Letter From the Editors

Dear Readers,

Welcome to the April 2018 issue of The Diplomat magazine.

Security issues – from tensions between China and Southeast Asia to the North Korean nuclear issue and never-ending war in Afghanistan – tend to dominate coverage of Asia. There’s a certain logic to this, as war is one of the most impactful (and devastating) occurrences imaginable, and even the threat of armed conflict deserves careful attention. But the concept of security includes more than guns, bombs, and warships. This month, we’ll be exploring a more human perspective on security issues, from a looming ecological crisis on the Mekong River to North Korean propaganda narratives to mental health and morale among soldiers in China and Afghanistan.

In our cover story, Tom Fawthrop, a journalist and documentary film-maker based in Southeast Asia, explores tensions stemming from China’s attempts to remake the Mekong according to its own desires. While Beijing builds dams and makes way for transport ships, downstream countries – especially Thailand and Vietnam – are increasingly wary of the implications for their own environments and economies. But can activists convince China to change its approach in time to avert catastrophe?

It’s said Afghanistan’s famous special forces, the commandos, have never lost a battle, but reality is less glamorous. On a recent embed, journalist Franz J. Marty followed a commando unit on a difficult night. His piece discusses what Afghanistan’s fiercest forces think of the war, their American partners, and the future of their country – and what these revelations tell us about the prospects of a final victory over the Taliban.

Next, Zi Yang, a senior analyst at Nanyang Technological University’s S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies in Singapore, sifted through two dozen articles from a number of Chinese military medicine and psychology journals to get a handle on the Chinese military’s state of mental readiness. With as many as a quarter of servicemembers suffering from some kind of psychological issue, the People’s Liberation Army’s mental health infrastructure is still in its nascent stage, Zi writes.

Finally, Adam Cathcart, a lecturer in Chinese history at the University of Leeds, looks at the recent breakthroughs in North Korea diplomacy from a new angle, revealing what Pyongyang is telling its own citizens. North Korea’s propaganda machine might be withholding news of a Trump-Kim summit, but its carefully crafted messaging on the post-Olympic thaw helps point toward the leadership’s goals.

We hope you enjoy these stories, and the many more within the following pages.