Eastern Asia

On 30 April 2019, the former Emperor of Japan, Akihito, abdicated, and the next day his 59-year-old son, Naruhito, took over the Chrysanthemum Throne. This signaled the end of the 30-year period in Japan’s modern history, known as “peace everywhere” (or Heisei), and the start of the new…

Every few months, Asmolov’s digest examines how South Korea’s military relations are developing with its main ally and other partners in terms of military technology and politics. How these relations develop is more important for the author of these lines than Seoul’s lofty…

We continue to follow the investigation into the attack on the North Korean (DPRK) Embassy in Madrid and the secretive organization of defectors, formerly known as Cheollima Civil Defense and now referred to as Free Joseon, who were behind it. The latest news we looked at was…

In the last week of April, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzō Abe embarked on a lengthy foreign tour. During its course, he visited several European countries, the EU headquarters in Brussels, the United States and Canada. Officially, the aim of the trip is associated with preparations…

The second BRI Forum was held in Beijing from 21st to 27th of April 2019. It was intended by 5000 delegates from 150 countries, including 40 heads of government and representatives of 90 international organisations. The forum followed a successful trip to Europe by China’s President…

On 15 November 2018, a magnitude-5.4 earthquake struck the environs of the Pohang-si city, located in the North Gyeongsang Province. It was the second most powerful temblor in the modern history of South Korea since instrumental earthquake monitoring had begun in the nation in…

As we have highlighted on more than one occasion, the U.S.–Chinese relationship is at the very epicenter of the latest stage of the global chess game. However, this does not mean that Washington and Beijing are completely fixated on issues facing their bilateral relations…

On February 22, 2019, the North Korean Embassy in Madrid was attacked by “human rights activists” formerly known as Cheollima Civil Defense and renamed as Free Joseon. About ten raiders beat staff at the Embassy, tortured North Korea’s only accredited diplomat…

Six days after China celebrated the 70th anniversary of the founding of the Peoples’ Liberation Army Navy with an impressive parade of its ships, including the now operational Liaoning aircraft carrier, the new type 055 destroyers and a new type of nuclear submarine, a parade…

There has been much talk of Japan recently, which has significantly intensified its foreign policy: Japan is working together with the United States to promote the Indo-Pacific strategy with multilateral support within the framework of the US-Japan-India-Australia…

The situation in the Asia Pacific fundamentally depends on a system of relations within a strategic triangle, with the three leading regional and world powers — the United States, China and Japan — at each of the three corners of the triangle. This thesis needs a little…

As it becomes clear that the Trump Administration support, so far unsuccessful, for regime change in Venezuela is also very much about targeting the huge financial presence of China with the Maduro regime, recent news of a major Chinese oil success in Cuban waters will clearly…