[{"_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","2020-11","path","/2020-11","issue",{"_24":25,"_26":27,"_28":29,"_30":31,"_32":33,"_34":35,"_36":37,"_38":39,"_40":41,"_42":43},"eid","-MKdIYm2-sl-s2actH0_","title","The State of Democracy in Asia","description","Welcome to the November 2020 issue of The Diplomat. This month, we evaluate the state of democracy across the Asia-Pacific subregions: East Asia, Southeast Asia, South Asia, and Central Asia. We also untangle the extent of India’s economic reliance on China (and the possibility of truly “boycotting China”), explore Vietnam’s surprisingly deft pivot to virtual diplomacy as ASEAN chair, and run down the messy, at time chaotic developments since Kyrgyzstan’s since-annulled parliamentary election. 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 Security & Defense Editor\n Abhijnan Rej\n

\n Southeast Asia Editor\n Sebastian Strangio\n

\n Editor-at-Large\n Ankit Panda\n

\n Senior Columnists\nFranz-Stefan Gady
\nPrashanth Parameswaran\n

\n Contributing Editors\nEleanor Albert
\nNick Aspinwall
\nErin Cook
\nRobert Farley
\nKyle Ferrier
\nJenna Gibson
\nBonnie Girard
\nDerek Grossman
\nJames Guild
\nUmida Hashimova
\nLuke Hunt
\nUmair Jamal
\nTae-jun Kang
\nJo Kim
\nMercy A. Kuo
\nJongsoo Lee
\nJoshua Mcdonald
\nMong Palatino
\nJacob Parakilas
\nRajeswari Pillai Rajagopalan
\nSudha Ramachandran
\nThisanka Siripala
\nPaolo Sorbello
\nTroy Stangarone
\nSteven Stashwick
\nYuki Tatsumi
\nColleen Wood
\nGrant Wyeth\n

\n Design & Code\n Stefan Yanku\n

","number",72,"date","November 2020","month",11,"year",2020,"status","rdy","toc",[44,60,67,84,93,118,143,168,193,218,239,256,276],{"_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},"-MKdIao8jSCZ3HTm33mM","lead","

The coronavirus pandemic is just one of many causes of disappointment in the annus horribilis that is 2020.

","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},"-MKdIaoG_kgaEDL9-2MC","

Has the global narrative of democratic decline held true in the Indo-Pacific region?

",{"_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},"-MKdIaoH6cqRh1_t-Vps","

India has a very long journey on the road to self-reliance before it can expect to substantially reduce dependence on China.

","Can India Decouple From China?",{"_24":77,"_53":78,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_46":58,"_40":41,"_26":79},"-MKdIaoJgl1o9tw7cmlM","

Vietnam made the best of a difficult situation in carrying out its ASEAN chairmanship amid a pandemic.

","Vietnam’s Virtual Charm Offensive",{"_24":81,"_53":82,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_46":69,"_40":41,"_26":83},"-MKdIaoKAh5Q_a8fwgaW","

The government of Sadyr Japarov will have an opportunity to prove itself by confronting the problems that made the October 4 elections such a disaster.

","What’s Next for Kyrgyzstan?",{"_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},"-MKdIaoMBsBVWGXLMV90","

Two years after a surprise opposition victory in the polls, Maldivian democracy is still tenuous.

","JJ Robinson",{"_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},"-MKdIaoNyywwkztGVlgJ","

Trump is widely panned by activists in the U.S., so why does he appeal to veterans of the fight for human rights and democracy in China?

","Why Do So Many Chinese Dissidents Support Trump?",{"_24":103,"_53":104,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_46":58,"_40":41,"_26":105},"-MKdIaoPftUx9de1Tdz5","

China’s latest shift into a leadership role on climate issues is driven by a combination of factors, as much domestic as international.

","China’s Climate Gambit",{"_24":107,"_53":108,"_55":56,"_57":47,"_46":69,"_40":41,"_26":109},"-MKdIaoQvEdIhaUGR4QI","

China’s foreign policy reflects short or medium term planning, far from the myth of generational or centennial timelines.

