[{"_1":2,"_287":-5,"_288":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_16":17,"_285":286},"root",{"_5":6,"_14":15},"fb",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":12,"_13":8},"apiKey","AIzaSyAdxqOaB63feHHqSm_nZCKsSHpSAcxkct8","authDomain","thediplomat.firebaseapp.com","projectId","firebase-thediplomat","appId","ga",true,"routes/$issue",{"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":23},"slug","2016-04","path","/2016-04","issue",{"_24":25,"_26":27,"_28":29,"_30":31,"_32":33,"_34":35,"_36":37,"_38":39,"_40":41,"_42":43},"eid","-KEA7ZGeq9eue1HY7vUC","title","ISIS in Asia","description","Welcome to the April 2016 issue of The Diplomat. This month, experts from around the region assess the presence of ISIS in Asia. We also preview the upcoming Philippine elections, look at Uzbekistan’s controversial cotton industry, and report from Khorgos, China’s new gateway to Europe. \nAnd, of course, we offer a range of reporting, analysis and opinion from across the region.","masthead","

\nPublisher\nTrans-Asia Inc.
\n701 Ebisu MF Bldg.
\n4-6-1 Ebisu Shibuya-ku, Tokyo
\n150-0013, Japan\n

\nEditor\nJames Pach\n

\nTechnical & Design\nStefan Yanku\n

\nManaging Editor\nShannon Tiezzi\n

\nAssociate Editors\nAnkit Panda
\nPrashanth Parameswaran
\nFranz-Stefan Gady\n

\nSpecial Projects Editor\nCatherine Putz\n

\nEditorial Assistants\nRui Hao Puah\n

\nContributing Editors\nJin Kai
\nKerry Brown
\nElizabeth Economy
\nBo Zhiyue
\nXie Tao
\nDavid Volodzko
\nZheng Wang
\nCarl Thayer
\nHarsh V. Pant
\nRohan Joshi
\nDingding Chen
\nRobert Farley
\nGreg Austin
\nVan Jackson
\nLuke Hunt
\nMong Palatino
\nShawn Crispin
\nJohn Power
\nCasey Michel
\nAkhilesh Pillalamarri
\nTaylor Dibbert
\nAnthony Fensom
\nSara Hsu
\nMercy A. Kuo
\nAngelica O. Tang
\nYuki Tatsumi
\nMina Pollmann
\nGraham Webster
\nBradley Jardine
\nMuhammad Akbar Notezai
\nTaylor Dibbert
\nLinda van der Horst
\nUmair Jamal
\nBen Lowsen
\nElaine Ramirez
\nAmy Chew
\nGrant Wyeth\n

","number",17,"date","April 2016","month",4,"year",2016,"status","rdy","toc",[44,60,77,85,110,134,159,184,209,230,251,268],{"_24":45,"_46":47,"_26":48,"_49":50},"CVRS","priority",0,"Cover Story","pages",[51],{"_24":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_46":47,"_40":41,"_26":59},"-KEA7a0DwPiVgGTtt6x7","lead","

How have Asian governments responded to the threat of ISIS?

","model","story","preview",1,"The Islamic State in Asia",{"_24":61,"_46":58,"_26":62,"_49":63},"LDS","Leads",[64,68,72],{"_24":65,"_53":66,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_46":47,"_40":41,"_26":67},"-KEA7a0GHHVGgDNXsFfh","

How will the upcoming Philippine elections impact the country’s foreign policy trajectory?

","The Philippines: the Elections, the Alliance, and a Rising Power",{"_24":69,"_53":70,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_46":58,"_40":41,"_26":71},"-KEA7a0JzoItWUw2FNGu","

Forced labor and financial opacity are the greatest sins of Uzbekistan’s cotton industry.

","Uzbekistan: White Gold, Dirty Business",{"_24":73,"_53":74,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_46":75,"_40":41,"_26":76},"-KEA7a0Miu4vrgj5codO","

Kazakhstan and China hope to make Khorgos Eastern Gate the new crossroads of Eurasia.

",2,"Khorgos: Where East Meets West",{"_24":78,"_46":75,"_26":79,"_49":80},"INT","Interview",[81],{"_24":82,"_53":83,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_46":47,"_40":41,"_26":84},"-KEA7a0P4Dwh6qFSp22M","

Five years after Japan’s 3.11 triple disaster – earthquake, tsunami, nuclear meltdown – what’s changed?

