Asia | Council on Foreign Relations

Asia

Lost Decade

Robert D. Blackwill and Richard Fontaine evaluate the limitations of the Pivot to Asia and offer a compelling vision for the future of U.S. foreign policy in the Indo-Pacific.

Book by Robert D. Blackwill and Richard Fontaine June 11, 2024
Thailand

Thailand’s Government Promised Change. It’s Delivering Chaos

The government of Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin has done little to address Thailand’s pressing issues, and now, after a Cabinet reshuffle and high-profile resignations, it seems to be in chaos.

Article by Joshua Kurlantzick May 16, 2024 Asia Unbound
Thailand

Thailand’s Politics Suffer More Turbulence

The current Thai government, which assumed power in 2023, has proven ineffective in tackling the nation’s challenges, while its politics have become increasingly fractious.

Blog Post by Joshua Kurlantzick May 16, 2024 Asia Unbound

Experts in this Region

Alyssa Ayres

Adjunct Senior Fellow for India, Pakistan, and South Asia

Karen B. Brooks

Adjunct Senior Fellow for Asia

Jerome A. Cohen

Adjunct Senior Fellow for Asia Studies

Rush Doshi

Senior Fellow for China and Indo-Pacific Studies and Director of the Initiative on China Strategy

Matthew P. Goodman

Distinguished Fellow and Director of the Greenberg Center for Geoeconomic Studies

Yanzhong Huang

Senior Fellow for Global Health

Kenneth I. Juster

Distinguished Fellow

Joshua Kurlantzick

Senior Fellow for Southeast Asia

Zongyuan Zoe Liu

Maurice R. Greenberg Fellow for China Studies

Manjari Chatterjee Miller

Senior Fellow for India, Pakistan, and South Asia

Carl Minzner

Senior Fellow For China Studies

David Sacks

Fellow for Asia Studies

Adam Segal

Ira A. Lipman Chair in Emerging Technologies and National Security and Director of the Digital and Cyberspace Policy Program (ON LEAVE)

Sheila A. Smith

John E. Merow Senior Fellow for Asia-Pacific Studies

Sue Mi Terry

Senior Fellow for Korea Studies

Myanmar

Will 2024 Be the Junta’s End in Myanmar?

Myanmar’s civil war between resistance groups and the ruling military junta has reached a decisive phase.

Blog Post by Joshua Kurlantzick May 15, 2024 Asia Unbound
India

Religion and Foreign Policy Webinar: India's 2024 General Elections

Lisa Curtis, senior fellow and director of the Indo-Pacific Security Program at Center for a New American Security, and Milan Vaishnav, senior fellow and director of the South Asia Program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, discuss the geopolitical implications of India’s general elections and the influence of religion on politics in India. Alyssa Ayres, dean of the Elliott School of International Affairs at George Washington University and adjunct senior fellow for India, Pakistan, and South Asia at the Council on Foreign Relations, moderates the discussion.

Webinar by Lisa Curtis, Milan Vaishnav and Alyssa Ayres May 15, 2024 Religion and Foreign Policy Webinars
China

Religion in China

A significant proportion of China’s population claims to follow a religion. However, the government continues to toughen oversight, increase persecution of some religions, and attempt to co-opt state-sanctioned religious organizations.

Backgrounder by CFR.org Editors May 15, 2024

China

Power and Financial Interdependence

My new paper for the Geoeconomics and Geofinance Initiative of the Institute Français des Relations Internationals’ (IFRI) explores the history of the Sino-American financial relationship.

Blog Post by Brad W. Setser May 15, 2024 Follow the Money
Trade

The Contentious U.S.-China Trade Relationship

Trade between the world’s two biggest economies has ballooned in recent decades, bringing significant benefits but also perils that have led to calls to rethink the relationship.

Backgrounder by Anshu Siripurapu and Noah Berman May 14, 2024
China

China Is Reversing Its Crackdown on Some Religions, but Not All

Well-documented crackdowns on religious freedom in China, especially against Muslims and Christians, only show part of Beijing’s religious policy. Another side involves state support for “indigenous religions” in an attempt to promote traditional social values amid declining belief in the communist ideology.

Expert Brief by Ian Johnson May 14, 2024 Asia Program
Taiwan

Taiwan’s Democracy Is Thriving in China’s Shadow

Despite China’s growing pressure, Taiwan has developed one of the world’s strongest democracies—one that will be increasingly tested in the coming years.

Blog Post by David Sacks May 13, 2024 Asia Unbound
Asia

Early Signs From President-Elect Prabowo Subianto Are Worrying

As President-Elect, Prabowo Subianto, widely accused of past rights abuses, is already showing signs that he may further damage Indonesia's fragile democracy.

Blog Post by Joshua Kurlantzick May 13, 2024 Asia Unbound
Maternal and Child Health

Women This Week: Women and Girls Facing Severe Challenges as Israel Plans Rafah Invasion

Welcome to “Women Around the World: This Week,” a series that highlights noteworthy news related to women and U.S. foreign policy. This week’s post covers May 4 to May 10.

Blog Post by Noël James May 10, 2024 Women Around the World
Asia

What a Second Trump Term Could Mean for Southeast Asia

His aggressive stance toward China could force many in the region to pick a side.

Article by Joshua Kurlantzick May 10, 2024 Asia Program
Politics and Government

2024 Conference on Diversity in International Affairs

The 2024 Conference on Diversity in International Affairs was a collaborative effort by the Council on Foreign Relations, the Global Access Pipeline, and the International Career Advancement Program. For information about the conference in previous years, please click here.

Virtual Event by Kevin A. Ball, María G. Barsallo Lynch, Mohamad Bazzi, Wafa Ben-Hassine, Esther Brimmer, Laura Delgado Lopez, Rush Doshi , Miriam Elder, Andrea R. Flores, Eric Garcetti, Sherry Hakimi, Shanthi A. Kalathil, Jessica Keegan, Andrew S. Kim, Brian Mateo, Ebenezer Obadare , Mira D. Patel, Sabrina Roshan, Pir Z. Shah, Ruth J. Simmons, Paul B. Stares , Munish Walther-Puri, Daniel E. White, Jamila White, Edith L. Bartley, Sewell Chan, Bay Fang, Michael Froman , Hermes Grullon, Charles A. Reynolds, Cecilia Elena Rouse, Gabrielle Sierra , Sue Mi Terry and Ezinne Uzo-Okoro May 8, 2024 Conference on Diversity in International Affairs
RealEcon

In Economic Security, Trade-Offs Abound

Policymakers face complex cost-benefit considerations when intervening in the market to mitigate perceived risks, from climate change to competition with China.

Article by Thomas J. Bollyky , Chloe Searchinger , Alice C. Hill , Zongyuan Zoe Liu and Benn Steil May 8, 2024 RealEcon