","No, China Doesn’t Think Decades Ahead in Its Diplomacy",{"_24":111,"_53":112,"_55":56,"_57":47,"_46":86,"_40":41,"_26":113},"-MKdIaoRv1sbd1IprGdG","

China has finally announced its membership in the WHO’s COVID-19 vaccine distribution alliance. What took so long?

","Did China Join COVAX to Counter or Promote Vaccine Nationalism?",{"_24":115,"_53":116,"_55":56,"_57":47,"_46":95,"_40":41,"_26":117},"-MKdIaoTKCHNxosb2uMJ","

The stage is set for the expansion of India-Taiwan relations, but how far can ties develop?

","The Taiwan–India ‘Milk Tea Alliance’",{"_24":119,"_46":120,"_26":121,"_49":122},"NEA",5,"Northeast Asia",[123,127,131,135,139],{"_24":124,"_53":125,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_46":47,"_40":41,"_26":126},"-MKdIap9GaGNN71VRUQG","

The United States and South Korea need to explore new ways to cooperate in the 2020s.

","The US-Korea Partnership Needs to Go Back to the Future",{"_24":128,"_53":129,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_46":58,"_40":41,"_26":130},"-MKdIapAqOQ4d6Zwwj1g","

Suga had a busy diplomatic schedule in his first weeks in office, but it’s his domestic initiatives that really stand out.

","Suga’s First Month as Japan’s Prime Minister",{"_24":132,"_53":133,"_55":56,"_57":47,"_46":69,"_40":41,"_26":134},"-MKdIapB_Y9gGRJkQadk","

South Korean President Moon Jae-in has heavily leaned on government spending to drive growth. But overall debt remains relatively low.

","South Korea Looks to Cap Public Debt, But Is It Actually a Problem?",{"_24":136,"_53":137,"_55":56,"_57":47,"_46":86,"_40":41,"_26":138},"-MKdIapC_nxThzhFuRD_","

Can Japan’s new PM get the economy back on track in a nation facing a global pandemic, mounting debt and adverse demographics?

","Suganomics: Abenomics Minus Yasukuni?",{"_24":140,"_53":141,"_55":56,"_57":47,"_46":95,"_40":41,"_26":142},"-MKdIapEdw7YExwXkfSi","

No South Korean president in the last 38 years has trodden outside the elite blueprint for interacting with North Korea.

","Moon’s Plan for Inter-Korean Relations Is Actually 40 Years Old",{"_24":144,"_46":145,"_26":146,"_49":147},"SOA",6,"South Asia",[148,152,156,160,164],{"_24":149,"_53":150,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_46":47,"_40":41,"_26":151},"-MKdIapGcs4ut0NuJTdS","

Parsing the why, what, when, and who of theoretical India-Pakistan talks.

","India-Pakistan Talks Are a Nonstarter",{"_24":153,"_53":154,"_55":56,"_57":47,"_46":58,"_40":41,"_26":155},"-MKdIapHqJWjaZvoGsyU","

When it comes to popular street politics, no one is an automatic favorite for the Pakistani military. The opposition knows that and is coming prepared.

","In Opposition-Government Battle, Where Does the Pakistani Military Stand?",{"_24":157,"_53":158,"_55":56,"_57":47,"_46":69,"_40":41,"_26":159},"-MKdIapMzi5v7DCZYa27","

Dhaka’s formal decision would come as a relief to New Delhi.

","Bangladesh Buries the Sonadia Deep-Sea Port Project",{"_24":161,"_53":162,"_55":56,"_57":47,"_46":86,"_40":41,"_26":163},"-MKdIapOqHgSFoZxiDUc","

The Taliban’s insistence on the supremacy of Sunni Hanafism has alarmed Afghan Shias who have long been marginalized.

","Growing Sectarianism Can Challenge Lasting Peace in Afghanistan",{"_24":165,"_53":166,"_55":56,"_57":47,"_46":95,"_40":41,"_26":167},"-MKdIapP4bgS-z8W-f6Q","

Kathmandu will have to balance Beijing, New Delhi, and Washington as it seeks a new way forward to advance national interest.

