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Asia Unbound

CFR fellows and other experts assess the latest issues emerging in Asia today.

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Top Row: Hayashi Yoshimasa, Motegi Toshimitsu, Koizumi Shinjiro Bottom Row: Takaichi Sanae, Kato Katsunobu, Kamikawa Yoko
Top Row: Hayashi Yoshimasa, Motegi Toshimitsu, Koizumi Shinjiro Bottom Row: Takaichi Sanae, Kato Katsunobu, Kamikawa Yoko Reuters
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The LDP Leadership Race: Six More Join, a Field of Nine

by Sheila A. Smith September 12, 2024

September has brought six more candidates to the race, creating the largest field of candidates in the party’s history. Read More

Japan
Tourism: Japan’s Double-Edged Sword
Tourism has become a priority in Japan’s economic growth strategy. The pandemic blunted that effort, but when the Kishida Cabinet lifted its restrictions on foreigners entering Japan in 2022, the foreign visitors began to flock to Japan.
Blog Post by Chris Baylor and Sheila A. Smith August 20, 2024 Asia Unbound
Election 2024
What a Harris-Walz Administration Would Mean for Southeast and South Asia
A Harris-Walz administration would build upon the Biden administration’s focus on partners and allies and likely struggle to respond to regional democratic backsliding.
Blog Post by Joshua Kurlantzick August 19, 2024 Asia Unbound
Bangladesh
Bangladesh Teeters on the Edge of Reconciliation and Chaos
Leaders and students are stepping up to fill Bangladesh’s power vacuum, but communal violence and state collapse threaten to further destabilize the country.
Blog Post by Joshua Kurlantzick August 13, 2024 Asia Unbound
  • Japan
    Miura Mari: The Fight for Gender Parity
    Miura Mari, a professor of political science at Sophia University, helps build a path to gender parity in Japanese politics. 
    Blog Post by Sheila A. Smith August 12, 2024 Asia Unbound
  • Taiwan
    Taiwan’s Latest Defense Budget Risks Falling Further Behind China
    Taiwan’s six percent increase to its defense budget will add to concerns that the island is not doing enough to deter China and prepare for a conflict.
    Blog Post by David Sacks August 9, 2024 Asia Unbound
  • China
    Fentanyl Supply Chains in China: Chinese Fentanyl Makers and Domestic Circulation
    China’s industrial policies may boost its number of small-scale chemical intermediate producers, increasing the risk that certain opportunistic firms may venture into supplying various precursors for synthetic drugs such as fentanyl.
    Blog Post by Zongyuan Zoe Liu August 8, 2024 Asia Unbound
  • Bangladesh
    What's Next For Bangladesh After Sheikh Hasina's Resignation
    The military must promptly hold elections to ensure Bangladesh’s democratic future. 
    Blog Post by Joshua Kurlantzick August 6, 2024 Asia Unbound
  • Japan
    Japan’s Debate Over LGBTQ+ Rights: The Diet
    The courts were not the only voice influencing Japan’s LGBTQ+ rights last year.
    Blog Post by Erin Gallagher August 6, 2024 Asia Unbound
  • Asia Program
    How Protests Ousted Sheikh Hasina
    After an escalating round of protests in Bangladesh in recent months, longtime leader Sheikh Hasina, who had fought back many prior demonstrations, has resigned and left Bangladesh. 
    Blog Post by Joshua Kurlantzick August 5, 2024 Asia Unbound
  • China
    Secure Jobs, Uncertain Future: China’s Growing Appetite for Government Employment
    While a robust public sector is essential, an overreliance on government employment could significantly reshape China’s future.
    Blog Post by Yanzhong Huang August 5, 2024 Asia Unbound