Economics, Politics and Public Policy in East Asia and the PacificAuthor: Hyun Mee Kim, Yonsei University
The most significant change in inter-Asian migration in recent years has been the shift from male-centred production migration to reproductive migration. Of all migrants in Asia, women represented 42 per cent in 2015. Reproductive migration is voluntary migration to form partnerships, help raise children, or work as nurses or domestic carers. Read more…
Author: Markus Bell, ANU
The global refugee crisis took another twist this year when the European Union struck a deal with Turkey to take refugees that make it to Greece. Turkey is not an EU member, so in exchange the EU promised to reenergise talks on Turkey’s EU membership and accelerate visa liberalisation Read more…
Author: Andreas Neef, University of Auckland
Conflicts over land and natural resources remain the most contentious issue in Cambodia today. Since the early 2000s, large swathes of land have been allocated by the government to domestic and foreign investors in the form of economic land concessions (ELCs). Read more…
Author: Purnendra Jain, University of Adelaide
The 2016 triennial House of Councillors or upper house election is set to test Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s policy and popularity. Although the House of Councillors is less powerful than the House of Representatives, past prime ministers have been forced to resign after poor electoral results in the upper house. Read more…
Author: Chen Tingting, The Asia Foundation
China’s first national law against domestic violence came into effect on 1 March 2016. The law marks a significant step forward from the country’s existing legislation by legally defining domestic violence and extending legal protection to victims. Yet a fundamental cure for the epidemic of domestic abuse — which disproportionately affects women — requires further efforts to change persisting misperceptions about women’s moral responsibilities and domestic violence itself. Read more…
Author: Shiro Armstrong, ANU
Prime Minister Abe is attempting to revitalise the Japanese economy after two decades of stagnant growth. In December 2012 he launched the reform program that became known as Abenomics, consisting of monetary policy aimed at reflating the economy, flexible fiscal policy with medium-term fiscal consolidation and structural reform. Read more…
Author: Editors, East Asia Forum
The shock of Britain’s vote to exit the European Union (EU) will reverberate around the world for decades to come. And Asia isn’t immune. The direct effect on stock markets and exchange rates around the region is a modest harbinger, but that’s only the beginning. Brexit puts the future of the European enterprise and of the United Kingdom itself in doubt. Read more…
Author: Editors, East Asia Forum
The surprise announcement last week that Raghuram Rajan, Governor of the Reserve Bank of India, was stepping down sent shockwaves around the world. Rajan, a brilliant academic who came from the University of Chicago to take up the appointment under the Singh government, was credited with stabilising the economy and turning inflation around. Read more…
Author: Peter Drysdale, ANU
The global economic outlook may be grim but it would be grimmer still but for Asian economic growth. There’s no dynamic growth pole anywhere else in the world and global uncertainties have increased around the rise of Donald Trump in North America and Brexit in Europe. Read more…
Author: Rajiv Kumar, Centre for Policy Research
After two years of the Modi government, the Indian economy presents a mixed picture. Despite claims that it is the fastest growing large economy in the world, doubts linger about its actual health. Read more…
Author: Yoko Konishi, RIETI
Japan registered a travel surplus of about US$10.6 billion in 2015, suggesting its growing competitiveness as an exporter of tourism. According to the Japan National Tourism Organisation (JNTO), the number of inbound tourists increased by 47.1 per cent to 19.7 million in 2015 Read more…
Author: M. Rezaul Islam, University of Dhaka and University of Malaya
Asia’s migrant domestic workers face exploitation and discrimination, but are largely left out of countries’ labour policies and legislation. Though estimates of the number of domestic workers vary between 52 and 67.1 million, there is consensus that a significant proportion of them, perhaps as many as 11.5 million, are migrants. Read more…
Author: Netina Tan, McMaster University
In January 2016, Tsai Ing-wen made history after being elected as Taiwan’s first female president. Several women before her such as Park Geun-hye in South Korea, Ying-luck Shinawatra in Thailand and Aung San Suu Kyi in Myanmar have all risen to top political leadership in recent years. Read more…
Author: Alok Sheel, Kerala
According to current IMF projections, India is now the fastest growing major economy in the world. In 2016, it is expected to grow over a full percentage point faster than China. This is a remarkable turnaround by any standard and especially impressive against the backdrop of a stagnant global economy.
Authors: Alek Sigley and Eun Jeong Soh, ANU
In early May this year, North Korea hosted its seventh Workers’ Party Congress, the first such meeting in 36 years. The nation’s capital was decked in colourful decoration and celebratory events were held to mark the occasion. The congress continued to communicate many of the well-worn messages of nuclear resoluteness and displays of strength in the face of the international community, but also showed indications of a changing state of affairs in North Korea.