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On Sunday, Japan held a memorial service to commemorate wartime laborers at the Sado Mine, a site in Niigata Prefecture with a complex history before and during World War II. Historians say around 1,500 Korean men were forced to toil in Sado during Japan’s colonial rule over Korea. The issue gained new prominence with Japan’s […]
The international community’s efforts in tackling the global plastics crisis have reached a pivotal moment, leading up to the fifth and last scheduled intergovernmental negotiating committee (INC-5) to take place in Busan, South Korea starting on November 25. If countries agree to an international framework to reduce the production and consumption of plastics, the world […]
On February 28, 1947, the Kuomintang (KMT) government led by Chiang Kai-shek launched a harsh crackdown in Taiwan by indiscriminately gunning down protesters. On that fateful day, protesters had gathered to denounce two years of chaos and corruption under the KMT after the Allies had handed Taiwan back to China. The violent crackdown, known as […]
The 2024 U.S. election concluded decisively, with Republicans securing a sweeping victory. Not only did Donald Trump win reelection to the White House, but Republicans also won the popular vote, traditionally a Democratic consolation prize. With Republican control of both the presidency and Congress, plus their advantage in Supreme Court judges, the Democratic Party’s defeat […]
Two undersea internet cables were severed in the span of 24 hours earlier this week – and European governments suspect a Chinese vessel is responsible. On Sunday, a submarine cable linking Lithuania and Sweden stopped operating due to a reported cut in the line. The next day, a separate cable linking Finland and Germany was […]
(Analysis) In the global race for technological supremacy, semiconductors have emerged as the most critical asset. These tiny chips power everything from smartphones to artificial intelligence (AI) systems and advanced military equipment. But behind China’s rise as a manufacturing powerhouse lies a glaring vulnerability: its deep reliance on the West and its allies—Taiwan, Japan, South […]
It is no secret that Japan has lost ground in the artificial intelligence (AI) and semiconductor markets over the last five years. The COVID-19 pandemic convulsed Japanese production lines and supply chains, leaving innovation hubs and industrial complexes heavily reliant on offshore resources to fulfill demand, both for domestic consumption and for exports. To revive […]
The recent decline in venture capital (VC) investment in China has far-reaching consequences, not only for the startup ecosystem but also for the broader Chinese economy. Once a vibrant hub for entrepreneurial activity, China’s startup scene is now facing significant challenges as VC funding drops to its lowest levels in years. The decline in capital […]
The victory of Donald Trump in the 2024 U.S. presidential election has caused a shockwave throughout the world. Friends and foes of the United States alike are nervous about another four years with the former president, whose first term was filled with uncertainties and inconsistencies. However, Japan, in particular, seems to have prepared for such […]
The Diplomat author Mercy Kuo regularly engages subject-matter experts, policy practitioners, and strategic thinkers across the globe for their diverse insights into U.S. Asia policy. This conversation with Dr. Zeno Leoni – lecturer in the Defense Studies Department of King’s College London and author of “Grand Strategy and the Rise of China” (Agenda 2023) – is […]