In The News

Chiang Mai Aviation: Outcry over Air-Hub Plan

Choosak Jirasakunthai January 9, 2003
Thailand's government is being criticized for even considering allowing Singapore Airlines to turn the Thai city of Chiang Mai into a regional aviation hub. Several Thai airline operators believe that the idea of a regional hub is sound, but that its development should not be handled by foreigners. One executive worries that "If Singapore Airlines is allowed to operate the regional...

Recognise China's Value in Defusing North Korea Crisis

Pei Min Xin January 8, 2003
Writing in Singapore's Straits Times, China scholar Pei Min Xin argues that the US is bungling its relationship with China in the current crisis with North Korea. As a major source of energy and food aid to North Korea, China could play a key role in convincing the reclusive communist country to cease its nuclear program again. Although the Bush administration claims it recognizes China...

Bush Plays Down Rift With Allies Over U.S. Stance on North Korea

David E. Sanger January 3, 2003
North Korea’s decision to re-start its nuclear program has much of Asia, the US, and others on edge. How to deal with the communist country’s ambitions is creating a degree of tension between the US and its allies. The US has been pursuing a diplomacy-centered route in handling the issue, a policy that has invited greater scrutiny of its attitude toward another “Axis of Evil” member, Iraq....

Northeast Asia in the Coming Decade

Immanuel Wallerstein January 1, 2003
Social theorist Immanuel Wallerstein argues that the situation in Northeast Asia – including the current US-North Korean conflict – must be evaluated with a long-term perspective. Each of the three main zones of northeast Asia, he says, is currently seeing only its own narrow concerns: Korea is focused almost solely on unification, Japan is paralyzed with uncertainty over how to re-establish its...

Malaysia Outlaws 'Insulting' Brad Pitt Ads

Claire Cozens December 17, 2002
While beauty standards across the globe may be converging to a blonde, blue-eyed ideal, one Asian government is saying 'Not on our turf!' The globalization of the media has allowed some American and European celebrities to enjoy international face recognition, and big-name celebrities can make big money pushing products in Asia that would never get approval from their agents and image...

United States to North Korea: We Now Have a Pre-Condition

James A. Kelly December 12, 2002
Just a day before North Korea announced the resumption of the operation of a nuclear reactor closed since 1994, a top US official gave for the first time a personal account of his meeting with North Korean officials. He said that after reviewing the Clinton administration’s North Korea policy, the Bush administration decided in June 2001 to speak to the North Koreans "any time, any place,...

North Korea Suspends Nuclear Moratorium

Kim Min-bai December 12, 2002
Already the focus of nations worried about the proliferation of nuclear and conventional weapons, North Korea announced Thursday that it will resume development of nuclear power facilities to meet its energy needs. The communist country and the United States had agreed in 1994 that if North Korea stopped its nuclear programs, the US would supply it with enough oil to meet its needs until a safer...