Topic: East Asia

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China's growing military might: top 4 concerns for the Pentagon

In a report issued this week, the Department of Defense for the first time directly accused China’s military of using cyberattacks to spy on US networks. In this arena and others, “China’s military buildup shows no signs of slowing,” said David Helvey, deputy assistant secretary of Defense for East Asia, who presented the report.Here are Pentagon officials’ top four concerns as they carefully monitor the growth of China’s military.
2012's 'good news' stories

2012 saw jobs returning to the US, health concerns improve in historic numbers, and more.
How the world is reacting to Obama's reelection

From China to Iran, President Obama's reelection elicited everything from celebration to doubt about his second-term agenda. Here are 11 responses:
Obama vs. Romney 101: 4 ways they differ on China

China's rise has led President Obama to “pivot” his foreign policy toward Asia, hoping to enhance US power and expand its cooperation with China. Romney speaks more in terms of confronting a country whose interests often clash with those of the US.
Diplomacy or military intervention in Syria? 7 opinions from around the globe.

After 15 months of violence in Syria, President Bashar al-Assad announced yesterday that the country was facing a full-on civil war, a conflict he would do everything in his power to win.This adds increased pressure to the ongoing international question du jour: Is the answer to Syria’s conflict diplomacy or military intervention? Or something else entirely? From Thailand to Jordan, here are some opinions around the globe.

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How the Iraq war has changed America

A conflict that was supposed to be a quick in-and-out operation lasted nearly nine years – and has left a deep imprint on the policy of American intervention.
Pearl Harbor Day: How did Adolf Hitler react to the attack?

At the time of the attack, Japan was already one of the Axis powers, but Adolf Hitler did not know of its plans. On Pearl Harbor Day, a look back at the Führer's response - and subsequent miscalculation.
Iranian oil sales, foreign exchange taking a hit from US, UN sanctions

Despite Tehran's insistence that increasingly strict sanctions are not harming Iran, Iranian oil sales are down and its foreign exchange access is being hampered by the US and UN sanctions.
China can meet US, Europe where their interests converge

The promoter of China's 'peaceful rise' argues that China needs a new approach in its relations with the United States and Europe. Beijing should build on common interests, such as investment in each other's countries, stability in global hot spots, and climate change.
Corruption hobbles Russia's Far East

Moscow is looking to Russia's Far East as a region poised for better times, and a building boom aims to make Vladivostok an investment hub. But young residents are still leaving the city in droves.
Opinion: Getting it right in the Taiwan Strait

Taiwan's first female presidential candidate, Tsai Ing-wen, is running a close race against incumbent Ma Ying-jeou. Her campaign shows that East Asia’s most besieged democracy has not been quashed by anti-democratic regression at home or by intimidation from China.
Elvis comes to life in Seoul

A group of South Korean musicians modeling themselves after 'The King' are bringing rockabilly to the land of 'K-pop.'
Opinion: Obama forfeits respect in Asia by letting Taiwan down – hard

Vice President Biden is expected to apprise China of the US decision to deny F-16 fighter jets to Taiwan. The dire implications of this should not be played down. It leaves Taiwan vulnerable and the US underpowered in Asia, as Washington looks to be walking away from democratic values.
East Asia's top 5 island disputes

East Asia is home to several territorial disputes, which occasionally escalate into regional violence. Many of the island territories are small, isolated from the countries’ mainlands, and sparsely populated. But strategic interests and abundant natural resources make them valuable. Here are five of East Asia’s flashpoints:
South China Sea deal eases US-China tension

China acquiesced to a draft agreement on the South China Sea dispute ahead of Secretary of State Clinton's arrival at an ASEAN summit last night – perhaps to block US 'meddling' in talks.
After Baghdad's violence, young Iraqi tackles new test: freshman year

She lived through the worst of Baghdad's wartime violence. But leaving her family for freshman year at the American University in Iraq has tested Amal Selman in unexpected ways.
Are South Koreans losing respect for elders?

A couple of recent high-profile incidents in which young people showed disrespect for elders highlight what some see as a shift away from traditional Confucian values.
Lunar eclipse, first of 2011, occurs Weds.

Lunar eclipse: The event is the first lunar eclipse of 2011 and one of two total lunar eclipses this year.
US should support Arab Spring, not Saudi Arabia's dangerous reaction

Saudi Arabia is peddling the message of sectarian division, but that’s a dangerously inaccurate misreading of the what the Arab Spring is really about. If the US wants stability in the Middle East, it shouldn’t bow to Saudi Arabia’s opposition to Shiite Iran.
Outsourcing isn't free trade with China. It's a free ride for China.

Outsourcing by multinationals to China allows Americans to buy cheap goods. But outsourcing is not creating a boom in US exports or jobs.
Chinese duck pasta with mushrooms

Steaming duck legs with ginger, garlic, star anise and Chinese five-spice powder before roasting them infuses the meat with flavor and moisture for this Chinese pasta dish.
Tariq Ramadan: Osama bin Laden is dead, but will West revive ties with Muslims?

Once the rejoicing at Osama bin Laden’s death is over, the West must address the real issue at hand: its relationship with the Muslim world in light of the Arab Spring.
The surprising factors behind Asia's renaissance

With a bright future ahead of it, Asia is increasingly rediscovering its past. To fully understand Asia's rise, we must come to grips with the forces that shaped its history: Western, Islamic, and Buddhist heritage. It's time to consider Asia's lesson on religious and cultural pluralism.
South Korean tech companies pick up slack left by Japan

The global high-tech industry is suffering significant production losses as Japan's dominant semiconductor manufacturers struggle to resume operations. South Korean firms are moving to fill the void.
After Ai Weiwei's arrest, a hard hitting Chinese author remains undeterred

Li Chengpeng belongs to a new breed of Chinese authors who have to come to prominence in the era of the Internet. His novel brought social criticism, widely available online, to a broad print audience – uncharted waters in China's censorship regime.
Opinion: Cost of US 'free' trade: collapse of two centuries of broadly shared prosperity

A reckless free-trade policy is destroying America's jobs machine. We must return to a policy of strategic, not unconditional, economic openness.
Japan nuclear crisis: Suddenly, light at the end of the tunnel?

The power to operate cooling pumps, a challenge at the heart of the Japan nuclear crisis, is on the verge of being restored, and a detailed assessment by a US expert is notably upbeat.
What the Japan crisis means for Asian manufacturing hub

The immediate economic crunch across East Asia is expected to ease. It may then give way to a boom in exports of materials that Japan needs for reconstruction, a boost to Asian producers.
Photos of the Day: Photos of the day 03/15
The silver lining of Japan’s earthquake

A massive earthquake and tsunami have accomplished what Japan's fiscal policy and central bank could not. Rebuilding a large swath of Japan will stimulate domestic growth and global demand, energy-efficient technologies, while helping to integrate China and Japan.