[{"_1":2,"_295":-5,"_296":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_16":17,"_293":294},"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","2020-05","path","/2020-05","issue",{"_24":25,"_26":27,"_28":29,"_30":31,"_32":33,"_34":35,"_36":37,"_38":39,"_40":41,"_42":43},"eid","-M5vJXrkALBj-SNVU2PP","title","Tsai Ing-wen 2.0","description","Welcome to the May 2020 issue of The Diplomat. This month, we look back at the first term of Taiwan’s President Tsai Ing-wen in order to understand what hurdles await in her second term. We also analyze the scope and limits of Sinophobia in Central Asia, probe the roots of India’s surging Hindu nationalism, and retrace the political skullduggery that toppled Malaysia’s Pakatan Harapan government. And, of course, we offer a range of reporting, analysis, and opinion from across the region.","masthead","

\n Publisher\n Diplomat Media, Inc.
\n 1701 Pennsylvania Avenue
\n Suite 200
\n Washington, DC 20006
\n United States of America\n

\n Publisher\n James Pach\n

\n Editor-in-Chief\n Shannon Tiezzi\n

\n Managing Editor\n Catherine Putz\n

\n Senior Editor\n Ankit Panda\n

\n Contributing Editors\nEleanor Albert
\nNick Aspinwall
\nErin Cook
\nRobert Farley
\nKyle Ferrier
\n Franz-Stefan Gady
\nJenna Gibson
\nBonnie Girard
\nUmida Hashimova
\nLuke Hunt
\nUmair Jamal
\nTae-jun Kang
\nJo Kim
\nMercy A. Kuo
\nJoshua Mcdonald
\nMong Palatino
\n Prashanth Parameswaran
\nRajeswari Pillai Rajagopalan
\nMina Pollmann
\nPaolo Sorbello
\nTroy Stangarone
\nSteven Stashwick
\nThisanka Siripala
\nYuki Tatsumi
\nAman Thakker
\nColleen Wood
\nGrant Wyeth\n

\n Technical & Design\n Stefan Yanku\n

","number",66,"date","May 2020","month",5,"year",2020,"status","rdy","toc",[44,60,67,84,93,118,142,167,192,217,238,255,276],{"_24":45,"_46":47,"_26":48,"_49":50},"LTR","priority",0,"Letter","pages",[51],{"_24":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_46":47,"_40":41,"_26":59},"-M5vJ_IEVDDgCS_LgQrc","lead","

The election results or trade deals of yesterday often have different meanings today.

","model","story","preview",1,"Letter From the Editors",{"_24":61,"_46":58,"_26":62,"_49":63},"CVRS","Cover Story",[64],{"_24":65,"_53":66,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_46":47,"_40":41,"_26":27},"-M5vJ_INp6h-lepSctSg","

Tsai’s first term had its successes and failures, yet she still won a historic re-election victory. What can she deliver in her second term?

",{"_24":68,"_46":69,"_26":70,"_49":71},"LDS",2,"Leads",[72,76,80],{"_24":73,"_53":74,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_46":47,"_40":41,"_26":75},"-M5vJ_IQxmbt_qL93eVr","

Sinophobia in Central Asia is real. But does that translate into a threat to China’s lasting presence in the region?

","Understanding Sinophobia in Central Asia",{"_24":77,"_53":78,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_46":58,"_40":41,"_26":79},"-M5vJ_IRrcLrMz2lYtdP","

Narendra Modi’s second term has coincided with the implementation of his party’s Hindu nationalist agenda. What is driving this?

","How India Got Here",{"_24":81,"_53":82,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_46":69,"_40":41,"_26":83},"-M5vJ_ISp4_UA1VrVBys","

Untangling the political machinations that collapsed the Alliance of Hope from within.

","Malaysia’s Game of Thrones",{"_24":85,"_46":86,"_26":87,"_49":88},"INT",3,"Interview",[89],{"_24":90,"_53":91,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_46":47,"_40":41,"_26":92},"-M5vJ_J3OfvBOJwNvM-6","

Chinese corruption actually fuels growth – but at a steep cost.

","Yuen Yuen Ang",{"_24":94,"_46":95,"_26":96,"_49":97},"CHN",4,"China",[98,102,106,110,114],{"_24":99,"_53":100,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_46":47,"_40":41,"_26":101},"-M5vJ_J5ViMMnX3gKvTW","

The pandemic revealed fissures that were always present at the grassroots level of China-Russia relations.

