[{"_1":2,"_286":-5,"_287":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_16":17,"_284":285},"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","2016-10","path","/2016-10","issue",{"_24":25,"_26":27,"_28":29,"_30":31,"_32":33,"_34":35,"_36":37,"_38":39,"_40":41,"_42":43},"eid","-KRlmKFTShuLPMEv46ah","title","Election 2016: The View from Asia","description","Welcome to the October 2016 issue of The Diplomat. This month, analysts from across Asia chime in with their perspectives on the upcoming U.S. presidential election. We also take a closer look at the supposed “arms race” in Southeast Asia, explore the question of transitional justice in Taiwan, and get a first-hand look at the World Nomad Games in Kyrgyzstan. 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\nLing Han\n

\nContributing Editors\nJin Kai
\nKerry Brown
\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 W. Crispin
\nJohn Power
\nCasey Michel
\nAkhilesh Pillalamarri
\nTaylor Dibbert
\nAnthony Fensom
\nMercy A. Kuo
\nYuki Tatsumi
\nMina Pollmann
\nMuhammad Akbar Notezai
\nLinda van der Horst
\nUmair Jamal
\nBen Lowsen
\nElaine Ramirez
\nGrant Wyeth
\nDavid Gitter
\nHelen Clark
\nSteven Stashwick
\nJeff M. Smith\n

","number",23,"date","October 2016","month",10,"year",2016,"status","rdy","toc",[44,59,76,84,110,134,159,184,209,230,251,267],{"_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":27},"-KRlmL9iXtfdsxyPBj1H","lead","

Either Hillary Clinton or Donald Trump will be the next president of the United States. What does Asia think about the election?

","model","story","preview",1,{"_24":60,"_46":58,"_26":61,"_49":62},"LDS","Leads",[63,67,71],{"_24":64,"_53":65,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_46":47,"_40":41,"_26":66},"-KRlmL9lbwhI04VtftDs","

Yes, Southeast Asian states are bulking up their militaries -- but that doesn’t necessarily translate to an arms race.

","An Arms Race in Southeast Asia?",{"_24":68,"_53":69,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_46":58,"_40":41,"_26":70},"-KRlmL9n00VlA_ux8jpo","

The costs of a \"silent revolution.\"

","Taiwan’s White Terror and the Search for Transitional Justice",{"_24":72,"_53":73,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_46":74,"_40":41,"_26":75},"-KRlmL9rj_qEmJYA23sW","

The World Nomad Games were great fun, but also securitized, commercialized, politicized, and nationalized.

",2,"Pride and Politics on Display in Kyrgyzstan",{"_24":77,"_46":74,"_26":78,"_49":79},"INT","Interview",[80],{"_24":81,"_53":82,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_46":47,"_40":41,"_26":83},"-KRlmL9uV6awxtXDtM9R","

What do Chinese people actually think about their government?

","Bruce Dickson",{"_24":85,"_46":86,"_26":87,"_49":88},"CHN",3,"China",[89,93,97,101,105],{"_24":90,"_53":91,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_46":47,"_40":41,"_26":92},"-KRlmL9xJKQwgao9bALD","

China is scoring successes far afield but struggling to find willing partners closer to home.

","How Is China’s Maritime Silk Road Faring?",{"_24":94,"_53":95,"_55":56,"_57":47,"_46":58,"_40":41,"_26":96},"-KRlmLA-1EgKJTr6n916","

In Hong Kong, the linguistic identity of Cantonese is a decidedly political question.

","A Tale of Two Languages",{"_24":98,"_53":99,"_55":56,"_57":47,"_46":74,"_40":41,"_26":100},"-KRlmLA26oViBZprn79_","

Retaliation against South Korea won’t help. To stop THAAD, China must rethink its North Korea policy.

","The Real Answer to China's THAAD Dilemma",{"_24":102,"_53":103,"_55":56,"_57":47,"_46":86,"_40":41,"_26":104},"-KRlmLA3QhxvzatuTLcv","

Breakneck speed and rampant corruption threaten Chinese engineering projects, from the flashy to the mundane.

","The Trouble With Chinese Mega Projects",{"_24":106,"_53":107,"_55":56,"_57":47,"_46":108,"_40":41,"_26":109},"-KRlmLA5QUptfuC8SIy2","

How has Tsai Ing-wen handled Taiwan-Japan relations during her first 100 days in office?

",4,"Taiwan's Puzzling New Approach to Japan",{"_24":111,"_46":108,"_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},"-KRlmLA93qvFnMTbem-M","

Washington should support Tokyo’s efforts to join the UN Security Council -- even though it will never happen.

","Japan’s Futile Bid to Join the UN Security Council",{"_24":119,"_53":120,"_55":56,"_57":47,"_46":58,"_40":41,"_26":121},"-KRlmLABYFi7hHGTKYGd","

With North Korea reporting devastating floods, the true scale of the disaster is hard to gauge.