","Richard J. Samuels",{"_24":86,"_46":87,"_26":88,"_49":89},"CHN",3,"China",[90,94,98,102,106],{"_24":91,"_53":92,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_46":47,"_40":41,"_26":93},"-KEA7a0TkpZjM_YC8hpR","

Taiwan’s new legislature wrestles with thorny issues of sovereignty for the first time.

","Taiwan: Framing Cross-Strait Relations",{"_24":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":47,"_46":58,"_40":41,"_26":97},"-KEA7a0UyPpr8RvodpAS","

“Papa” Hemingway’s connection with China stretches back long before enthusiastic reviews from “Xi Dada.”

","Hemingway in China",{"_24":99,"_53":100,"_55":56,"_57":47,"_46":75,"_40":41,"_26":101},"-KEA7a0Yzg-LulvU6HaZ","

What does China hope to achieve with the current round of military reforms?

","The Implications of China’s Military Reforms",{"_24":103,"_53":104,"_55":56,"_57":47,"_46":87,"_40":41,"_26":105},"-KEA7a0_fVU3DQ6Y_pd7","

Do Chinese leaders truly believe in Communism?

","What Do Chinese Leaders Believe?",{"_24":107,"_53":108,"_55":56,"_57":47,"_46":37,"_40":41,"_26":109},"-KEA7a0cd4DO40eDwUw9","

Chinese charitable giving ranks at the bottom of the world. A new law aims to fix that.

","Can China's New Charity Law Fix a Dismal Donation Rate?",{"_24":111,"_46":37,"_26":112,"_49":113},"NEA","Northeast Asia",[114,118,122,126,130],{"_24":115,"_53":116,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_46":47,"_40":41,"_26":117},"-KEA7a0g2b7d3aRfNy3-","

Why did funding for 21 private seamen to be trained as reservists anger the All Japan Seamen’s Union?

","Japan Seeks to Strengthen Maritime Transportation Capacity",{"_24":119,"_53":120,"_55":56,"_57":47,"_46":58,"_40":41,"_26":121},"-KEA7a0h20CJW55543T7","

The latest, toughest round of sanctions on North Korea sparks debate about the impact on ordinary people.

","North Korean Sanctions: Unintended Consequences",{"_24":123,"_53":124,"_55":56,"_57":47,"_46":75,"_40":41,"_26":125},"-KEA7a0jGq3tsB3ro-MZ","

For South Korea’s liberal camp, a hero rises from the right: Kim Chong-in.

","Can a Right Wing Defector Save Korea's Liberal Opposition?",{"_24":127,"_53":128,"_55":56,"_57":47,"_46":87,"_40":41,"_26":129},"-KEA7a0m1S2Cw9R6xkuK","

With the passage of a controversial anti-terror law, Korean democracy takes another step backward.

","South Korea’s Anti-Terror Law Part of a Worrisome Trend",{"_24":131,"_53":132,"_55":56,"_57":47,"_46":37,"_40":41,"_26":133},"-KEA7a0rBJbvzoPnUFvQ","

In the latest twist in the Futenma relocation saga, Tokyo and Okinawa have shelved their court cases.

","Tokyo, Okinawa Avoid Court Battle Over Futenma Base Issue",{"_24":135,"_46":136,"_26":137,"_49":138},"SOA",5,"South Asia",[139,143,147,151,155],{"_24":140,"_53":141,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_46":47,"_40":41,"_26":142},"-KEA7a0vPd8llPw2bm9D","

Have the recent student protests, some of the largest in India’s history, changed anything?

","India Between Nationalism and Free Speech",{"_24":144,"_53":145,"_55":56,"_57":47,"_46":58,"_40":41,"_26":146},"-KEA7a0xaIae1gUH-3Xq","

After years of neglect, could privatization finally rescue Pakistan International Airlines?

","Pakistan’s Ailing National Airline",{"_24":148,"_53":149,"_55":56,"_57":47,"_46":75,"_40":41,"_26":150},"-KEA7a0zE6ORcQ4uJTYd","

The country seems oblivious to its image in the eyes of its neighbors.

