Relations between Taiwan and China, strained at the best of times, are hitting new lows over President Chen Shui-bian's stated intention to hold a referendum in March on the status of the island. If relations deteriorate into armed conflict, sea power will be an essential... MORE

Once again, a rude shock for Beijing. On January 1, close to 100,000 Hong Kong citizens hit the streets to demand universal suffrage elections for the next chief executive (CE) by 2007--and for members of the Legislative Council (LegCo) by 2008. These Special Administrative Region... MORE

Criticism of China's currency manipulation has become the focus of public dismay over the growing trade deficit and loss of three million manufacturing jobs since 2001. The issue has grown political legs, forcing the Bush Administration to pay heed. In a sharp departure from past... MORE

Japan, seeking to counter China's growing influence in Southeast Asia, is hamstrung by an inability to act in enlightened self-interest. In mid-December, Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi's summit in Tokyo with leaders of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) sought to reassert Japan's influence as... MORE

There are interesting parallels between North Korea's current nuclear weapons program and Taiwan's nuclear ambitions fifteen years ago. In both cases, a weapons program was discovered, dismantled and secretly restarted. In both cases, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) monitoring was inadequate and easily circumvented.... MORE

On December 9, President George Bush singled out Taiwanese President Chen Shui-bian for a bluntly worded rebuke. Appearing at the White House with Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao, Bush told reporters, "We oppose any unilateral decision by either China or Taiwan to change the status quo.... MORE

That Taiwan's Legislative Yuan had passed a watered-down version of the Law on Referendum on November 27 has hardly brought a respite to the looming cross-Straits crisis. The day before, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) authorities had warned that there would be a "strong response"... MORE

As the situation in the Middle East continues to deteriorate, from car bombings in Riyadh to pipeline attacks in Iraq, two Asian energy-deprived superpowers are nervously eyeing the developing chaos and wooing their nearest energy alternative, Russia. Both China and Japan are attempting to finalize... MORE

This month marks the end of the first quarter-century of China's reform era. During the groundbreaking Third Plenum of the 11th Party Congress in 1978, Deng Xiaoping launched his agenda of change, which has restructured the People's Republic beyond recognition. Once painted in pale shades,... MORE

By Willy Lam The future of "one country, two systems" has become even murkier after Beijing's high profile endorsement of Hong Kong Chief Executive Tung Chee-hwa earlier this month. Moreover, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) leadership's apparent refusal to allow democracy to proceed at a... MORE