[{"_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","2022-02","path","/2022-02","issue",{"_24":25,"_26":27,"_28":29,"_30":31,"_32":33,"_34":35,"_36":37,"_38":39,"_40":41,"_42":43},"eid","-MuHPgaFKSzpAtV9B_Gs","title","Beijing’s Olympic Redux","description","Welcome to the February 2022 issue of The Diplomat. This month, our cover story explores the differing motives and goals Beijing had for its Olympics in 2008 and 2022 – and the ways the world has responded both times. We also examine the causes and consequences of Tajikistan’s consistent electricity shortages, survey the state of Myanmar’s resistance one year after the military coup, and analyze the international community’s options for engaging Afghanistan without recognizing the Taliban. And, of course, we offer a range of reporting, analysis, and opinion from across the region.","masthead","

\n Publisher\n Diplomat Media, Inc.
\n 3033 Wilson Blvd
\n Suite 700
\n Arlington, VA 22201
\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 Southeast Asia Editor\n Sebastian Strangio\n

\n South Asia Editor\n Sudha Ramachandran\n

\n Contributing Editors\nKavita Chowdhury
\nNiha Dagia
\nBonnie Girard
\nJames Guild
\nUmida Hashimova
\nBrian Hioe
\nSara Hsu
\nLuke Hunt
\nUmair Jamal
\nMercy A. Kuo
\nJongsoo Lee
\nJoshua Mcdonald
\nShafi Md Mostofa
\nMong Palatino
\nJacob Parakilas
\nSantosh Sharma Poudel
\nRajeswari Pillai Rajagopalan
\nTita Sanglee
\nMitch Shin
\nThisanka Siripala
\nPaolo Sorbello
\nTroy Stangarone
\nSteven Stashwick
\nYuki Tatsumi
\nColleen Wood
\nGrant Wyeth
\nAlifah Zainuddin\n

\n Design & Code\n Stefan Yanku\n

","number",87,"date","February 2022","month",2,"year",2022,"status","rdy","toc",[44,60,67,83,92,117,142,167,192,217,238,255,276],{"_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},"-MuHPhBOxSqTMMggbFla","lead","

Across Asia, people and governments are struggling.

","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},"-MuHPhBT_J0ehytQBeX2","

Don’t let the calls for a boycott mislead – China is more integral to the world, including the world of sports, now than in 2008.

",{"_24":68,"_46":37,"_26":69,"_49":70},"LDS","Leads",[71,75,79],{"_24":72,"_53":73,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_46":47,"_40":41,"_26":74},"-MuHPhBUX3K12GdUoPMi","

Tajikistan struggles with electricity rationing 30 years after independence, despite long-held dreams of becoming an energy export powerhouse.

","The Struggle to Power Tajikistan",{"_24":76,"_53":77,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_46":58,"_40":41,"_26":78},"-MuHPhBUX3K12GdUoPMj","

The strong, armed resistance movement surprised the regime, but without greater international support, the situation will likely continue to deteriorate.

","The Battle for Myanmar",{"_24":80,"_53":81,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_46":37,"_40":41,"_26":82},"-MuHPhBVL6wfZg3-Qfs5","

Can the international community continue to recognize Afghanistan without recognizing the Taliban?

","Does the World Need to Recognize the Taliban?",{"_24":84,"_46":85,"_26":86,"_49":87},"INT",3,"Interview",[88],{"_24":89,"_53":90,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_46":47,"_40":41,"_26":91},"-MuHPhBWTgTCTwXYpfaq","

“Even if not for the reasons initially expected, history is likely to judge the Phase One agreement as having played a fairly important role in U.S.-China trade relations over 2020-21.”

","Chad Bown",{"_24":93,"_46":94,"_26":95,"_49":96},"CHN",4,"China",[97,101,105,109,113],{"_24":98,"_53":99,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_46":47,"_40":41,"_26":100},"-MuHPhBXuOZh_yMhL-37","

China’s economic punishment of Lithuania for its Taiwan outreach poses a difficult test for the European Union.