","Has COVID-19 Infected the China-Russia Relationship?",{"_24":103,"_53":104,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_46":58,"_40":41,"_26":105},"-M5vJ_J63iDioylSfn5S","

How many Chinese officials are on international social media platforms, like Twitter, and how active are they?

","China’s International Social Media Presence",{"_24":107,"_53":108,"_55":56,"_57":47,"_46":69,"_40":41,"_26":109},"-M5vJ_J7kNp93qyWzbRO","

COVID-19 has increased calls for China to forgive old loans. Time to sort out the facts and the fiction about how China manages debt in troubled times.

","Chinese Debt Relief: Fact and Fiction",{"_24":111,"_53":112,"_55":56,"_57":47,"_46":86,"_40":41,"_26":113},"-M5vJ_J97h-4tCw-KE1A","

The latest Twitter war, centering on a Thai idol named Bright, reveals a curious trend in Chinese nationalism.

","Why Some of China’s Most Ardent Nationalists Are Fangirls",{"_24":115,"_53":116,"_55":56,"_57":47,"_46":95,"_40":41,"_26":117},"-M5vJ_JA-yCxF5D89r4V","

The Chinese state has used the coronavirus pandemic to deepen its advance into the private and devotional lives of Tibetans.

","China’s Hidden Crackdown in Tibet",{"_24":119,"_46":37,"_26":120,"_49":121},"NEA","Northeast Asia",[122,126,130,134,138],{"_24":123,"_53":124,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_46":47,"_40":41,"_26":125},"-M5vJ_JCPvuy5m-2dTct","

Amid the COVID-19 crisis, Seoul is tasked with chairing the middle power grouping to global significance.

","Can South Korea Reshape MIKTA?",{"_24":127,"_53":128,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_46":58,"_40":41,"_26":129},"-M5vJ_JDGPV_ATKEL-d3","

Japan is scrambling to make up for early mistakes in its COVID-19 response.

","Japan’s Coronavirus Response: What Went Wrong?",{"_24":131,"_53":132,"_55":56,"_57":47,"_46":69,"_40":41,"_26":133},"-M5vJ_JF4W1_cxCu6JS_","

The North’s stonewalling of South Korean assistance is more proof that Kim Jong Un has little interest in reconciliation.

","Inter-Korean Relations Amid COVID-19",{"_24":135,"_53":136,"_55":56,"_57":47,"_46":86,"_40":41,"_26":137},"-M5vJ_JG8-n4zDIQvnlv","

The Democratic Party wins unilateral control of the National Assembly, while conservatives and minor parties recede.

","COVID-19 Factor Powers South Korea’s Ruling Party to Historic Victory",{"_24":139,"_53":140,"_55":56,"_57":47,"_46":95,"_40":41,"_26":141},"-M5vJ_JIH2vt4wWQB8Dq","

As stay-at-home appeals start to take effect in Japan, alarms have been raised over a growing worldwide trend in domestic abuse cases.

","Japan Domestic Violence Fears Rise Amid Coronavirus Pandemic",{"_24":143,"_46":144,"_26":145,"_49":146},"SOA",6,"South Asia",[147,151,155,159,163],{"_24":148,"_53":149,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_46":47,"_40":41,"_26":150},"-M5vJ_JKrIIj1dhXBkRl","

Millions of South Asian blue collar migrant workers are stranded as a pandemic locks down their ability to travel – or send money – home.

","South Asia’s Migrant Crisis in the Gulf",{"_24":152,"_53":153,"_55":56,"_57":47,"_46":58,"_40":41,"_26":154},"-M5vJ_JLxNWNUGNnMZlB","

“The dead don’t haunt me as much as missing do,” Sajid Hussain once told me. Now he’s among the missing himself.

","The Mysterious Disappearance of a Pakistani Journalist in Sweden",{"_24":156,"_53":157,"_55":56,"_57":47,"_46":69,"_40":41,"_26":158},"-M5vJ_JMCBssH73Oh7AV","

The Islamic State is exploiting the COVID–19 pandemic.

","Islamic State Terror in the Maldives as COVID-19 Arrives",{"_24":160,"_53":161,"_55":56,"_57":47,"_46":86,"_40":41,"_26":162},"-M5vJ_JP_GuO5jFEPw56","

In August 2019, Jammu and Kashmir lost its autonomous status. How much power has it retained?

