Economics, Politics and Public Policy in East Asia and the Pacific
Author: Trevor Wilson, ANU
Australia hosted a high-level government delegation from Myanmar this week, led by President Thein Sein.
Thein Sein’s ambitious program of economic and political reform has surprised the international community since he assumed office in March 2011. Read more…
Author: Sai Latt, SFU
Myanmar’s Minister of Finance and Revenue, Hla Tun, revealed in February 2012 that the country has an external debt of US$11 billion.
This came as a shock to the public, who is still trying to reconcile the amount of the debt with the fact that people in Myanmar seem to get poorer every year.
Since the early 1990s developed countries have imposed economic sanctions Read more…
Author: Virginia Hooker, ANU
The Issues Paper that kick-started debate about Australia in the Asian Century is a provocative document.
It recognises the urgency of implementing national policies that will enable Australia to interact positively with Asia. Yet it fails to address two interlinked characteristics of Australian society: the ongoing anxiety about racial and religious difference and unease about socio-economic change. Read more…
Author: Andray Abrahamian, Choson Exchange and University of Ulsan
North Korea’s announcement of a satellite test planned for April has kicked up quite a fuss as governments try to decide how to respond.
South Korea’s Foreign Ministry said it would be a ‘grave provocation’, while Japan’s cabinet secretary urged North Korea not to carry out the test, saying it was a violation of UN sanctions.
Author: Peter Drysdale, Editor, East Asia Forum
The dramatic increase in recent years of trade and foreign direct investment (FDI) in sub-Saharan Africa by firms from Asia — notably China and India — has become an emotionally charged and controversial issue.
For China, as Luke Hurst has written, Africa would seem an excellent complement to its resource- and market-seeking global agenda. Read more…
Author: Fitrian Ardiansyah, ANU
Agreements achieved in the early morning of 11 December in Durban, South Africa appeared to salvage the UN climate talks — but have also raised questions about the commitment and capability of countries around the world to urgently tackling climate change.
After two weeks of difficult negotiations, governments involved in the 17th session of the Conference of Parties (COP-17) agreed to extend the Kyoto Protocol and negotiate a binding agreement for all countries to cut greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Read more…
Author: Stephen Howes, ANU
The founding institution within the World Bank Group is the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD).
The only part of the institution that was established by the 1944 Bretton Woods conference, the IBRD is the World Bank’s bank. Read more…
Author: Stephen Howes, ANU
The Australia-PNG Ministerial Forum convened today in Canberra after a break of over two years.
And today the prime ministers of the two countries will also meet for the first time (outside of sideline meetings) following this significant interlude. Read more…
Author: Frank Jotzo, ANU
Indonesia is among the world’s largest greenhouse gas emitters, and it has committed to cut its carbon footprint.
Can Indonesia achieve its goals, what is its role in the region, and how could developed countries assist? Read more…
Author: Amy King, Oxford University
On 21–22 May, Japan hosted the Fourth China-Japan-South Korea Trilateral Summit.
As the first such meeting since the triple (earthquake-tsunami-nuclear) disaster in Japan, it was largely focused on disaster recovery efforts. Read more…
Author: Alicia Mollaun, ANU
The United States’ relationship with Pakistan is characterised by deep mistrust. Mistrust in US policy and mistrust of US intentions in Pakistan.
The death of Bin Laden and the circumstances under which he was killed is unlikely to change this. Mistrust is likely to rankle both sides as the details of the US mission come to light. Read more…
Author: Jenny Corbett, ANU
French President Sarkozy is the first foreign leader to visit Japan since the disasters of early March. His visit has been welcomed in Japan and has partly restored the unfortunate impression that the French jumped ship early by evacuating all their nationals. Well-timed, symbolic gestures of support can have great impact. Would this be a good moment for a high-level gesture of goodwill, respect and support from Australia? Absolutely. But a mere repetition of the mantra that Japan is our most strategically important ally in the region would be a wasted opportunity. These circumstances provide an important moment to take the bilateral relationship one big step towards new levels on many fronts.
On the humanitarian front Australia can offer assistance beyond aid and rescue teams. Read more…
Author: Risti Permani, University of Adelaide
Few might think that the Australian state of Queensland’s recent natural disasters could have any link with the future of underprivileged students in Indonesian Islamic schools (madrasah).
But the Australian opposition Liberal Party’s proposal to cut aid for madrasah to avoid the Australian PM’s flood levy to pay for flood damage has raised concerns over the effect of diverting support for those schools on Australia’s counter-terrorism agenda. Read more…
Author: Jonas Parello-Plesner, European Council on Foreign Relations
The saying ‘forget about Europe’ has become common in Asia in 2010. It has been reinforced by the euro crisis provoked by massive Greek debt. After the euro crisis the Chinese financial press largely wrote Europe off or compared it to Latin America after the 1980s debt crisis. The economic basis for the EU’s power is decreasing. The eternal process that characterised the Lisbon treaty, which is now finally in place, has been perceived as endless procedure for Asian outsiders with little impact while the global order moves on.
Yet the EU still has something to offer in Asia. It is moving ahead on one important area where it has overtaken the US: trade. It is often said that the business of Asia is business. Read more…
Authors: Mohsin Khan, PIIE and Shuja Nawaz, Atlantic Council, Washington
The floods in Pakistan have affected one-fifth of the country (an area roughly the size of England) and engulfed large parts of all four provinces—Punjab, Balochistan, Sindh and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (formerly the North West Frontier Province). The vast scope of the damage makes this a truly national disaster with long-term economic and political consequences. With waters still rising, it is far too early to assess the economic costs; a proper assessment will be made in time by the Government of Pakistan, assisted by the UN and the World Bank. But on the basis of early indicators, a preliminary and admittedly impressionistic view of the damage can be formed.
The immediate impact on the population is truly staggering—20 million people affected with 8 million in need of water, food and shelter; 1500-2000 killed; 4 million left homeless; and 15 million displaced. Read more…
