In The News

The Korea Herald: Gloomy Outlook for Joint Olympics Team, With NK IOC Member’s Skepticism

Jung Min-kyung July 3, 2017
President of South Korea Moon Jae-in has been in office for two months and in terms of sports is fulfilling expectations to initiate a more cooperative tone in his country’s interactions with North Korea. Moon “wishes to restore inter-Korean dialogue through cross-border cooperation for the upcoming winter games,” reports Jung Min-kyung for the Korea Herald. The situation reflects a marked change...

The Diplomat: Asia and the Fall of Coal

Nithin Coca June 26, 2017
Asia, accounting for about 60 percent of the world’s population, is abruptly shifting away from coal toward renewable energies, especially solar. The most populated nations could lead the continent. “From 2002 to 2012, the global coal trade doubled, with the four largest Asian economies – Japan, South Korea, China, and India – accounting for the majority of imports,” reports Nithin Coca for the...

Bloomberg: Can China Really Rein in Credit?

Michael Pettis June 19, 2017
China's regulators and central bankers are trying to control the country’s debt and reduce associated risks, and in turn this may reduce economic growth. explains Michael Pettis, finance professor, in an opinion essay for Bloomberg: “there's a big difference between China's sustainable growth rate, based on rising demand driven by household consumption and productive investment,...

The Asia-Pacific Journal, Japan Focus: Will China’s New Silk Road Contribute to Export of Black Fossil-Fueled Economy?

John A. Mathews and Hao Tan June 19, 2017
Former US President Barack Obama imposed controls on fossil fuels to protect the planet and position the United States as a leader in the development of alternative fuels. Donald Trump has reversed course on such policies, and this could put China and other countries in charge of green energy. John A. Mathews and Hao Tan examine whether China might instead simply outsource the most polluting...

Reconstruction of Chinese History for a Peaceful Rise

Suisheng Zhao June 13, 2017
China is rising and its leaders vow this rise will be peaceful. A shared history can be a motivating force, binding citizens together. “Some leaders, though, selectively use historical memories to serve political and strategic objectives,” explains Suisheng Zhao, professor and director of the Center for China-US Cooperation at the Josef Korbel School of International Studies, University of Denver...

People’s Daily Online: Foreigners, KFC and “Authentic” Chinese Food

June 12, 2017
Chinese restaurants can be found around the globe, and the cuisine has inspired dishes like General Tsao’s chicken. “The U.S. alone has around 40,000 Chinese restaurants, even more than the sum of McDonald's outlets and KFCs,” notes People’s Daily Online. “Now, business in China has become a main source of profit for KFC, which has started selling soy bean milk, Chinese-style breakfast...

IRIN News: The Real Crisis in North Korea

Gianluca Spezza May 31, 2017
The international community focuses on North Korea’s expanding nuclear capability. The narrow focus, largely due to the dictatorship’s secrecy and closed economy, overlooks North Korean citizens, explains Gianluca Spezza for IRIN News Agency. Spezza points out that Kim Jong Un, while brutal, does not wield the influence of his father or grandfather, adding that “Security apparatuses are no longer...