In The News

Caixin: Survey Finds Data Don’t Show Full Picture of Overseas Real-Estate Spree

Pan Che August 24, 2017
China invests more in global real estate than other Asian countries, but data do not show how much Chinese money already moves about offshore, reports Pan Che for Caixin. The Chinese government imposed regulations on outward direct investments, including limits on “irrational” investments like sports clubs or entertainment, “to stem capital outflows and prevent the yuan from depreciating further...

The Seattle Times: Live With a Nuclear North Korea and Help It Feel Less Cornered

Walter Hatch August 23, 2017
The United States should not over-react to news that North Korea is a nuclear power. “While Kim [Jong Un] is clearly cruel, he is not crazy,” writes Walter Hatch for the Seattle Times. “What we often forget is that North Korea is also a cornered state, one without any real allies in the world. This is largely a function of juche, the complex policy of ‘self-reliance.’” The regime’s goal is...

Asia Sentinel: India-China Rivalry Deepens Over Border Clash

Salman Rafi Sheikh August 21, 2017
Rivalry between India and China over the Doklam region of Bhutan continued through the summer despite otherwise strong bilateral trade relations among neighbors. Bhutan is in the middle as India is determined to counter China’s hegemony. China insists in documents that the issue concerns only itself and Bhutan, describing India as a third-party intruder. “While Bhutan has maintained a critical ‘...

Bloomberg: Moon Asserts Right to Veto US War

Hooyeon Kim, David Tweed, and Narae Kim August 16, 2017
South Korea’s President Moon Jae-in is adamant: His country would be most impacted by any military action against North Korea and he has a right to veto any such action. Moon “vowed to prevent war at any cost – a statement that drew a sharp contrast with President Donald Trump, who has warned of ‘fire and fury’ if North Korea continues to threaten the US,” report a team of reporters for Bloomberg...

Reuters: As Sanctions Loom, Seafood Trade Slows on China-North Korea Border

Philip Wen August 15, 2017
In response to North Korea testing two intercontinental ballistic missiles last month, the UN Security Council issued a new round of sanctions “intending to press the Asian state to renounce its nuclear weapons and ballistic missile programs,” reports Philip Wen for Reuters. The sanctions prohibit North Korea from exporting seafood and various minerals like iron and coal. The country earns more...

Asia Times: US, China Vie for Influence in the Philippines

Noel Tarrazona August 11, 2017
Philippine troops continue to battle militants affiliated with the Islamic State in Marawi, a city in the southern part of the country. With a goal of establishing an Islamic caliphate in Southeast Asia, the militants rely on urban warfare tactics including taking civilian hostages, land mines, snipers and ambushes with more than 400,000 people displaced. China and the United States compete in...

Caixin: Could the Chinese Mainland Be the Next Hong Kong for Filipino Maids?

Luo Ruiyao, Li Rongde and Zhang Congzhi August 11, 2017
The Philippine Statistics Authority reports that about 2.4 million women left the nation to work as domestic help in Saudi Arabia, Hong Kong and elsewhere. China may be the next stop for Filipina staff who provide elder and child care, as officials from the Philippines report negotiations are underway to organize work programs in five Chinese cities. “If it happens, it would mark a huge change in...