","Amid Rising Big Power Tensions, Nepal Seeks a New Foreign Policy",{"_24":169,"_46":170,"_26":171,"_49":172},"SEA",7,"Southeast Asia",[173,177,181,185,189],{"_24":174,"_53":175,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_46":47,"_40":41,"_26":176},"-MKdIapQZSoAnXx7qUZD","

The move only casts into stark relief the profound ways in which Western imperialism shaped the modern nations of Southeast Asia.

","Dutch Government to Compensate Indonesian Victims of Colonial Violence",{"_24":178,"_53":179,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_46":58,"_40":41,"_26":180},"-MKdIapRyJixQACOm-dR","

The Philippines is resisting calls to prioritize hiring Filipinos to work on big-ticket construction projects funded by China.

","Duterte Faces Fresh Pressure Over Influx of Chinese Workers",{"_24":182,"_53":183,"_55":56,"_57":47,"_46":69,"_40":41,"_26":184},"-MKdIapSg09TpvUxn9gk","

Wang Yi riffed on a number of familiar tunes, from China’s role in post-COVID-19 recovery to the shibboleth of “non-interference.”

","What Did the Chinese FM’s Tour of Southeast Asia Achieve?",{"_24":186,"_53":187,"_55":56,"_57":47,"_46":86,"_40":41,"_26":188},"-MKdIapTw8X3ZLRPg7Yf","

Vietnam’s campaign against COVID-19 is infused with military imagery, playing into existing strands of national identity.

","Vietnam’s War Against COVID-19",{"_24":190,"_53":191,"_55":56,"_57":47,"_46":95,"_40":41,"_26":192},"-MKdIapUdI8oHKn4DpZ6","

Social media has played an important role in attracting international attention to the movement’s struggle for reform.

","Thailand’s Protesters Want the World to Know #WhatsHappeningInThailand",{"_24":194,"_46":195,"_26":196,"_49":197},"CEA",8,"Central Asia",[198,202,206,210,214],{"_24":199,"_53":200,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_46":47,"_40":41,"_26":201},"-MKdIapWKKSEJfOGWSmI","

Leaders in Nur-Sultan, Tashkent, Dushanbe, and Ashgabat hope their own citizens don’t pay much attention to Kyrgyzstan beyond believing it a total mess.

","Should Kyrgyzstan’s Propensity to Protest Worry Its Neighbors?",{"_24":203,"_53":204,"_55":56,"_57":47,"_46":58,"_40":41,"_26":205},"-MKdIapWKKSEJfOGWSmJ","

What was at stake in Tajikistan’s election wasn’t the presidency, but what comes next.

","What’s Important About Tajikistan’s Presidential Election?",{"_24":207,"_53":208,"_55":56,"_57":47,"_46":69,"_40":41,"_26":209},"-MKdIapXSNeoD6ng8tBQ","

Tashkent’s quick move to partner with China on poverty reduction indicates that Beijing is now the model for such efforts.

","Uzbekistan Teams With China on Poverty Reduction",{"_24":211,"_53":212,"_55":56,"_57":47,"_46":86,"_40":41,"_26":213},"-MKdIapZ_7Gd4gFQbuZw","

If the past sets any precedent, we can expect an overwhelming win for Nur-Otan – the ruling party headed by First President Nursultan Nazarbayev

","Date Set for Kazakhstan’s Parliamentary Elections",{"_24":215,"_53":216,"_55":56,"_57":47,"_46":95,"_40":41,"_26":217},"-MKdIap_ASJGFIAIWE_v","

The pandemic has managed to do what the Uzbek government hasn’t been able to: temper lavish wedding practices. But will moderation last?

","Uzbek Weddings in the Time of COVID-19",{"_24":219,"_46":220,"_26":221,"_49":222},"OCE",9,"Oceania",[223,227,231,235],{"_24":224,"_53":225,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_46":47,"_40":41,"_26":226},"-MKdIapa71Foa1jI7Y5d","

The 9th Japan-Pacific Islands Leaders Meeting (PALM) is scheduled to be held in 2021 in the Japanese city of Shima.

","Japan, Pacific Island States Plan for Next Meeting",{"_24":228,"_53":229,"_55":56,"_57":47,"_46":58,"_40":41,"_26":230},"-MKdIapbWV1nRPOdVzLn","

From COVID-19 to climate change, the most pressing global issues – and those of most concern to Pacific states – are best served by collective action.

