[{"_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","2016-08","path","/2016-08","issue",{"_24":25,"_26":27,"_28":29,"_30":31,"_32":33,"_34":35,"_36":37,"_38":39,"_40":41,"_42":43},"eid","-KN_NWvIeCtf3lVXufVR","title","Lawfare: The South China Sea Ruling","description","Welcome to the August 2016 issue of The Diplomat. This month, we look at the diplomatic, strategic, and legal fallout from the July 12 ruling on the South China Sea case. We also evaluate South Korean President Park Geun-hye’s approach to relations with North Korea, look at how Asian journalists covered the Panama Papers, and explore the implications of Hun Sen’s embrace of social media. And, 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

\nPublisher\nJames Pach\n

\nEditor\nShannon Tiezzi\n

\nTechnical & Design\nStefan Yanku
\nPakpoom Fungtaweesrivilai\n

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

\nSpecial Projects Editor\nCatherine Putz\n

\nEditorial Assistants\nPeter Bittner
\nKatherine Wei\n

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

","number",21,"date","August 2016","month",8,"year",2016,"status","rdy","toc",[44,60,77,85,111,135,160,185,210,230,251,268],{"_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},"-KN_Ojxs1mqq-CaZtUl_","lead","

The historic ruling on the status of features in the South China Sea sets the stage for future diplomatic, political, and military contestations.

","model","story","preview",1,"After the Ruling: Lawfare in the South China Sea",{"_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},"-KN_OjyK-LwI4HoOTtjB","

Park Geun-hye’s ambitious approach to North Korea was problematic from the start.

","Trustpolitik on the Korean Peninsula: Dead or Dormant?",{"_24":69,"_53":70,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_46":58,"_40":41,"_26":71},"-KN_OjyMPJzDJKWKBfMB","

Reporters in Asia overcame government restrictions, fear of lawsuits, and self censorship to collaborate on a historic project and revive investigative journalism across the region.

","The Asian Panama Papers",{"_24":73,"_53":74,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_46":75,"_40":41,"_26":76},"-KN_OjyRuOoaRRk46R_X","

How Hun Sen and his Cambodian People’s Party came to adopt social media.

",2,"Cambodia’s Facebooker-in-Chief",{"_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},"-KN_OjyU9YOIrRpE5gOP","

Going beyond the conventional wisdom on China’s economy, Arthur Kroeber looks at the promise and pitfalls of continued growth.

","Arthur Kroeber",{"_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},"-KN_OjyXqyXlofibpZj6","

The THAAD decision holds a crucial lesson for China as it seeks ways to influence its neighbors.

","South Korea, THAAD, and the Limits of China’s Influence",{"_24":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_46":58,"_40":41,"_26":97},"-KN_Ojy_jt3SePAFlta_","

Gearing up for next year’s chief executive elections, Hong Kong wonders who will end up in the top spot.

","Political High Season in Hong Kong",{"_24":99,"_53":100,"_55":56,"_57":47,"_46":75,"_40":41,"_26":101},"-KN_OjycG12-Vu_64ocm","

Taiwan denounces the tribunal’s decision that Itu Aba is a rock, not an island.

","Taiwan: South China Sea Ruling 'Completely Unacceptable'",{"_24":103,"_53":104,"_55":56,"_57":47,"_46":87,"_40":41,"_26":105},"-KN_OjygH_rpDBV2F9up","

China continues to struggle to wean its state-owned enterprises off their reliance on real estate.

","'Land Kings': China's Frenzied Property Deals",{"_24":107,"_53":108,"_55":56,"_57":47,"_46":109,"_40":41,"_26":110},"-KN_Ojyk7sXtSWEz-Tl0","

China’s shanzhai culture has created a unique breeding ground for innovation and competition.

",4,"The Hidden Benefits of China's Counterfeiting Habit",{"_24":112,"_46":109,"_26":113,"_49":114},"NEA","Northeast Asia",[115,119,123,127,131],{"_24":116,"_53":117,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_46":47,"_40":41,"_26":118},"-KN_Ojyp0t8rSAF7QSfj","

Donald Trump’s strident rhetoric makes allies nervous, particularly in Tokyo.

","What Would a Trump Presidency Mean for Japan?",{"_24":120,"_53":121,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_46":58,"_40":41,"_26":122},"-KN_OjyqAD6aGEernNcK","

Pyongyang is severing its last diplomatic link to Washington, leaving the path to bringing U.S. prisoners home more difficult.

","The Complicated Fate of US Prisoners in North Korea",{"_24":124,"_53":125,"_55":56,"_57":47,"_46":75,"_40":41,"_26":126},"-KN_OjysNISoWJhDjkQ0","

The sale of Russia’s stake in one of the world’s largest copper mines raised unanswered questions.

