At the end of this May, APEC and Quad ministerial meetings were held. The content and outcomes of both of these events reflected current political problems and trends in the Indo-Pacific region. Political Issues at the APEC forum On May 22-23, a meeting of ministers responsible for foreign trade took place in the Chinese city […]

The Philippines is more of an object than a subject of the political processes unfolding in Southeast Asia. Nevertheless, everything connected with this country, one way or another, is not only under close observation by leading regional players but also involves their participation to various extents. The question of control over the Philippines is becoming […]

The visit of US President Donald Trump to the People’s Republic of China on 13–15 May, together with his talks with Chinese leader Xi Jinping, constituted a single landmark event in contemporary world politics. Among its various accompanying aspects, the central one was determined by the Taiwan issue. It should once again be reiterated that […]

A significant event in the formation of both Japan’s postwar foreign policy and the situation in the critically important Southeast Asian subregion was Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi’s tour to Indonesia and the Philippines in early May. Japan is once again “moving southwest.” It should be emphasized once again that one of the central components of […]

The global migration problem has not spared Japan, one of the world’s economic leaders. The country’s leadership has to take into account many objective factors when tackling it. The Demographic Situation Looks Increasingly Grim The idea of demographic exacerbation began to appear in connection with Japan’s domestic political situation at the end of the previous […]

Serious setbacks have marked the latest attempts by Taiwan’s current leadership to position itself on the international stage as an “autonomous,” i.e., independent from the People’s Republic of China, participant of international relations. The formation of the “autonomy” component of the Taiwan issue The multi-layered and multifaceted Taiwan issue dates back to October 1971 when […]

In late April to early May, Australia’s Minister for Foreign Affairs, Penny Wong, went on a tour of East Asian countries, having visited Japan, China and South Korea. The aim of this trip was Canberra’s desire to maintain a foreign policy balance among the region’s key players. However, achieving this goal is becoming increasingly difficult. […]