Articles written by Prashanth Parameswaran
By Prashanth Parameswaran
14 Nov 2011 |
Briefing
Despite U.S. President Barack Obama's campaign promise to engage rogue regimes, America's relationship with North Korea has been frosty since he took office. A string of provocations by Pyongyang last year, including the sinking of a South Korean navy ship, further dampened hopes for progress. But recent staff changes in the Obama administration and other signals suggest that ties may warm in the coming months.
By Prashanth Parameswaran
26 Oct 2011 |
Briefing
Under President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, Indonesia has emerged as a success story in many ways. It has waged a resilient campaign against terrorism, achieved strong economic growth rate and demonstrated leadership within the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). But Yudhoyono's tenure has also seen the rise of radical Islam, which some view as the greatest threat to Indonesian democracy.
By Prashanth Parameswaran
21 Jun 2011 |
Briefing
With oil prices nearing $120 a barrel, all
eyes were on the 12 members of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting
Countries (OPEC) during their meeting in Vienna earlier this month. The
International Energy Agency had strongly urged OPEC, which produces 40 percent of the world's oil, to raise production output to stem rocketing oil prices
and prevent a potential double-dip recession. That did not happen.
By Prashanth Parameswaran
21 Oct 2010 |
Briefing
With nations scouring the globe in pursuit of mineral
supplies, the world's attention has shifted to Mongolia, a country some
are heralding as the next resource success story. Its rich, untapped mineral deposits could make this
underdeveloped country one of the fastest-growing economies over the next decade -- if it can
address a set of daunting challenges and bring these resources to the
market.
By Prashanth Parameswaran
05 Oct 2010 |
Briefing
Recent rumors that China had effectively banned rare metal exports to
Japan over a thorny territorial dispute have thrust the issue of rare
earth elements to the fore. With demand rising and Beijing continuing to
tighten its stranglehold over the dwindling supply of rare earths,
other countries are now scrambling to secure their own access to the key
strategic resource.
By Prashanth Parameswaran
07 Jul 2010 |
World Politics Review
The United States and Japan commemorated the 50th
anniversary of their security alliance last
month with an uneasy sense of ambivalence. The sheer
fact that the alliance, has persisted for so long is reason enough to
celebrate. Yet several
trends in Japanese politics
have added strains to the alliance, and may make it more difficult for Washington and Tokyo to make
necessary adjustments in their relationship.
By Prashanth Parameswaran
14 Jun 2010 |
World Politics Review
Judging by the atmospherics on display during last week's
inaugural U.S.-India Strategic Dialogue, the bilateral relationship
between the two countries appears to be on solid footing. Yet flowery rhetoric masks the complex realities of what continues to be a testy relationship. If the two countries hope to forge a
stronger partnership, they will have to navigate
past disagreements and bridge perception gaps.
By Prashanth Parameswaran
02 Jun 2010 |
World Politics Review
As U.S. President Barack Obama prepares for his visit to Asia in
June, it
is worth exploring what Washington's future policy options are with
respect to Asian regionalism. The main question now facing the United States is whether to join
the East Asia Summit, a five-year-old body that groups the 10 countries
of Southeast Asia as well as China, Japan, South Korea, India,
Australia and New Zealand.
By Prashanth Parameswaran
30 Apr 2010 |
World Politics Review
Earlier this month, the leaders of Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, and Thailand gathered for the first-ever Mekong River Commission summit to discuss the future of the Mekong river, in peril due to a host of natural
and man-made threats. Unless riparian states make a concerted, joint
effort to manage the river's resources, their
actions risk threatening food security, destroying livelihoods, and
heightening regional tensions.
By Prashanth Parameswaran
21 Apr 2010 |
World Politics Review
On March 30, Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak unveiled a
new growth strategy
designed to transform Malaysia into a high-income economy by 2020. But
while the New Economic Model contains much-needed reforms to boost
Malaysia's economy and political image in the face of dwindling foreign
investment and rising competition, severe doubts remain about whether
Najib can actually implement them.
