East Asian Policy

East Asian countries continue to sign mega-Free Trade Agreements, indicating certain momentum for promoting cooperative economic relationships, despite protectionism fears. This paper examines East Asian regionalism after the Asian Financial Crisis in 1997 and discusses the dynamics of institution building among the United States, China and Japan. It also explores what ASEAN countries, South Korea and Australia should do to mitigate the tension in the region and facilitate progress in the open economic order.

North Korea watchers on denuclearisation negotiations from Singapore to Hanoi have been brought on a roller coaster ride. Although the recent fiasco at Hanoi seemed to justify North Korean experts’ predictions that the idea of North Korean denuclearisation is “a pie in the sky”, this paper explores both its possibilities of success and failure, and makes recommendations for those involved on how they should deal and view the current North Korean situation.

China remains an indispensable player in the peninsular denuclearisation process. Beijing seeks to foster peace and stability in the region, maintain a balanced two-Korea policy, and manage the North Korean nuclear challenge in the broader contexts of growing strategic rivalry with the United States, including disputes over trade, Taiwan and the South China Sea. Recent developments in China-DPRK relations indicate that Beijing continues to view North Korea as a strategic asset.

The power shift in the international system, the domestic politics of South Korea and Japan, and the attitudes of their top political leaders towards a historical reconciliation have worsened bilateral relations. Nevertheless, they share common strategic interests amidst a nuclearising Pyongyang. If Korean reunification is attained within the next few decades, developmental assistance from Tokyo will be immensely useful, making Japan a partner to Korea in the future.

Southeast Asia’s significance to the Korean peninsula is growing. South Korea has deepening trade, investment and assistance relationships in the region, while ASEAN’s non-judgmental approach to diplomacy is useful in dealing with Pyongyang. Beyond hosting summits between American and North Korean leaders, Southeast Asia is in a position to mediate North Korea’s greater international engagement and to assist in the acceleration of interaction between the North and the South.

Seoul has systematically pushed different stages of digitalisation and smart city agenda over the years. Its latest plan—Global Digital Seoul 2020—highlights social values and developmental goals, and envisions co-creation of urban solutions with citizens, promotion of local small and medium-sized enterprises and global collaboration. There are global and local strategies as well as distinctly separate positioning of the smart city. Challenges also exist for smart city Seoul.

Japan suffered from mild but persistent deflation from the 1990s through 2012 that eroded its economic vitality. The Bank of Japan (BOJ) took a cautious approach to confronting deflation until Shinzo Abe came to power in 2012. Abe appointed new leadership to the BOJ that implemented bold “unconventional” measures to pull Japan out of deflation. These policies may be ineffective in a future downturn, thus requiring consideration of other options.

The election of Donald J Trump has greatly changed American foreign policy. Trump has introduced two policy innovations: (i) minimise American role as leader of the free world in favour of a more narrowly focused national interest; and (ii) renegotiate the terms of American relations with its main adversaries. While the first has the most significant long-term international consequences it has been inconsistently applied. Trump’s attention is on the latter, greatly impacting American Asia policy.

Since 1994, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has highlighted the different roles, functions and responsibilities of CCP’s Grass-root Party Organisations (GPOs) in different periods and enterprises of different ownership types. To solve the inconsistency between a modern corporation governance structure and the involvement of GPOs in firms, the CCP pays great attention to embedding GPOs in the corporate governance structure of enterprises, which is a cause for concern for domestic and foreign investors.

Between 2009 and 2015, China executed at least 19 foreigners for drug trafficking. This study examines some notable cases in which foreign drug offenders were death sentenced and executed in China and discusses issues exposed. It further contrasts international due process protection requirements for foreigners who face criminal charges based on China’s laws and shows that China’s laws largely comply with international standards, though there is the question on compliance in actions.