","Ladakh, Jammu and Kashmir Are India’s Newest Union Territories. What Does That Mean in Practice?",{"_24":164,"_53":165,"_55":56,"_57":47,"_46":95,"_40":41,"_26":166},"-M5vJ_JQ5HmWxQC1MDYD","

The mega-project was put on hold under the previous government. If it isn’t kickstarted soon, Kabul city could be left uninhabitable.

","Kabul New City: Afghanistan’s Forgotten Development Dream",{"_24":168,"_46":169,"_26":170,"_49":171},"SEA",7,"Southeast Asia",[172,176,180,184,188],{"_24":173,"_53":174,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_46":47,"_40":41,"_26":175},"-M5vJ_JRzEc-w_FYKsKa","

Both sides are attempting to recalibrate their ties as they commemorate the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations.

","Where Are US-Cambodia Relations at 70?",{"_24":177,"_53":178,"_55":56,"_57":47,"_46":58,"_40":41,"_26":179},"-M5vJ_JTNDexzm8l-8NT","

The Philippines expresses concern and solidarity with Vietnam over a fishing row with China in the South China Sea.

","Why Philippine Solidarity With Vietnam in South China Sea Fishing Row Matters",{"_24":181,"_53":182,"_55":56,"_57":47,"_46":69,"_40":41,"_26":183},"-M5vJ_JVoarWXJY97cSc","

Across Southeast Asia, there’s a worrying rush to sacrifice free speech in the name of nebulous benefits amid a crisis.

","Southeast Asia’s Coronavirus-Driven Censorship",{"_24":185,"_53":186,"_55":56,"_57":47,"_46":86,"_40":41,"_26":187},"-M5vJ_JU0fl8QY8SmIkv","

A Thai born in 1990 has now experienced 3 economic crises, 2 military coups, and countless constitutional changes. Small wonder discontent is boiling over.

","Thailand’s Lost Youth",{"_24":189,"_53":190,"_55":56,"_57":47,"_46":95,"_40":41,"_26":191},"-M5vJ_JWuKz8vX_kzEgd","

A review of Vietnam’s response to COVID-19 and its implications.

","The Secret to Vietnam’s COVID-19 Response Success",{"_24":193,"_46":194,"_26":195,"_49":196},"CEA",8,"Central Asia",[197,201,205,209,213],{"_24":198,"_53":199,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_46":47,"_40":41,"_26":200},"-M5vJ_JY2zlWO0r3d89I","

Central Asia’s economies are especially vulnerable to the long-term impacts of the coronavirus pandemic.

","The Coming COVID-19 Economic Hangover: Central Asia",{"_24":202,"_53":203,"_55":56,"_57":47,"_46":58,"_40":41,"_26":204},"-M5vJ_J_L3KtfTHHUnrB","

President Shavkat Mirziyoyev has been ringing his neighbors to coordinate and dispatching aid to Afghanistan.

","Uzbekistan Leads Central Asian Diplomacy in the Age of COVID-19",{"_24":206,"_53":207,"_55":56,"_57":47,"_46":69,"_40":41,"_26":208},"-M5vJ_JZZfDtAS-z1GyW","

Activists stress that there is a pathway beyond the pledge, but it’s a long road to full reform of the Uzbek cotton sector.

","Beyond the Pledge: Is It Time to Lift the Boycott of Uzbek Cotton?",{"_24":210,"_53":211,"_55":56,"_57":47,"_46":86,"_40":41,"_26":212},"-M5vJ_JaqeFcVzOqq_x1","

With his election as chair of the Tajik parliament’s upper house, Rustam Emomali is now officially second-in-line to the presidency.

","Tajik President’s Son Officially Second-in-Line to Presidency",{"_24":214,"_53":215,"_55":56,"_57":47,"_46":95,"_40":41,"_26":216},"-M5vJ_JbpHmjfZRqJXQy","

A drop in crude oil prices and the emergence of cases of COVID-19 at the Tengiz field are poised to slash investment and hammer employment.

","Jobs at Stake in Kazakhstan’s Energy Sector",{"_24":218,"_46":219,"_26":220,"_49":221},"OCE",9,"Oceania",[222,226,230,234],{"_24":223,"_53":224,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_46":47,"_40":41,"_26":225},"-M5vJ_JcNrqCFjYtBm-y","

The Australian and New Zealand labor markets are significant for Pacific Island states. COVID-19 is complicating access.

","Access Denied? Pacific Island States Need Regional Labor Markets",{"_24":227,"_53":228,"_55":56,"_57":47,"_46":58,"_40":41,"_26":229},"-M5vJ_Je6tbD8T-VreXl","

It is clear that right-wing terrorism – much like its Islamist counterpart – has now become a transnational phenomenon.

