Available also in pdf – Download Pdf   No meaningful analysis of the continuing political and economic evolution of Asia can avoid focusing on the increasingly evident and increasingly dangerous contraposition between a declining superpower – the US – and a rising one – China. Also, the point must be stressed beyond any possible doubt […]

Available also in pdf – Download Pdf In 2019, China’s domestic politics was characterized by Xi Jinping’s striking consolidation of power. This stabilization involved three important trends. First, institutional events organized through the course of the year were all aimed at fortify a political narrative envisioning Xi Jinping as the one and only leader able […]

Available also in pdf – Download Pdf The aim of this article is to analyse the developments in Chinese foreign policy in 2019, which can be summarised by two main trends. On the one hand a strong diplomatic activism by the Chinese paramount leader aimed at both deepening the tendencies that had become apparent in […]

Available also in pdf – Download Pdf Our contribution analyses the Anti-Extradition Bill protests in Hong Kong, which constitute the largest mobilisation of people in the Special Administrative Region (SAR) of China so far since the handover in 1997. We examine the dimensions and stakeholders of this protest, arguing that its roots reside in the […]

Available also in pdf – Download Pdf The present chapter is the outcome of a joint research effort. The introduction and conclusion were co-authored, part 2 was written by Sebastian Maslow, and parts 3 and 4 were written by Giulio Pugliese. The authors wish to acknowledge the valuable feedback provided by Masashi Murano, Brad Glosserman, […]

Available also in pdf – Download Pdf Despite very high expectations for the Korean peninsula, the disappointing outcome of the summit between Kim Jong Un and Trump in Hanoi led to a progressive deterioration of the relations on the peninsula and also in the region. In South Korea, President Moon Jae-in had to struggle with […]

Available also in pdf – Download Pdf This article analyses the main issues and developments on Mongolia’s domestic, foreign economic and foreign policy agenda in 2019, and concludes that the country’s almost complete dependence on Russia and China in terms of trade and energy is here to stay. On a positive note, the article concludes […]

 Available also in pdf – Download Pdf Relevant terms and expressions are reported in English followed by a transcription in Chinese characters. Traditional characters are used for terms and statements drawn from Taiwanese sources, while simplified characters are used for terms and statements drawn from Chinese sources. Given the lack of a standardised system for […]

Available also in pdf – Download Pdf Philippine democracy has crumbled under President Rodrigo Duterte. This article reviews the main political and economic developments in the country from 2018 to 2019. It argues that a process of authoritarian consolidation occurred during this period. This is not the result of a sudden breakdown or suppression of […]

 Available also in pdf – Download Pdf A different format has been used from that usually adopted in the essays published in this journal. It was considered constructive to offer not only an analysis of the most recent political and economic developments in Timor-Leste, but a historical introduction as well. It is the editors’ view […]

Available also in pdf – Download Pdf The Barisan Nasional (BN) opposition coalition led by the United Malays National Organisation (UMNO) won four out of five by-election contests in 2019. The relatively short time frame between BN’s by-election wins and its historic electoral defeat in May 2018 convinced UMNO’s leadership that its party recovery strategy […]

 Available also in pdf – Download Pdf I would like to thank Simona Raffo for helping and supporting my work and Michela Cerimele and Pietro Masina for sharing their analysis on Vietnam’s development model and for their advice. Moreover, I would like to thank all the Vietnamese who, during my fieldwork in Vietnam, with their […]

 Available also in pdf – Download Pdf The author is grateful to the anonymous reviewers of the paper for their valuable comments. He would also like to express his gratitude to the UK’s Arts and Humanities Research Council (Research Networking Grant AH/S00405X/1) for its support to research in Myanmar.   The year 2019 has been […]

Available also in pdf – Download Pdf In the first part of 2019 India was shaken by two major political events. In February, a major terrorist strike hit Pulwama, in Jammu and Kashmir, which was followed by airstrikes by the Indian Air Force into Pakistani territory. This episode set the tone for the 2019 general […]

Available also in pdf – Download Pdf The title has been borrowed from an article of Prem Shankar Jha (‘This Independence Day Was a Grim Reminder of a Nation Running on Empty Promises’, The Wire, 19 August 2019), where Jha decries «the kingdom of lies and fear» that India has become.   The seven months […]

Available also in pdf – Download Pdf If the shifting balance of power and the triangular strategic competition between the US, China and Russia were not troubling enough, in 2019 Indian foreign policy had to also contend with the global ramifications of Narendra Modi’s polarising domestic politics. Dwindling power resources – both material and ideational […]

Available also in pdf – Download Pdf The article outlines the key issues related to international relations, domestic politics and the economic situation of Nepal in 2019. In the first section, particular emphasis is given to Xi Jinping’s visit in October 2019. A separate paragraph is dedicated to the non-signature of the extradition treaty between […]

Available also in pdf – Download Pdf Afghanistan in 2019 was characterised by the Presidential elections, held on 28 September, and whose results were announced at the end of December 2019, and by the peace talks between the US and the Taliban. Against such backdrop, the analysis presented in this article traces the evolution of […]

Available also in pdf – Download Pdf The 2018 electoral success of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party was based on its commitment to improve economic conditions in Pakistan and the lives of the less advantaged sections of society, and to combat the endemic corruption and cronyism of Pakistan’s political and institutional establishments. Once in power, […]

Available also in pdf – Download Pdf Stability has been Kazakhstan’s political mantra since the early years of independence from the Soviet Union. Despite an unexpected transition of power in early 2019, the outgoing president continued to play an important role in the institutional structure of the country. Nursultan Nazarbayev, who ruled for three decades […]