East Asia

About Centre

The East Asia Centre is dedicated to study and research the domestic and foreign policies of individual countries of the region as well as India’s multifaceted relationships with these countries. With respect to China, the Centre’s research foci are its foreign policy (particularly towards the US, Russia, Central Asia and Asia Pacific), domestic politics, economy, the People’s Liberation Army (PLA), Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR) and India’s relationship with China in all its dimensions. The Centre’s research also focuses on Taiwan, its domestic politics, Sino-Taiwanese relationship and Indo-Taiwanese relationship, Hong Kong and India-Hong Kong relations. Japan and Korea are the other major focus of the Centre, with its research focused on their domestic politics, foreign policy and comprehensive bilateral relationships with India. The geopolitics of the Asia Pacific and the Korean peninsula are also studied in the Centre.

The centre brings out five monthly newsletters: East Asia Military Monitor, Japan Digest, China Science and Technology, Korea Newsletter, and China Military Digest.

Fluidity in Japanese Politics

Hatoyama’s downfall was primarily brought about by his failure to fulfil the pre-election promise to relocate the US Marine Corps Air Station in Futenma outside of Okinawa prefecture.

Taiwan’s Unending Dialogue over ECFA

The fundamental ideological difference between the KMT and DPP supporters makes the debate on ECFA more complicated than it needs to be actually, with a peculiar intermix of politics and economics.

Escalation of Tensions in the Korean Peninsula and China’s Role

The one country that has not condemned North Korea’s role in the sinking of the Cheonan is China, which has its own strategic and economic compulsions to back North Korea.

The ascendancy of Political Islam in Malaysia

While the notion of Malaysia as an Islamic state appears almost unthinkable, this is exactly what has transpired since the early 1980s, posing serious challenges for the country’s internal and external politics.

Ideology sans Jargon? Contextualising Xi Jinping’s Politics of Simplification

Xi Jinping's attempt to dejargonise political language is timely. however, how it impacts the ideology is going to be important.

Is Japan ready to shun the Peace Constitution?

While the DPJ is not averse to the idea of revising the constitution, an unfavourable domestic situation and adverse reactions from neighbours are likely to force the Hatoyama government to limit the exercise to a debate.

Kim Jong-Il’s China Visit, Cheonan, Future of SPT and China’s Role

The Cheonan incident came at a very inopportune time for North Korea, irrespective of the fact whether Pyongyang had any hand in it or not.

Thailand’s Recurrent ‘Colour’ Protests

The central question is whether democracy or semi-democracy should be subordinated to the personal ambitions of a few leaders like Thaksin or should the rule of law prevail.

Pankaj K Jha
April 12, 2010
IDSA Comments

Google China ‘Warfare’: Turning a non issue to win-win strategy

If freedom of expression was the issue then other American internet service companies like Microsoft and Yahoo! should have also exited China along with Google.

As China prepares for post-Dalai Lama Tibet, what is India to do with the Tibetan Exiles?

While China has shown eagerness for the Dalai Lama’s return to China, it has categorically refused to take back the exiled Tibetan population based in India.