Showing 1 - 9 of 9
Time for a Seoul-Tokyo peace pact
Asia focus, Erich Parpart, Published on 12/08/2019
» I love kimchi and I love ramen. I love the bushido way of life and Japanese humility, and I love South Koreans' resilience and devotion to education that helped them lift their country from poverty after World War II to become an Asian economic powerhouse. And in my opinion, both South Koreans and Japanese are among the nicest people in the world.
Pyongyang moves the goalposts
Asia focus, Erich Parpart, Published on 22/04/2019
» When I asked a senior official from Washington recently about the failure of the second Trump-Kim summit in Vietnam in late February, the response I received was every bit as diplomatic as I had expected.
We deserve a year-end break
Asia focus, Erich Parpart, Published on 24/12/2018
» What a year it's been, riddled with natural and manmade disasters, not to mention the antics of Donald Trump. Between his landmark summit with North Korea's leader and the lingering trade war with China, the US president's second year in office has been an eventful one for Asia.
Asia's memorable World Cup
Asia focus, Erich Parpart, Published on 09/07/2018
» The World Cup approaches its semi-final round this week minus any African or Asian contenders, but Asian teams did much better than I thought they would. I do not think I was the only observer who erred on the side of pessimism before the tournament started with a record five Asian teams.
Asia gets its kicks
Asia focus, Erich Parpart, Published on 18/06/2018
» There was no shortage of excitement in the world last week, what with Donald Trump and Kim Jong-un shaking hands and pledging to work toward peace on the Korean Peninsula. But the number of people tuning in to the "summit of the century" was probably eclipsed two days later when the World Cup kicked off in Russia.
Pyongyang's charm offensive
Asia focus, Erich Parpart, Published on 19/02/2018
» A budget of US$2.6 million to ensure red-carpet treatment for North Koreans at the Winter Olympics is just one sign of South Korea's eagerness to revive dialogue with its dangerous neighbour. The North appears equally keen, based on the high-profile visit to Pyeongchang by Kim Yo-jong, the Supreme Leader's sister and Pyongyang's PR queen.
Enjoy the calm while it lasts
Asia focus, Erich Parpart, Published on 23/10/2017
» China's economy slowed marginally from 6.9% growth in the first half to 6.8% in the third quarter but is still on course to beat Beijing's full-year target of 6.5%. It was the sort of good news Communist Party bigshots were waiting to hear, coming a day after President Xi Jinping's stirring three-hour speech to their twice-a-decade congress.
The curse of corruption
Asia focus, Erich Parpart, Published on 30/01/2017
» Lately we are hearing more about corruption scandals across Asia and, sadly, we will probably be hearing more. The mother of them all is the long-running saga of 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB), one of the world's largest white-collar crimes.
Winter is coming, still
Asia focus, Erich Parpart, Published on 09/01/2017
» Following an eventful 2016 that featured seismic political shifts and numerous celebrity deaths, many of us greeted the New Year with hopes that better times lie ahead. But regardless what the fortune tellers say, 2017 could be the year of consequences, whether it's the final outcome of Brexit or the impact of a Donald Trump presidency.