","Just How Popular Is India in South Asia Really?",{"_24":152,"_53":153,"_55":56,"_57":47,"_46":87,"_40":41,"_26":154},"-KEA7a1-7jtUn_EeRWPl","

Kabul can win battles, but it will never win the war unless it disrupts the Taliban’s major funding source: poppies.

","Poppy Production: The Taliban's Cash Cow",{"_24":156,"_53":157,"_55":56,"_57":47,"_46":37,"_40":41,"_26":158},"-KEA7a11pYIlpiwHtGuG","

Sri Lanka will resume a major (and controversial) development project.

","Sri Lanka’s Port City Project Is Back in Business",{"_24":160,"_46":161,"_26":162,"_49":163},"SEA",6,"Southeast Asia",[164,168,172,176,180],{"_24":165,"_53":166,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_46":47,"_40":41,"_26":167},"-KEA7a15o8lkpX5oK3Th","

What was Iran’s top diplomat doing in Southeast Asia?

","Iran in ASEAN",{"_24":169,"_53":170,"_55":56,"_57":47,"_46":58,"_40":41,"_26":171},"-KEA7a16rPtzAJcMZpU5","

To ask for an immediate lift or keep the sanctions as leverage against the military?

","Suu Kyi’s Sanctions Dilemma",{"_24":173,"_53":174,"_55":56,"_57":47,"_46":75,"_40":41,"_26":175},"-KEA7a1AGjzJkJpSboKZ","

In China’s shadow, Hanoi is biting on the trade pact and swallowing its bitter past with the United States.

","Why Vietnam Loves the Trans-Pacific Partnership",{"_24":177,"_53":178,"_55":56,"_57":47,"_46":87,"_40":41,"_26":179},"-KEA7a1BmGdVjeheuMMr","

Democracy has died and been reborn several times in different countries in the region.

","What the ‘Death of Democracy’ Means in Southeast Asia",{"_24":181,"_53":182,"_55":56,"_57":47,"_46":37,"_40":41,"_26":183},"-KEA7a1GjwvphDMlJwEn","

Before hoping for change, we should understand what the status quo is and why it has persisted.

","Indonesia’s South China Sea Policy: A Delicate Equilibrium",{"_24":185,"_46":186,"_26":187,"_49":188},"CEA",7,"Central Asia",[189,193,197,201,205],{"_24":190,"_53":191,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_46":47,"_40":41,"_26":192},"-KEA7a1IcYhwZd9882RO","

The United States’ NSR remains a policy swamped in both nonsensical planning and discordant demands.

","What Happened to the New Silk Road?",{"_24":194,"_53":195,"_55":56,"_57":47,"_46":58,"_40":41,"_26":196},"-KEA7a1JGDadsPhmo2l5","

Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan celebrated Nowruz with a border closure.

","New Year, Same Bad Borders",{"_24":198,"_53":199,"_55":56,"_57":47,"_46":75,"_40":41,"_26":200},"-KEA7a1MMbg9pfiQfIRs","

Scapegoating the NGOs and LGBT community won’t fix the country’s economy.

","Kyrgyzstan’s NGO and LGBT Crackdown",{"_24":202,"_53":203,"_55":56,"_57":47,"_46":87,"_40":41,"_26":204},"-KEA7a1Opv80tK5huO1X","

The people of Kazakhstan have made their preferences clear.

","Understanding Kazakhstan’s Politics, Again",{"_24":206,"_53":207,"_55":56,"_57":47,"_46":37,"_40":41,"_26":208},"-KEA7a1QkjymqKSjY-zu","

Who will defend the defendants when all the lawyers are detained?

","Want to Get Arrested in Tajikistan? Be a Lawyer.",{"_24":210,"_46":211,"_26":212,"_49":213},"OCE",8,"Oceania",[214,218,222,226],{"_24":215,"_53":216,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_46":47,"_40":41,"_26":217},"-KEA7a1S9RknEDGkGg30","

The prime minister suddenly rolls out some radical policy proposals.

","Malcolm Turnbull’s Tax Plan: No More Small Target",{"_24":219,"_53":220,"_55":56,"_57":47,"_46":58,"_40":41,"_26":221},"-KEA7a1T3evccRwUKU6C","

The tiny Pacific island state is trying to hold nuclear weapons states accountable to their disarmament commitments.