","In China-Lithuania Row, Will the EU Stay on the Sidelines?",{"_24":102,"_53":103,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_46":58,"_40":41,"_26":104},"-MuHPhBY3Hqd2L_QG6Gy","

Xi’s push against corruption is more than just political expedience.

","What’s Driving Xi’s Anti-Corruption Drive?",{"_24":106,"_53":107,"_55":56,"_57":47,"_46":37,"_40":41,"_26":108},"-MuHPhBY3Hqd2L_QG6Gz","

China’s foreign policy specialists are struggling to satisfactorily explain China’s rise or how it is likely to behave as a prominent global leader.

","Fuzzy Logic: China’s Second Order Foreign Policy",{"_24":110,"_53":111,"_55":56,"_57":47,"_46":85,"_40":41,"_26":112},"-MuHPhBZesbVpODGqEPL","

To become a global leader in standard-setting, China first needs to focus on domestic standards.

","What’s Behind China’s New National Standardization Outline Document?",{"_24":114,"_53":115,"_55":56,"_57":47,"_46":94,"_40":41,"_26":116},"-MuHPhB__dG0ceiEH6bb","

Draft revisions to China’s women’s rights law are a step in the right direction, but are likely to have limited impact.

","China’s Lawmakers Take More (Cautious) Steps Against Workplace Sexual Harassment",{"_24":118,"_46":119,"_26":120,"_49":121},"NEA",5,"Northeast Asia",[122,126,130,134,138],{"_24":123,"_53":124,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_46":47,"_40":41,"_26":125},"-MuHPhCCHeLxdyXmcGsg","

18-39 year olds have emerged as the key swing voters in South Korean politics.

","South Korea’s 20-30 Generation Could Decide the Upcoming Presidential Election",{"_24":127,"_53":128,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_46":58,"_40":41,"_26":129},"-MuHPhCDSNIlyyMq8-Zp","

The most recent Japan-U.S. joint statement is ambitious and will require Japan to do some hard work at home.

","The New Vision for the Japan-US Alliance Poses Challenges for Tokyo",{"_24":131,"_53":132,"_55":56,"_57":47,"_46":37,"_40":41,"_26":133},"-MuHPhCEJT2mHwdaZ4dG","

Hint: Urging companies to hike wages won’t do the job.

","Solving Japan’s Wage Stagnation Syndrome",{"_24":135,"_53":136,"_55":56,"_57":47,"_46":85,"_40":41,"_26":137},"-MuHPhCF_9vfOlNMh7G8","

Dismal trade figures for 2021 attest to the toll the North’s border closures are taking on its food supply.

","North Korea’s Strict COVID-19 Policies Undermine Kim Jong Un’s Goal of Ending Hunger",{"_24":139,"_53":140,"_55":56,"_57":47,"_46":94,"_40":41,"_26":141},"-MuHPhCF_9vfOlNMh7G9","

North Korean hackers are likely to include new play-to-earn (P2E) crypto games within their illicit cyber-enabled financial schemes.

","How North Korea Might Exploit New Video Games for Crypto",{"_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},"-MuHPhCGnuEU1cMQqIP2","

Sinhalese nationalists are already rallying against the agreement.

","India Seals Deal With Sri Lanka on Trincomalee Oil Tank Facility",{"_24":152,"_53":153,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_46":58,"_40":41,"_26":154},"-MuHPhCHzZkswwuEBjPG","

The document says all the right things, but is silent on who will take responsibility for implementing it.

","Pakistan’s Ambitious National Security Policy",{"_24":156,"_53":157,"_55":56,"_57":47,"_46":37,"_40":41,"_26":158},"-MuHPhCItar4kKuGL829","

Multi-phase assembly elections will give parties with deeper pockets like the BJP an undue advantage.

