Category: Asia

China to seize ‘historic’ moment to reshape world order

     

Western companies are kowtowing to China’s Communist authorities, acceding to the ruling party’s curbs on basic liberties, according to reports. The efforts by Beijing to curtail free speech at companies… Read more »

How to protect democracies from China’s ‘magic weapons’

     

Even more than his predecessors, Chinese President Xi Jinping has led a massive expansion of efforts to shape foreign public opinion in order to influence the decision-making of foreign governments… Read more »

Democracy is ‘under assault’ and ‘in retreat,’ says Freedom House

     

A new report from the independent watchdog organization Freedom House says that democratic principles such as election integrity and freedom of the press are weakening globally for the 12th consecutive… Read more »

Growing backlash as China turns soft power into sharp tool

     

Australia has launched a scathing attack on China’s efforts to build influence in the Pacific, accusing Beijing of currying favor with the region’s smaller nations by funneling cash into little-used… Read more »

Reclaiming the Philippines’ Democracy Narrative

     

Riding a strong populist wave and exerting a brand of crisis, Rodrigo Duterte was elected to power in the Philippines in mid-2016. More than a year into his presidency, Duterte’s… Read more »

India’s reluctant democracy assistance: world’s largest democracy also world’s most hierarchical society

     

India, the world’s largest democracy, also happens to be the world’s most hierarchical society; its most powerful and wealthy citizens, who are overwhelmingly upper-caste, are very far from checking their… Read more »

Under China, ‘Hong Kong’s democracy is dead’

     

Nine Hong Kong democracy activists have been banned from contesting seats in China’s legislature, the South China Morning Post reports. Elections to choose deputies to the National People’s Congress now… Read more »