The plethora of regulations on party discipline introduced earlier this month by President Hu Jintao has much more to do with the Chinese Communist Party's (CCP) perennial battle against corruption. While laying down stricter regulations against what the Chinese media calls "the exchange of power... MORE

Does the Russian Pipeline project, slated to deliver oil to China, remain a source of controversy--or is it simply dead? According to some statements from the Russian Ministry of Natural Resources, and also from environmental organizations and various press reports, it is, at the very... MORE

Unlike India, which continues to squander geopolitical opportunities (such as the recent chance to get a ringside seat in Iraq by participating in the U.S.-led coalition there), Pakistan has been skillful in leveraging its international relationships. By attaching itself to the U.S.-led anti-Communist alliance beginning... MORE

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