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The Asia-Pacific in 2019: What to Expect
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The Asia-Pacific in 2019: What to Expect

The Diplomat looks at the trends to watch across the region in the coming year.

By Abigail Grace, Daniel Hurst, Tae-jun Kang, Shannon Tiezzi, Prashanth Parameswaran, David Hutt, Aman Thakker, Umair Jamal, Franz J. Marty, Catherine Putz, Daniel Flitton, Franz-Stefan Gady and Anthony Fensom

Another year has come and gone, and it was a doozy. 2018 saw the much-feared U.S.-China trade war actually come to fruition; an unexpected but rapid thaw on the Korean Peninsula; crucial elections in Malaysia, Pakistan, and Afghanistan; and surprisingly rapid reforms continue under Uzbekistan’s new president.

This year promises to be a busy one as well. Indonesians will vote for its next president while Australia and India will hold general elections that could seat new prime ministers. The People’s Republic of China will turn 70 to much fanfare, just a few months after the government studiously ignores the 30th anniversary of the Tiananmen Square crackdown. The world will continue to watch if the Korean peace holds. And, over everything, the “Trump factor” will continue to drench the region in uncertainty for yet another year.

As always, our January issue starts off with a preview of what we expect to be the most interesting or important events or trends in the new year. This year, each section is streamlined into a list of the three “things to watch” for 2019 in the country or region.

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The Authors

Abigail Grace is a research associate with the Asia-Pacific Security Program at the Center for a New American Security. She served as a member of the U.S. National Security Council staff from 2016-2018. The views expressed here are the author’s own.

Daniel Hurst is a freelance journalist based in Tokyo.

Tae-jun Kang is a correspondent and columnist for The Diplomat and is currently based in Southeast Asia.
Shannon Tiezzi is Editor-in-Chief of The Diplomat.

Prashanth Parameswaran is a Senior Editor at The Diplomat.

David Hutt is Southeast Asia columnist at The Diplomat in Cambodia, where he has been based for more than two years.

Aman Thakker is a contributor for The Diplomat, providing analysis on domestic politics, law, regulatory policy, and economics in India.

Umair Jamal is a freelance journalist and a correspondent for The Diplomat, based in Lahore, Pakistan.

Franz J. Marty is a freelance journalist based in Afghanistan.

Catherine Putz is Managing Editor of The Diplomat.

Daniel Flitton is managing editor of the Lowy Institute’s international magazine, The Interpreter.

Franz-Stefan Gady is a Senior Editor for The Diplomat.
Anthony Fensom is an experienced business writer and communication consultant with more than a decade’s experience in the financial and media industries of Australia and Asia.
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