","The Mysterious Sale of Mongolia's Erdenet Mine",{"_24":128,"_53":129,"_55":56,"_57":47,"_46":87,"_40":41,"_26":130},"-KN_Ojz05Z45g9zrtORb","

Decades of sanctions haven’t succeeded in changing North Korean behavior. Why not?

","Why Economic Sanctions Have Failed Against North Korea",{"_24":132,"_53":133,"_55":56,"_57":47,"_46":109,"_40":41,"_26":134},"-KN_Ojz1ZZXmzVaIC4S4","

Asia’s two biggest economic powers continue to struggle to find common ground.

","Japan-China Relations at a Crossroads",{"_24":136,"_46":137,"_26":138,"_49":139},"SOA",5,"South Asia",[140,144,148,152,156],{"_24":141,"_53":142,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_46":47,"_40":41,"_26":143},"-KN_OjzzBcKbMXIdjxIw","

Hindutva antics in India often grab headlines abroad, but the reality is complex and multifaceted. Where will this ideology ultimately lead the country?

","Hindutva in Modern India",{"_24":145,"_53":146,"_55":56,"_57":47,"_46":58,"_40":41,"_26":147},"-KN_Ok-0qzUHbkdQGcSP","

Burhan Muzaffar Wani’s death has sparked the Kashmiri tinder box. What happens now?

","Burhan Wani’s Killing Brings Kashmir to a Crossroads",{"_24":149,"_53":150,"_55":56,"_57":47,"_46":75,"_40":41,"_26":151},"-KN_Ok-3bysZDNpdUAro","

The deadly attack on a bakery in Dhaka may have ties to ISIS, but its roots stretch deep into Bangladesh’s history.

","The Battle for the Soul of Bangladesh",{"_24":153,"_53":154,"_55":56,"_57":47,"_46":87,"_40":41,"_26":155},"-KN_Ok-5LVVjIaokr5V4","

A post-Modi visit analysis

","The Reality of India-Iran Ties",{"_24":157,"_53":158,"_55":56,"_57":47,"_46":109,"_40":41,"_26":159},"-KN_Ok-6KWFPPk4D-x2e","

Can Afghan President Ashraf Ghani succeed in his ambitious vision for remaking the country?

","Will Afghanistan’s Lone Fighter Succeed?",{"_24":161,"_46":162,"_26":163,"_49":164},"SEA",6,"Southeast Asia",[165,169,173,177,181],{"_24":166,"_53":167,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_46":47,"_40":41,"_26":168},"-KN_Ok-AqdRQGb5EPCSv","

Despite promises of reparations from the company reponsible, concerns linger that Vietnam’s government isn’t truly invested in repairing the environmental damage.

","Justice Delayed After Vietnamese Fishery Disaster",{"_24":170,"_53":171,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_46":58,"_40":41,"_26":172},"-KN_Ok-8a2hx713vVkYe","

The news that the two sides have reached a new agreement is rather misleading but says a lot about how they intend to take their ties forward.

","A New ASEAN-China ‘Deal’ on the South China Sea?",{"_24":174,"_53":175,"_55":56,"_57":47,"_46":75,"_40":41,"_26":176},"-KN_Ok-ExRYnTyelqij6","

It is a case of domestic considerations trumping international image.

","Indonesia Prepares for Another Round of Executions",{"_24":178,"_53":179,"_55":56,"_57":47,"_46":87,"_40":41,"_26":180},"-KN_Ok-HpryUTyUArVw0","

From ASEAN to China to the U.S., how will the Philippines’ new president approach foreign relations?

","What Will Duterte Mean for Philippine Foreign Policy?",{"_24":182,"_53":183,"_55":56,"_57":47,"_46":109,"_40":41,"_26":184},"-KN_Ok-IGSDEh9CdGc8o","

The revival of an ancient story signals new and harsh realities for Cambodia’s begging farmers.

","Villages of the Damned: Cambodia's Begging 'Curse'",{"_24":186,"_46":187,"_26":188,"_49":189},"CEA",7,"Central Asia",[190,194,198,202,206],{"_24":191,"_53":192,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_46":47,"_40":41,"_26":193},"-KN_Ok-NzqojzWWkFdVn","

The phrase doesn’t depict regional geopolitics very well, so why do we cling to it?

","Abandoning the Great Game",{"_24":195,"_53":196,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_46":58,"_40":41,"_26":197},"-KN_Ok-OvBSUdFpHy5su","

To revitalize Eurasia’s worn-down multilaterals, Moscow floats another.

","Putin Proposes Another Greater Eurasia Project",{"_24":199,"_53":200,"_55":56,"_57":47,"_46":75,"_40":41,"_26":201},"-KN_Ok-QG4zRVGUNOQ1f","

Meanwhile, Central Asians in Turkey worry about growing suspicion and ISIS seemingly lashes out around the world.