","Marshall Islands Take India and Pakistan to Court Over Nuclear Weapons",{"_24":223,"_53":224,"_55":56,"_57":47,"_46":75,"_40":41,"_26":225},"-KEA7a1Vpu2ydtcoVEEx","

New laws aiming to cut down on drunken violence might ruin the city’s economically crucial evening vibes.

","Locked Out: Sydney’s Nightlife Takes a Hit",{"_24":227,"_53":228,"_55":56,"_57":47,"_46":87,"_40":41,"_26":229},"-KEA7a1XRFdAfFqY4svY","

When reading Australia’s latest defense white paper, it’s prudent to take stock of the greater picture.

","What Does Australia’s Defense White Paper Actually Say?",{"_24":231,"_46":232,"_26":233,"_49":234},"SCR",9,"Security",[235,239,243,247],{"_24":236,"_53":237,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_46":47,"_40":41,"_26":238},"-KEA7a37nJPB13HYa32_","

Is this the new face of warfare, marked by indecisive battles and inconclusive peace?

","Inconclusive Peace: The Dawn of the ‘Kabinettskriege’ in the 21st Century?",{"_24":240,"_53":241,"_55":56,"_57":47,"_46":58,"_40":41,"_26":242},"-KEA7a3DGv-3V8UdFn2h","

Recent headlines notwithstanding, Vietnam has a long way to go.

","Vietnam’s Quest for a Greenwater Navy",{"_24":244,"_53":245,"_55":56,"_57":47,"_46":75,"_40":41,"_26":246},"-KEA7a3FZWuGFfrmH3HB","

A look at the significance of the initial locations agreed for EDCA’s implementation.

","A Big Deal? US, Philippines Agree First ‘Bases’ Under New Defense Pact",{"_24":248,"_53":249,"_55":56,"_57":47,"_46":87,"_40":41,"_26":250},"-KEA7a3H6VwkdrzEntqi","

The Russian Navy has significantly increased the number of underwater combat patrols.

","Russian Sub Combat Patrols Nearly Doubled in 2015",{"_24":252,"_46":253,"_26":254,"_49":255},"DPL",10,"Diplomacy",[256,260,264],{"_24":257,"_53":258,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_46":47,"_40":41,"_26":259},"-KEA7a3N_D4Vp8-RLFIP","

The historically close neighbors grew dangerously apart in 2015. Are they on track for diplomatic reconciliation?

","Run to the Hills: Saving India-Nepal Ties",{"_24":261,"_53":262,"_55":56,"_57":47,"_46":58,"_40":41,"_26":263},"-KEA7a3OZGzw339F44MT","

The decision to grant China Market Economy Status is a major inflection point in bilateral ties.

","China-EU Relations: Crisis and Opportunity",{"_24":265,"_53":266,"_55":56,"_57":47,"_46":75,"_40":41,"_26":267},"-KEA7a3PnawQPPzVQYqj","

Both the US and Japan are seeking help from private industry to advance high-tech innovation on robotics.

","Robotics Diplomacy and the US-Japan Alliance",{"_24":269,"_46":270,"_26":271,"_49":272},"ASL",11,"Asia Life",[273,277,281],{"_24":274,"_53":275,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_46":47,"_40":41,"_26":276},"-KEA7a3TcD4gKzoFMpGx","

Two Indian states claim to be the motherland of the same dessert.

","A Bitter War for a Sweet Dish",{"_24":278,"_53":279,"_55":56,"_57":47,"_46":58,"_40":41,"_26":280},"-KEA7a3UghbDk09ppMAh","

Afghanistan’s “Afghan Star” has become a venue for forging Afghan identity.

","Afghanistan's American Idol: Americanization or Anti-Americanism?",{"_24":282,"_53":283,"_55":56,"_57":47,"_46":75,"_40":41,"_26":284},"-KEA7a3VH4eZc80veDbO","

The “Korean Wave” comes to Myanmar.

","How Korea Is Conquering Myanmar, One Soap Opera at a Time","routes/$issue.cover",{"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":23},"actionData","errors"]