The Mongolian “Hoop Dream” — Creation of American Soft Power Through Basketball
“Be true to the game, because the game will be true to you.” – Michael Jordan Introduction Recent years have seen the slow erosion of US influence i...
Category: Asia
Our Asia-Oceania desk covers South Asia, East Asia, Southeast Asia, Central Eurasia, Oceania, and most of the Pacific Ocean.
A Meaty Issue: Halal Food and Muslims in South Korea
Walking in the busy streets of Seoul on a Friday or Saturday night, it is common to see groups of friends sharing juicy samgyeopsal (grilled pork belly) while d...
Martians in the Gobi: Mongolia’s New Approach to Space Policy
Introduction In March, Mongolia was welcomed into the international space community by successfully sending two nanosatellites, Ondosat-Owl-1 and Ondosat-Owl-2,...
The Evolving Zainichi Identity and Multicultural Society in Japan
Originally published June 1, 2021 Introduction The notion of ethnic homogeneity has served a potent role in building modern nation-states. Governments have ofte...
Trading the Rope: How Chinese Dual-Use Investment is Destabilizing South Asia
Earlier this year, Chinese state-owned Wuchang Shipbuilding Industry Group delivered the first of eight Hangor-class submarines to Pakistan continuing the decad...
‘Today’s world will not be a repeat of the Cold War:’ Professor Odd Arne Westad on the Evolution of Geopolitics
Odd Arne Westad is a Norwegian scholar of modern international and global history, with a specialization in the history of Eastern Asia since the 18th century. ...
The Quandary of Expression: A Deep Dive into Freedom of Speech and the Press in the Philippines
Timothy Snyder, author of ‘On Tyranny,’ once said, “To abandon truth is to abandon freedom. If nothing is true then no one can criticize power, because there is...
Fanning the Flames: Pyusawhti Violence in the Myanmar’s Dry Zone
Since the end of British occupation in 1948, Myanmar has been mired in constant ethnic and political violence. It is believed that over fifty non-state armed gr...
Ramen vs. Ramyeon: The Story of a Linguistic Beef
In U.S. grocery stores, the “Asian Cuisine” aisle is typically dominated by one item: ramen. With its bright packaging, cheap prices, easy preparation, and salt...
Abductions and Missile Aggression: How Historical Grievances Shape Japan-North Korea relations
Last December, Japan watched on uneasily as another North Korean missile made its way into the East Sea. This was the third test of North Korea’s newest p...