Eastern Asia

“Decuple”, “De-risk”, or “Strengthen”? Big Cracks in the West’s China Policy

For Washington, what it needs for its China policy to work is a unified stance, both domestically and internationally. For the past few years, Washington has been trying to achieve this very objective, but it continues to prove more and more difficult than it might have initially believed. In Europe, there is a clear sense […]

The Mosaic nature of Sino-European relations remains complex

In fact, the use of the word “mosaic” in the comprehensive description of Sino-European interactions precludes an illustrative and simplistic (“explained via hand gestures”) interpretation. The phrase “remains complex” indicates that there is no current effort toward “simplification” of this statement. All of the aforementioned factors, which frequently contradict one another, remain in Europeans’ dealings […]

Yoon Suk-yeol’s East European tour. Part Three. Visit to Kiev

South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol paid an unexpected visit to Ukraine on July 15, 2023, following a three-day official visit to Poland that we previously discussed. Yoon has consistently indicated throughout his diplomatic tours in recent months that this is a strong indication of his support for Ukraine and his condemnation of Russia. Additionally, it […]

Yoon Suk-yeol’s Eastern European Tour. Part Two. The Warsaw Summit

We continue our series on the South Korean president’s trip to Eastern Europe. After concluding his visit to Vilnius for the NATO summit on July 12, Yoon proceeded to Warsaw for a three-day official visit, the first in 14 years since former president Lee Myung-bak. The President was also accompanied by a business delegation of […]

Yoon Suk-yeol’s Eastern European Tour. Part One. President of the Republic of Korea at the NATO summit

On July 17, 2023, South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol returned home after completing an eight-day overseas trip that took him to Lithuania, Poland, and Ukraine. President Moon Jae-in of South Korea attended the NATO summit in Vilnius, where he “stressed Seoul’s commitment to deepening cooperation with the military alliance through a new special partnership program […]

Whether Russia needs a “peace treaty” with Japan

In June of this year, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a law according to which the victory over militaristic Japan will be commemorated in Russia on September 3. The State Duma passed the law, the Federation Council approved it. The newspapers of the Land of the Rising Sun wrote lengthy stories in which the alleged […]
Сообщение Whether Russia needs a “peace treaty” with Japan появились сначала на New Eastern Outlook.

Some comments on the Russian Defense Minister’s visit to North Korea

July 27, 2023, was the 70th anniversary of the official end of the Korean War. In the DPRK this date is widely celebrated, and this year one of the main events in the ceremonies was the arrival of a Russian delegation, led by Defense Minister Sergey Shoygu. On July 25, the DPRK’s official press agency, […]
Сообщение Some comments on the Russian Defense Minister’s visit to North Korea появились сначала на New Eastern Outlook.

The Japanese Prime Minister tours the Persian Gulf states to discuss decarbonization

From July 16 – 18 this year, the Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida traveled to three of the Arab Gulf states – the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Kuwait. It was his first trip to the region – which is of growing strategic importance to all the major participants in the current stage […]

Yoon Suk-yeol swings to the right

Although the rule of President Yoon Suk-yeol began with declarations of national unity, by late June or early July 2023, there have been a number of actions that hint to a rightward tilt. These actions go beyond the appointment of a new unification minister, which the author has already discussed. Recall that when Kim Yung-ho […]
Сообщение Yoon Suk-yeol swings to the right появились сначала на New Eastern Outlook.

US Arms Package to Taiwan Heralds “Ukraine Part 2”

The United States has announced a new weapons package for Taiwan worth up to 345 million USD. Reuters, in an article covering the package, would suggest it was aimed at providing Taiwan with “security assistance.” In reality, the transfer of weapons from the US to Taiwan is a violation of Chinese sovereignty under international law, which recognizes […]