","India State Assembly Elections: Where Is the Level Playing Field?",{"_24":160,"_53":161,"_55":56,"_57":47,"_46":85,"_40":41,"_26":162},"-MuHPhCJc0j8-fK2YlWY","

Ghor can be viewed as a microcosm of the layered complexity of Afghanistan.

","Murky Militias in Forgotten Provinces Reveal Why Afghanistan War Isn’t Over",{"_24":164,"_53":165,"_55":56,"_57":47,"_46":94,"_40":41,"_26":166},"-MuHPhCKyGY1SEJwB2p0","

The country’s long-running dispute with Pakistan has soured attempts to foster regionalism in South Asia.

","Is Regional Integration Still Relevant for India in South Asia?",{"_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},"-MuHPhCLD1csqOzSAUIy","

The legalization push represents a bright light of rationality in Southeast Asia, where most nations have intensely punitive anti-drug regimes.

","Thailand Moves Toward Full Legalization of Marijuana",{"_24":177,"_53":178,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_46":58,"_40":41,"_26":179},"-MuHPhCM5aox1vt5Srba","

Sara Duterte thinks mandating military service will inspire patriotism, while her vice presidential opponent sees it as the mark of a dictator.

","Mandatory Military Service in the Philippines?",{"_24":181,"_53":182,"_55":56,"_57":47,"_46":37,"_40":41,"_26":183},"-MuHPhCM5aox1vt5Srbb","

Heated maritime and territorial disputes conceal the severe damage being done beneath the waves.

","The Looming Environmental Catastrophe in the South China Sea",{"_24":185,"_53":186,"_55":56,"_57":47,"_46":85,"_40":41,"_26":187},"-MuHPhCNnUolXmRC8pBL","

Hun Sen was the first foreign leader to visit Myanmar since the military’s overthrow of the country’s democratically elected government.

","Myanmar Crisis and Hun Sen’s Visit: ASEAN in Disarray?",{"_24":189,"_53":190,"_55":56,"_57":47,"_46":94,"_40":41,"_26":191},"-MuHPhCOejgmXo9u4GaZ","

The Indonesian rail operator KAI remains one of the country’s more well-run and capable state-owned companies.

","Indonesia’s Railway Renaissance",{"_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},"-MuHPhCOejgmXo9u4Ga_","

It’s clear that the unrest in Kazakhstan has Turkmenistan spooked. Maybe closing the Gates of Hell will fix the problem.

","Turkmenistan and the Gates of Hell",{"_24":202,"_53":203,"_55":56,"_57":47,"_46":58,"_40":41,"_26":204},"-MuHPhCQ-7zOzoi0oqr5","

30 years on from the dissolution of the USSR, Central Asian states are a case study in hedging and balancing between global superpowers.

","The Art of Survival for Central Asian States",{"_24":206,"_53":207,"_55":56,"_57":47,"_46":37,"_40":41,"_26":208},"-MuHPhCQ-7zOzoi0oqr6","

Resolving discontent with Almaty’s local government will be an important step in Kazakhstan’s broader political reform efforts.

","Kazakhstan: Local Politics and the Chaos in Almaty",{"_24":210,"_53":211,"_55":56,"_57":47,"_46":85,"_40":41,"_26":212},"-MuHPhCR2bLpblcwf4n7","

Tashkent reiterated its anti-CSTO sentiments and says it can independently control domestic issues if needed.

","Uzbekistan Reacts to the Crisis in Kazakhstan",{"_24":214,"_53":215,"_55":56,"_57":47,"_46":94,"_40":41,"_26":216},"-MuHPhCSONpaSRJxnPA_","

The Canadian mining firm confirmed that it is in discussions with Bishkek over the fate of the mine.

","Kyrgyzstan and Centerra in Talks for Out-of-Court Dispute Resolution Over Kumtor",{"_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},"-MuHPhCSONpaSRJxnPAa","

The movement’s new plan is worse than its 1999 proposal: more confusing and ultimately more dangerous.

