The nuclear phase-out is undermining Taiwan’s energy security, but it may be politically difficult for the DPP to change course. Right after the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) administration came to power in Taiwan in 2016, it began pursuing its energy transition vision: increasing the share of renewable energy, expanding the use of LNG, and cutting… Continue reading Taiwan’s Energy (In)security: Between Green Ambitions vs. Fossil Fuel Realities
At a mass rally on 1 July 2023, with campaigning underway for Cambodia’s upcoming general election, Prime Minister Hun Sen symbolically handed over the ruling Cambodian People’s Party (CPP) flag to his eldest son — Hun Manet — who is expected to soon succeed him as premier. While Norodom Sihanouk is remembered as Cambodia’s ‘King Father’, Hun… Continue reading Cambodia transits from ‘strongman’ Hun Sen to ‘strongson’ Hun Manet
The European Union faces a difficult decision in responding to Cambodia’s general election later this month. The ballot is assured to be unfree and unfair, but should Brussels respond punitively, potentially impacting its relations with the ASEAN bloc and a potential new Cambodian leader, or play nice in order to gain leverage amid a once-in-a-generation… Continue reading What Should The EU Do After Cambodia’s July 23rd General Election?
The outspoken former Singaporean diplomat’s latest dispatch flies very wide off the mark. There is so much to dislike in Bilahari Kausikan’s latest splotch of wisdom in Nikkei Asia (“ASEAN needs to get back its old hardheaded realism,” July 7) that it’s difficult to know where to begin. Is it him calling Timor-Leste a “failing… Continue reading The Problems With Bilahari Kausikan’s ‘ASEAN Realism’
The current stagnation could shock the ruling Communist Party into putting economic policy back into sensible hands. Pick up an article about Vietnam’s anti-corruption campaign and chances are it will be described as a “blazing furnace.” That’s a confection of its architect, Communist Party chief Nguyen Phu Trong. But give ear to something else he said… Continue reading Is Vietnam’s Economic Blip a Blessing in Disguise?
