to two and a half years in prison, but may receive a royal pardon. Observers can’t help but wonder if such accusations aren’...

Obama and Asia’s Two Futures

Yuriko Koike November 15, 2011
Asia must choose between two futures, according to Yuriko Koike, former Japanese defense minister: a multilateral structure of peace or a system of strategic military alliances dominated by China. The Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Hawaii gave US President Barack Obama a constructive role in managing a problematic rise of China with aspirations of other regional powers, including...

The Popular Mandate

Nayan Chanda November 8, 2011
A suggestion by the Greek prime minister for a referendum on a proposed European bailout – negotiated by European leaders to continue lending to Greece while erasing half the nation’s debt –was bashed by financial markets and Western leaders. Analysts anticipated an angry Greek electorate to reject the deal, and the prime minister backed down. "Athens offers a valuable lesson in...