Asia Matters Podcast Asia Matters

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has appeared in a slew of new propaganda videos, promoting technological advances in the regime’s nuclear program and issuing warnings to South Korea and its allies. For the first time since the Korean War was paused seven decades ago, the dictator has talked about South Korea as an enemy, rather than part of a peninsula that had to be reunified under the regime, marking a historic shift. As Pyongyang reinforces its military cooperation with Moscow, steppi...

Asia is the most exciting and consequential region in the world today. Its countries - all with diverse political systems and complex, fascinating histories - are home to 4.3 billion people, who together generate about two thirds of global growth.But it's also where some of the planet's most high-stakes disputes play out on a daily basis: China's menacing of Taiwan; the North Korean nuclear threat; and the ongoing civil war in Myanmar.In short, Asia Matters.Asia Matters is the podcast where w...

It's a big week for Chinese politics as its annual political conclave gets under way in Beijing. Amid the pomp and heightened security, the Two Sessions is an important preview of the government's plans and policies for the year ahead. And increasingly over the last decade, that roadmap has been underpinned by the instructions of China's leader and the doctrine named for him - Xi Jinping Thought. But despite the fact that his decisions affect so many, Xi’s beliefs and what guides h...

Diplomats, policy-makers and experts gathered at the Brussels Indo-Pacific Dialogue, hosted by our partners at the Center for Security, Diplomacy and Strategy.Participants shared their insights on the key issues that make this moment arguably the most consequential since World War II: conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East, trade wars, supply chains, economic security, artificial intelligence, and more. To better understand what's at stake, CSDS-Asia Matters' Andrew Peaple traveled to ...

In January the world's eyes were on Taiwan as the self-ruled island held elections. Now the dust has settled, what is the significance of the results, both for Taiwan itself and for the wider international community? The Democratic Progressive Party has now won its third presidential election in a row, with Lai Ching-te, or William Lai, set to become Taiwan’s new leader in May. But the outcome in the country’s Legislative Yuan – the equivalent to its parliament — was more of a mixed...

Following a historic meeting between the leaders of the United States, Japan and the Republic of Korea at Camp David in August, the three countries have been strengthening military and intelligence cooperation. What does it mean for the balance of power in Asia? Could this lead to an escalation of tensions with China and North Korea? And crucially, can the "trilateral partnership" last, given the difficult history between Japan and South Korea?In this episode, CSDS-Asia Matters' Andrew P...