By Prashanth Parameswaran
29 Mar 2010 |
World Politics Review
The ASEAN-India Free Trade Agreement, which came into force
earlier this year, is undoubtedly a milestone in the burgeoning
relationship between India and Southeast Asia. Yet the future of
ASEAN-Indian relations is unlikely to be comprised solely of mutually
beneficial policies. In order to reap the full benefits of bilateral
cooperation, both sides will have to navigate formidable challenges.
By Prashanth Parameswaran
08 Mar 2010 |
World Politics Review
China has designated 2010 "The Year of China-Indonesia Friendship" to
mark the 60th anniversary of establishing diplomatic relations with the
world's fourth-largest country. But while both countries are poised to
reap major benefits from their improved bilateral ties, Beijing and
Jakarta must manage their asymmetric relationship skillfully to
mitigate potential tensions in the future.
By Prashanth Parameswaran
15 Dec 2009 |
World Politics Review
Japanese Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama's recent decision to commission a new
helicopter destroyer suggests he is striking a shrewd balance between
promoting regionalism and protecting Japan's interests through robust naval capabilities.
By Prashanth Parameswaran
25 Nov 2009 |
World Politics Review
President Barack Obama failed to wring any concessions from China
in his maiden voyage to Beijing last week. But the disappointing visit
is only a symptom of the Obama administration's dysfunctional and
poorly conceived China policy, which, though well-intentioned,
threatens to undermine U.S. objectives and wreck its global image.
By Prashanth Parameswaran
10 Nov 2009 |
World Politics Review
In announcing his 37-member cabinet last month, Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono lauded his new team as "credible and accountable," and expressed confidence in its abilities. However, many experts did not join in Yudhoyono's glowing encomium, and with good reason: Most of the cabinet-level appointments seem to be based on
considerations of political loyalty more than competence.
By Prashanth Parameswaran
28 Oct 2009 |
World Politics Review
Chinese President Hu Jintao's landmark address to the U.N. Climate Change Conference last month captured the essence of China's Janus-faced climate change policy -- which, despite remarkable progress, continues to be bogged down with implementation problems and overshadowed by China's concerns with economic growth.
By Prashanth Parameswaran
08 Oct 2009 |
World Politics Review
The killing last month by Indonesian authorities of Southeast Asia's most-wanted
terrorist, Noordin Mohammad Top, was a major blow to Islamic
militancy in Southeast Asia.
But even as Jakarta's "law and order approach" to eradicating terrorism
continues to net key terrorist operatives, it has come under increasing
scrutiny for eroding the fabric of Indonesia's democracy.
By Prashanth Parameswaran
30 Sep 2009 |
World Politics Review
Despite the recent calming of cross-strait relations,
the military imbalance between China and Taiwan continues to grow.
Beijing's military modernization is rapidly dwarfing Taipei's
capabilities and blunting Washington's ability to defend its ally in
the event of conflict. Left unchecked, this growing imbalance will threaten long-term stability in the Taiwan Strait.
By Prashanth Parameswaran
19 Nov 2008 |
World Politics Review
When Thailand's new prime minister, Somchai Wongsawat, paid his
first visit to the country's insurgency-wracked southern provinces last
month, he was cautiously optimistic. Even skeptics
grudgingly acknowledge that the Thai government is making progress in
its fight against the insurgency in the restive Malay-Muslim provinces. But despite the success of Bangkok's counterinsurgency strategy thus far, a recent spike in violence could worsen if the short-term emphasis on security becomes a long-term obsession.
By Prashanth Parameswaran
30 Sep 2008 |
World Politics Review
Academics and diplomats converged in Washington last week
to discuss the future direction of the United States' Southeast Asia
strategy. Their assessments, along with broader regional developments,
highlight the key challenges, shifts and continuities that will drive
the next administration's policy toward the region. The next administration must be more attentive to Southeast Asia in order to
balance the levers of Washington's influence and maintain its standing
in this dynamic region.