There are signs of growing tensions between the country’s private sector and its rentier political elite. It’s unclear what reform Prime Minister Hun Manet announced – or whether there was an announcement at all. He’s adamant on what hasn’t happened: his government isn’t about to start selling land to foreigners. But it sounds a lot… Continue reading In Cambodia, Foreigners Cannot Own Land. Or Can They?
Private debt, much of it concentrated in the rapidly deflating real estate sector, has already emerged as a political problem for Prime Minister Hun Manet. Not all is well in the Kingdom of Hun. Hun Manet, Cambodia’s new prime minister, who inherited the role from his father in August, prepares to meet with the business community on… Continue reading Will Cambodia’s Private Debt Become National Debt?
Some 100,000 Laotians will have left in 2023, removing the disaffected and the unemployed, a boon for the regime. In a rare moment in the international spotlight, Laos was the topic of two articles published by major world media outlets in early October, although not with the sort of headlines the ruling communist party wanted… Continue reading Migration throws Laos’ communist government a lifeline
Ideology does not guide the 2024 presidential candidates’ policies on cross-strait and international relations. Yet party dynamics will inform how candidates would manage these relations if victorious. In Taiwan, three political parties have sent their aspirants into the race for the country’s top political job, the presidency. A fourth hopeful has promised he will meet… Continue reading Is This the End of Ideology in Taiwanese Politics?
Taiwan’s upcoming presidential and parliamentary elections feature three candidates with distinct backgrounds and approaches. Defense policy, Taiwan-US relations, and Taiwan-Japan relations are key campaign issues, with potential implications for the island nation’s future stability and international standing. Election campaigns for Taiwan’s upcoming presidential and parliamentary elections next January are already in full swing. Three parties… Continue reading Taiwan’s 2024 presidential election and its candidates: What to expect in foreign policy and cross-Strait relations?