","Fiji’s Bainimarama Makes Pacific Plea for Multilateralism",{"_24":232,"_53":233,"_55":56,"_57":47,"_46":69,"_40":41,"_26":234},"-MKdIapcQfc71q3dQ3ha","

The move is overdue, as public entities and state governments have proven unable to fully vet their agreements with China.

","Australia Looks to Tighten Government Oversight of University Agreements With China",{"_24":236,"_53":237,"_55":56,"_57":47,"_46":86,"_40":41,"_26":238},"-MKdIapd20Q3FdiQd5yC","

A looming north-south split in the Pacific Islands Forum poses both challenges and opportunities to the rival superpowers.

","PIF Fragmentation May Alter US-China Competition in the Pacific",{"_24":240,"_46":241,"_26":242,"_49":243},"USA",10,"US in Asia",[244,248,252],{"_24":245,"_53":246,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_46":47,"_40":41,"_26":247},"-MKdIapgkwvXDl4Eonvs","

What role will the Quad play in the long-term U.S. approach to Asia?

","The United States, the Quad, and the Indo-Pacific",{"_24":249,"_53":250,"_55":56,"_57":47,"_46":58,"_40":41,"_26":251},"-MKdIaphgyb53adlWW_D","

President Trump’s COVID-19 infection threw a wrench into U.S. Asia diplomacy.

","The Cost of Pompeo’s Cancelled Trips to South Korea and Mongolia",{"_24":253,"_53":254,"_55":56,"_57":47,"_46":69,"_40":41,"_26":255},"-MKdIapi9kNbqtG5pl6S","

Beijing’s threats against U.S. citizens in China seemingly ignore the central place that “hostage diplomacy” has played in American history.

","Of Hostage Diplomacy and History: China and American Political Polarization",{"_24":257,"_46":37,"_26":258,"_49":259},"SCR","Security",[260,264,268,272],{"_24":261,"_53":262,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_46":47,"_40":41,"_26":263},"-MKdIaplBaCny8WnVvpw","

U.S. Defense Secretary Esper says “Battle Force 2045” is needed to counter China at sea.

","The Pentagon’s Unaffordable, Unbuildable Plan for a 500-ship Navy",{"_24":265,"_53":266,"_55":56,"_57":47,"_46":58,"_40":41,"_26":267},"-MKdIapmBbHuwXp5MEvW","

The lack of a breakthrough in the implementation of global cyber norms highlights the need to focus efforts at the regional level.

","It’s Time for the Asia-Pacific to Move Toward Regional Cyber Norms",{"_24":269,"_53":270,"_55":56,"_57":47,"_46":69,"_40":41,"_26":271},"-MKdIapnNqgdl03rqsih","

Five Eyes consultations are becoming more frequent. But is that necessarily a good thing?

","Five Eyes Defense Ministers Meet Amid Widening Agenda",{"_24":273,"_53":274,"_55":56,"_57":47,"_46":86,"_40":41,"_26":275},"-MKdIapppu76Y8vPTkFf","

Instead, China’s military bravado represents the end state of a failed strategy.

","China’s Military Incursions Around Taiwan Aren’t a Sign of Imminent Attack",{"_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},"-MKdIaprH4R2jSsw_-3z","

While across India population growth is a mounting issue, a part of Uttarakhand state is facing decline. It may become a security challenge.

","Uttarakhand: Protecting the Border, Abandoning the Borderlands",{"_24":286,"_53":287,"_55":56,"_57":47,"_46":58,"_40":41,"_26":288},"-MKdIapsP7FnSKQcevFE","

Nigel Ng’s viral comedy sketches, featuring his middle-aged Malaysian “uncle” alter-ego, have resonated with fans both in Asia and the West.

","Uncle Roger: The East to West Comedic Sensation",{"_24":290,"_53":291,"_55":56,"_57":47,"_46":69,"_40":41,"_26":292},"-MKdIaptAH_6Ugcji2TI","

The BRI has led to a dramatic uptick in Silk Road heritage projects in China.

","As COVID Restrictions Ease in China, Silk Road Tourism Blooms Again","routes/$issue.cover",{"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":23},"actionData","errors"]