","Is Australia Taking the Threat of Right-Wing Terrorism Seriously?",{"_24":231,"_53":232,"_55":56,"_57":47,"_46":69,"_40":41,"_26":233},"-M5vJ_JfebLVe0BPBKsJ","

The Solomon Islands is considering a controversial investment for a passport scheme; meanwhile Vanuatu is considering scrapping its own version.

","Cash-for-Passports in the South Pacific",{"_24":235,"_53":236,"_55":56,"_57":47,"_46":86,"_40":41,"_26":237},"-M5vJ_JgN2w67Ae60vJD","

Advantageous geography, a unified response, and public trust in institutions have bolstered Australia’s fight against the coronavirus.

","How Well Has Australia Managed COVID-19?",{"_24":239,"_46":240,"_26":241,"_49":242},"USA",10,"US in Asia",[243,247,251],{"_24":244,"_53":245,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_46":47,"_40":41,"_26":246},"-M5vJ_Ji9XJKrbezZAoF","

Sustained tensions over cost-sharing are slowly chipping away at the sinews of the U.S.-South Korea alliance. Washington remains opposed to compromise.

","Not With a Bang, But a Whimper: Is This How the US-Korea Alliance Dies?",{"_24":248,"_53":249,"_55":56,"_57":47,"_46":58,"_40":41,"_26":250},"-M5vJ_Jjj5WykrQ6HSKp","

A closer look at how both sides may look to advance collaboration amid the global pandemic.

","What’s Next for US-ASEAN Cooperation Amid the Global Coronavirus Pandemic?",{"_24":252,"_53":253,"_55":56,"_57":47,"_46":69,"_40":41,"_26":254},"-M5vJ_JkIWi5Z82mAVkg","

What is the U.S. doing to help Asian countries amid the pandemic and what does that mean for U.S.-China strategic competition?

","America’s COVID-19 Response in Asia",{"_24":256,"_46":257,"_26":258,"_49":259},"SCR",11,"Security",[260,264,268,272],{"_24":261,"_53":262,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_46":47,"_40":41,"_26":263},"-M5vJ_JnxxLVSiz4uUlw","

Beijing has unveiled a new array of advanced unmanned systems, designed for the air and the sea. What will they contribute to the modern battlespace?

","What Will China’s New Drones Bring to the Battlefield?",{"_24":265,"_53":266,"_55":56,"_57":47,"_46":58,"_40":41,"_26":267},"-M5vJ_JobronQrQCIS-5","

China’s military and paramilitary forces have been employing lasers with increasing frequency since at least 2018.

","Countering China’s Laser Offensive",{"_24":269,"_53":270,"_55":56,"_57":47,"_46":69,"_40":41,"_26":271},"-M5vJ_JqFxMAegLElxQ-","

China’s moves in the region, despite the pandemic, are only likely to generate fear and inspire greater cooperation with Washington.

","China’s Worrying Military Exercises Near Taiwan",{"_24":273,"_53":274,"_55":56,"_57":47,"_46":86,"_40":41,"_26":275},"-M5vJ_JrepNEq6D4NZNl","

Should the U.S. Navy downsize its carrier force?

","A Nine Carrier US Navy? In 2020?",{"_24":277,"_46":278,"_26":279,"_49":280},"ASL",12,"Asia Life",[281,285,289],{"_24":282,"_53":283,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_46":47,"_40":41,"_26":284},"-M5vJ_Jus6XkVX6y3rQY","

While the caste system remains very powerful in India, it is important to notice its changing nature.

","The Myth of India’s Unchanging Caste System",{"_24":286,"_53":287,"_55":56,"_57":47,"_46":58,"_40":41,"_26":288},"-M5vJ_Jv0nOBtRZXWpZQ","

The country’s top baseball and basketball leagues are holding games without fans, a sign of its success in controlling the spread of the coronavirus.

","Taiwan’s Baseball, Basketball Leagues Back in Action as the World Watches",{"_24":290,"_53":291,"_55":56,"_57":47,"_46":69,"_40":41,"_26":292},"-M5vJ_Jwx4MCTWy5DQQV","

China has unofficially banned the popular video game to continue to suppress online forms of protest amid COVID-19 isolation.

","Animal Crossing Pulled From Chinese E-commerce Platforms","routes/$issue.cover",{"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":23},"actionData","errors"]