","After Istanbul Attacks, Not Much Clarity on Central Asian Involvement",{"_24":203,"_53":204,"_55":56,"_57":47,"_46":87,"_40":41,"_26":205},"-KN_Ok-SJlTC7b11p9iD","

China hopes to keep Rahmon in power, to prevent instability on its western borders.

","China's Expanding Security Cooperation With Tajikistan",{"_24":207,"_53":208,"_55":56,"_57":47,"_46":109,"_40":41,"_26":209},"-KN_Ok-TOOPLrWSmS1Cc","

The court overturned Azimjon Askarov’s life sentence but sent his case back to the oblast for a retrial; no release.

","Kyrgyz Supreme Court Punts Askarov Decision",{"_24":211,"_46":37,"_26":212,"_49":213},"OCE","Oceania",[214,218,222,226],{"_24":215,"_53":216,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_46":47,"_40":41,"_26":217},"-KN_Ok-VzsGFyElJTis6","

The new government has a minister dedicated entirely to the country’s defense industry development.

","Developing Australia’s Defense Industry",{"_24":219,"_53":220,"_55":56,"_57":47,"_46":58,"_40":41,"_26":221},"-KN_Ok-W-B47w48kcHj5","

The two regions’ diverging strategies have lessons for the world.

","Divergent Currents: Addressing Armed Violence in the Caribbean and Pacific",{"_24":223,"_53":224,"_55":56,"_57":47,"_46":75,"_40":41,"_26":225},"-KN_Ok-X3f5p-WfRwcgC","

The Greens have consolidated in Australia’s “cool” city, but hold a deep suspicion of the urban development that keeps it that way.

","Urbanization and the Greens of Melbourne",{"_24":227,"_53":228,"_55":56,"_57":47,"_46":87,"_40":41,"_26":229},"-KN_Ok-Y3WUXdG9tV2Yb","

Peter O’Neill survives the latest challenge to his leadership in an ongoing corruption scandal.

","Papua New Guinea's PM Defeats Vote of No Confidence",{"_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},"-KN_Ok-dgR6y3mpWg612","

It was not superior technology alone that made the British such formidable fighters during the conquest of India.

","The Bayonet Charge: How the British Army Conquered India",{"_24":240,"_53":241,"_55":56,"_57":47,"_46":58,"_40":41,"_26":242},"-KN_Ok-hLhyKkMiC3oUO","

Across Asia in the 20th and 21st centuries, the coup d’etat has been a well-documented phenomenon.

","A Brief History of the Coup d'État in the Asia-Pacific",{"_24":244,"_53":245,"_55":56,"_57":47,"_46":75,"_40":41,"_26":246},"-KN_Ok-k4Nl3zp6UROym","

India can keep an open mind, but the Russian carrier option probably won’t be attractive.

","Could It Make Sense for India to Opt for a Russian Nuclear Aircraft Carrier?",{"_24":248,"_53":249,"_55":56,"_57":47,"_46":87,"_40":41,"_26":250},"-KN_Ok-llSr2NrS2uKaK","

After the South China Sea ruling, China throws another digital tantrum.

","China's Secret Weapon in the South China Sea: Cyber Attacks",{"_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},"-KN_Ok11twisexNr1cn_","

The final and binding nature of the international tribunal's award over the South China Sea disputes leaves attempts at bilateralism between Manila and Beijing with poor prospects.

","After the Award",{"_24":261,"_53":262,"_55":56,"_57":47,"_46":58,"_40":41,"_26":263},"-KN_Ok13KgOTw2C9LW0a","

How much is Pakistan really benefiting from its “all weather friendship” with China?

","Should Pakistan Put All Its Eggs in the China Basket?",{"_24":265,"_53":266,"_55":56,"_57":47,"_46":75,"_40":41,"_26":267},"-KN_Ok14EigrprhAnm9w","

It is questionable if the Trans-Pacific Partnership will be beneficial for Vietnam.

","Far From a Slam Dunk: Eyeing the Risks of the TPP for Vietnam",{"_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},"-KN_Ok1AHJlqU6QHlobp","

As the flavors of its street food attest, Thailand is the culinary crossroads of Southeast Asia.

","Perfect Balance: A Thai Street Food Primer",{"_24":278,"_53":279,"_55":56,"_57":47,"_46":58,"_40":41,"_26":280},"-KN_Ok1Bc25KFFrYPxMj","

Vietnamese, Chinese, and Filipinos spar online after the recent tribunal ruling on the South China Sea.

","The Social Media 'War' Over the South China Sea",{"_24":282,"_53":283,"_55":56,"_57":47,"_46":75,"_40":41,"_26":284},"-KN_Ok1D8M1qmQg8gXX1","

Ichiro Suzuki fully deserves his place in the firmament of baseball stars.

","Major League Baseball: Meet Japan's All-Time \"Hit King\"","routes/$issue.cover",{"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":23},"actionData","errors"]