Regional matters
We analyse the latest issues and developments across Asia.
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North Korea after Kim Jong-ilChallenges facing the country and wider region after the death of the "dear leader" |
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Ageing populations threaten Asia's growthSpeed of demographic change creates challenges for region's economies and social services |
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Indian anti-corruption movement under firePopular campaigner Anna Hazare attracts criticism for his methods |
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China reaches for the starsThe launch of China's first space laboratory on September 29, 2011 was an important milestone in the country's space programme |
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Democracy in the making, or public relations campaign?Changes made by Myanmar's new president have drawn a mixed response from observers |
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Thailand's brittle democracyWe look at the challenges facing the newly elected Yingluck Shinawatra
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China's harmony express |
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Asia looks to a nuclear futureContinuing economic growth fuelled by nuclear power |
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Japan's nuclear crisisJapan eyes new strategy of clean energy generation |
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India's growing thirstIn our second series on water shortages in Asia, we take a look at the challenges ahead for India |
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Digging deep: grappling with water shortage in ChinaA colossal water engineering project is underway to divert water to China's drought-stricken northeast provinces |
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Mongolia mines its futureCan any country to outpace China's economic growth? This mineral-rich North Asian country has thrown everything into the gamble |
Earlier articles by country
Cambodia
- Cambodia on trial - the slow-running process of bringing the remaining Kymer Rouge leaders to justice. (January 2010)
China
- China rediscovers its place in the world - will an ancient Chinese coin discovered on the Kenyan coast prompt a review of history? (December 2010)
- Grabbing the microphone: China's media gamble - the third in a series on the Chinese media landscape. (May 2010)
- Chinese internet companies - more on China's burgeoning media - part two of three articles. (May 2010)
- Bloggers and Chinese Twitter, China's new media wave - the first in a three-part on Chinese media written by media adviser Charles Mabbett. (May 2010)
- China gets tough on foreign business - the increasingly fraught relations between China and a number of high profile Western investors. (April 2010)
- China strengthens economic ties with Africa - China is increasing economic presence on the continent and the mixed reactions it has prompted. (December 2009)
- China's ethnic unrest - the fallout from the recent disturbances in Urumqi, capital of the traditional Uighur homeland, is analysed. (October 2009)
- Nanjing: the politics of memory - there are efforts by China and Japan to find middle ground over contested and painful history. (August 2009)
India
- India's image-defining games - preparation for the Commonwealth Games in October 2010 has been anything but smooth. (September 2010)
- India's new rope trick - could being a runner-up to China yet prove to be to India's advantage in the future? (May 2010)
- India votes for stability - a commentary on the 2009 elections in the world's largest democracy. (July 2009)
Indonesia
- Indonesia's palm oil gambit - a two-year moratorium on deforestation has been declared. What is at stake? (June 2010)
- Indonesia: the country's evolving democracy - elections in the world's most populous Muslim-majority nation.
Japan
- Cool Japan - culture as a global export. (August 2010)
- Japan: a new direction - an assessment of the landslide victory of the leftist DPJ.
Malaysia
- Malaysia's high wire act - an assessment of the country's current economic and political landscape on negotiation of an FTA with New Zealand. (November 2009)
Nepal
- Nepal's highway of dreams - 21st century Silk Road connects China and India via Nepal and Tibet. (July 2010)
- South Asia's royal retreat - An overview of recent tumultuous developments in Nepal and Bhutan. (March 2009)
Myanmar (Burma)
- Myanmar's ersatz elections - what changes lie ahead after the country's first elections in 20 years and the liberation of AungSang Suu Kyi? (November 2010)
North Korea
- The rise of the "Morning-Star King" - we take a look at North Korea's planned succession. (October 2010)
- North Korea: its nuclear obsession - The reverse of a process of relative detente. (July 2009)
Pakistan
- Pakistan: "Clear and present danger" - Why militant Islam is unforgiving of poor governance. (May 2009)
Sri Lanka
- Tamils face life after war - following the end of armed conflict in Sri Lanka, a political situation remains volatile. (March 2010)
- Sri Lanka's civil war - We report on a country too broken to fix. (March 2009)
Thailand
- Thailands's royal politics - an assessment of the role of former leader Thaksin Shinawatra in the increasing political tension in Thailand. (February 2010)
Vietnam
- Reformist urge softens - the Communist Party's XIth congress in January 2011 would seem merely an occasion to reapply varnish to the regime (February 2011)
- Closer defence relations between New Zealand and Vietnam - a Vietnamese delegation visits military locations in New Zealand.
Regional
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Strengthening New Zealand relationships in East Asia - Terence O'Brien of the Centre for Strategic Studies on New Zealand's engagement with the region