","How Bad Are North Korea’s Floods?",{"_24":123,"_53":124,"_55":56,"_57":47,"_46":74,"_40":41,"_26":125},"-KRlmLAE9z5dmOPE_djz","

Stigmas against homosexuality and HIV/AIDS combine to keep patients isolated.

","AIDS in South Korea: Out of Sight, Out of Mind",{"_24":127,"_53":128,"_55":56,"_57":47,"_46":86,"_40":41,"_26":129},"-KRlmLAF7EhZotALhUgN","

The test fits North Korea’s pattern of behavior, but also represents worrying advances.

","North Korea's Nuclear Test: Deja Vu on the Peninsula",{"_24":131,"_53":132,"_55":56,"_57":47,"_46":108,"_40":41,"_26":133},"-KRlmLAHpgbvXj5ubAzZ","

Could Japan lose South Korea to China?

","The Limits of the Japan-South Korea Military Relationship",{"_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},"-KRlmLAJb4KPIUGJSII9","

Two years ago, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi set out to clean India. How well has his initiative fared?

","Swachh Bharat, Two Years Later",{"_24":144,"_53":145,"_55":56,"_57":47,"_46":58,"_40":41,"_26":146},"-KRlmLALCgmbtqDLrQkA","

The Taliban has dramatically ramped up its presence on services like Twitter and WhatsApp in the past few years.

","The Taliban's Latest Battlefield: Social Media",{"_24":148,"_53":149,"_55":56,"_57":47,"_46":74,"_40":41,"_26":150},"-KRlmLAP6UMCYr6_6Aks","

India’s “cow politics” reveal schisms among religious and caste groups.

","Beef, Biryani, and Indian Politics",{"_24":152,"_53":153,"_55":56,"_57":47,"_46":86,"_40":41,"_26":154},"-KRlmLAQzGe45PTb_Bxu","

The mass deportation of Bhutanese-Nepalis in the 1990s remains unresolved 20 years later.

","Bhutan's Dark Secret: The Lhotshampa Expulsion",{"_24":156,"_53":157,"_55":56,"_57":47,"_46":108,"_40":41,"_26":158},"-KRlmLAThFCeFPQweX8B","

Why Kashmir is a major national security issue for both India and Pakistan.

","Why Kashmir Matters",{"_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},"-KRlmLAUQRH8-ytImVox","

Prayut Chan-o-cha says Thailand will be graft-free within 20 years.

","Who's Corrupt, Who's Clean in Thailand?",{"_24":169,"_53":170,"_55":56,"_57":47,"_46":58,"_40":41,"_26":171},"-KRlmLAWY9gAxWVRKdfT","

Myanmar, Laos, and Vietnam offer an unlikely breath of fresh air.

","The Changing Face of ASEAN",{"_24":173,"_53":174,"_55":56,"_57":47,"_46":74,"_40":41,"_26":175},"-KRlmLAXB3pJBCmYlaWh","

Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc’s first visit to China hints at Hanoi’s constraints in approaching its giant neighbor.

","Vietnam and China: A Delicate Balancing Act",{"_24":177,"_53":178,"_55":56,"_57":47,"_46":86,"_40":41,"_26":179},"-KRlmLA_V3h29UG87i8S","

Foreign Secretary Yasay calls on Washington to understand Philippine aspirations instead of lecturing the country on human rights.

","Philippines No Longer US ‘Little Brown Brother’: Yasay",{"_24":181,"_53":182,"_55":56,"_57":47,"_46":108,"_40":41,"_26":183},"-KRlmLAeUHqk_frJFC4O","

Political and economic calculations in Cambodia, China, and Vietnam are contributing to widespread illegal logging.

","How Politics Is Killing Cambodia's Forests",{"_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},"-KRlmLAg-meIOyToPxw8","

Meet Uzbekistan’s new boss, same as the old boss.

","Goodbye Karimov, Hello Mirziyoyev",{"_24":194,"_53":195,"_55":56,"_57":47,"_46":58,"_40":41,"_26":196},"-KRlmLAiGTNudMkPBihB","

Same faces in slightly different places: decoding Astana’s new government.

","Steppe Shuffles: Kazakhstan’s Government Rearranged",{"_24":198,"_53":199,"_55":56,"_57":47,"_46":74,"_40":41,"_26":200},"-KRlmLAmgfHPc65x7Orr","

Dushanbe continues to pursue its opponents, targeting their lawyers and families now that the core IRPT is in jail.

","In Tajikistan, Persecution Is a Family Affair",{"_24":202,"_53":203,"_55":56,"_57":47,"_46":86,"_40":41,"_26":204},"-KRlmLAnVhG9FkxJoJbC","

The city’s transformation from a cosmopolitan trading hub to a Soviet military base and back.