","The Australian Republic Movement Tries Again",{"_24":227,"_53":228,"_55":56,"_57":47,"_46":58,"_40":41,"_26":229},"-MuHPhCTESexDslOAWm2","

The recent frenzy over tennis player Novak Djokovic has helped highlight the cruel detention conditions of refugees in Australia.

","Djokovic Saga Shines Ugly Spotlight on Australia’s Detention Program",{"_24":231,"_53":232,"_55":56,"_57":47,"_46":37,"_40":41,"_26":233},"-MuHPhCUDFmyR94E5DZ8","

The Antarctic Treaty System is vulnerable. As a signatory, what can Australia do?

","Time for Australia to Rethink Its Antarctica Policy",{"_24":235,"_53":236,"_55":56,"_57":47,"_46":85,"_40":41,"_26":237},"-MuHPhCVo7uXVzj8j-xo","

It is at the intersection of commercial and hard-security interests that Australia’s relationships with Japan and South Korea are finding their increasing health.

","Australia’s Growing Ties With Northeast Asia",{"_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},"-MuHPhCWHIFDBo_K95at","

The United States’ struggle with COVID-19 has concerned partners in the Indo-Pacific region.

","Asia Is Watching the US COVID Response",{"_24":248,"_53":249,"_55":56,"_57":47,"_46":58,"_40":41,"_26":250},"-MuHPhCXvYTIEiVVp6mT","

The study examined the legal case for China’s South China Sea claims and found it wanting.

","US State Department Study Dismisses China’s ‘Unlawful Maritime Claims’ in South China Sea",{"_24":252,"_53":253,"_55":56,"_57":47,"_46":37,"_40":41,"_26":254},"-MuHPhCXvYTIEiVVp6mU","

The legislation calls for Washington to adopt a more robust and cohesive approach toward the country’s military junta.

","What the National Defense Authorization Act Means for US Policy Toward Myanmar",{"_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},"-MuHPhCZ6xRIZp3aBWXF","

The pandemic didn’t create unity; war wouldn’t either.

","COVID-19 Put the Lie to the Idea of a Unifying National Tragedy",{"_24":265,"_53":266,"_55":56,"_57":47,"_46":58,"_40":41,"_26":267},"-MuHPhC_GVzkk-DYdvYJ","

Far from causing friction, Russia’s intervention in Kazakhstan shows the durability of the Sino-Russian relationship.

","China and Russia Both Benefit From the CSTO Intervention in Kazakhstan",{"_24":269,"_53":270,"_55":56,"_57":47,"_46":37,"_40":41,"_26":271},"-MuHPhCaLMwZf5tw6XPr","

The United States is not falling behind China in space – quite the contrary.

","The China-US Space Race Is a Myth",{"_24":273,"_53":274,"_55":56,"_57":47,"_46":85,"_40":41,"_26":275},"-MuHPhCaLMwZf5tw6XPs","

The local branch of al-Qaida failed to appeal to Indian Muslims in the past, but it hasn’t given up.

","Will al-Qaida in the Indian Subcontinent Find Support in India?",{"_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},"-MuHPhCcmSoSKd-hPfve","

While symbols can create as much controversy as real objects, Modi’s recent changes in New Delhi are unlikely to cause a lasting divide.

","Extinguishing or Moving Flames? Remaking the Historical Symbols of New Delhi",{"_24":286,"_53":287,"_55":56,"_57":47,"_46":58,"_40":41,"_26":288},"-MuHPhCcmSoSKd-hPfvf","

China’s technical schools cannot fulfill the government’s target of training a skilled workforce without much-needed reform.

","What Is the Future of China’s Vocational School Drive?",{"_24":290,"_53":291,"_55":56,"_57":47,"_46":37,"_40":41,"_26":292},"-MuHPhCdaFPrh9XvWOd_","

New legislation aims to clean up India’s hitherto unregulated assisted reproductive tech and surrogacy industry, but activists say the laws are deficient in many respects.

","India’s New Reproductive Laws Trigger Debate","routes/$issue.cover",{"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":23},"actionData","errors"]