","Vladivostok: The Many Lives of Russia's Far Eastern Capital",{"_24":206,"_53":207,"_55":56,"_57":47,"_46":108,"_40":41,"_26":208},"-KRlmLAqm342PFcNBQxd","

Not that it was really in much doubt.

","Constitutional Changes Pave Way for Turkmen President-for-Life",{"_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},"-KRlmLArzpPZJtE82Hog","

Several high profile politicians were arrested for participating in a public forum on the country’s 2013 constitution.

","Fiji-Style Democracy",{"_24":219,"_53":220,"_55":56,"_57":47,"_46":58,"_40":41,"_26":221},"-KRlmLAsFpJcLngfuxnY","

The UN no longer considers West Papua to be “colonized,” leaving activists hard pressed to find solutions.

","How the UN Failed West Papua",{"_24":223,"_53":224,"_55":56,"_57":47,"_46":74,"_40":41,"_26":225},"-KRlmLAtu8dITSm9A4wW","

India’s outreach to Pacific island states is the next step in its “Act East” strategy.

","India's Pivot to Oceania: Modi and the Pacific Island Nations",{"_24":227,"_53":228,"_55":56,"_57":47,"_46":86,"_40":41,"_26":229},"-KRlmLAy57Ys0TbMXLj-","

Despite strong public support for same sex marriage, ultra-conservatives in the Liberal Party demand a plebiscite.

","Turnbull’s No-Win Bind: Same Sex Marriage and Aussie Politicking",{"_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},"-KRlmLB6Wu3qX71bn8TU","

Small and medium powers need to figure out how to tackle growing threats from cyberspace sooner rather than later.

","Cyber Militias: The First and Last Line of Defense in Cyber War?",{"_24":240,"_53":241,"_55":56,"_57":47,"_46":58,"_40":41,"_26":242},"-KRlmLBAfhEo5wNdPEmw","

Countries are turning from permanent military bases overseas toward flexible logistics pacts, like the recent US-India deal.

","Why Maritime Logistics Pacts are Vital for Asia’s Strategic Balance",{"_24":244,"_53":245,"_55":56,"_57":47,"_46":74,"_40":41,"_26":246},"-KRlmLBB0RutzzLh4Ev0","

The Bashi Channel is seldom discussed, but bears great strategic relevance for the People’s Liberation Army.

","China's Air Force Revisits the Bashi Channel",{"_24":248,"_53":249,"_55":56,"_57":47,"_46":86,"_40":41,"_26":250},"-KRlmLBCvunsV_EC8cyW","

Considering Afghanistan’s mountainous and formidable terrain, air support during counterinsurgency operations is vital.

","Why Air Power Matters in Afghanistan",{"_24":252,"_46":37,"_26":253,"_49":254},"DPL","Diplomacy",[255,259,263],{"_24":256,"_53":257,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_46":47,"_40":41,"_26":258},"-KRlmLBF9jyjY5bUDclr","

Nepal and India put in place the diplomatic momentum for a much needed 'reset' in relations.

","A Himalayan 'Reset'",{"_24":260,"_53":261,"_55":56,"_57":47,"_46":58,"_40":41,"_26":262},"-KRlmLBGIm8CG_32s9l5","

50 years ago, two of ASEAN’s founding members fought an undeclared war in the Konfrontasi.

","The War That Gave Birth to ASEAN",{"_24":264,"_53":265,"_55":56,"_57":47,"_46":74,"_40":41,"_26":266},"-KRlmLBHYx4w2mc6vSXY","

By warming up to Moscow, is Shinzo Abe playing right into Putin’s hands?

","What Japan-Russia Rapprochement Means for the World",{"_24":268,"_46":269,"_26":270,"_49":271},"ASL",11,"Asia Life",[272,276,280],{"_24":273,"_53":274,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_46":47,"_40":41,"_26":275},"-KRlmLBKvGXwLr-0ssXQ","

Chinese couples have been allowed to have two children for nearly a year. So why aren’t they?

","China’s Two Child Conundrum",{"_24":277,"_53":278,"_55":56,"_57":47,"_46":58,"_40":41,"_26":279},"-KRlmLBLouvjegRDhsA6","

Meet the Yamabushi, a group of alpine ascetics who are opting out of the rat race and reconnecting with nature.

","The Mountain Monks of Japan",{"_24":281,"_53":282,"_55":56,"_57":47,"_46":74,"_40":41,"_26":283},"-KRlmLBMUsXW1McTCjzo","

“Let’s go play a game we’ve never played, in a language we don’t understand, where you could possibly die.”

","American Cowboys in Kyrgyzstan","routes/$issue.cover",{"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":23},"actionData","errors"]