[{"_1":2,"_296":-5,"_297":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_16":17,"_294":295},"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","2022-04","path","/2022-04","issue",{"_24":25,"_26":27,"_28":29,"_30":31,"_32":33,"_34":35,"_36":37,"_38":39,"_40":41,"_42":43},"eid","-Mxj3YLobyh0s-8ttFLw","title","The Philippines’ Critical Presidential Election","description","Welcome to the April 2022 issue of The Diplomat. This month, our cover story probes the high stakes of the Philippines’ presidential election. We also dive into the Cold War history lurking behind Nicaragua’s 2021 break with Taiwan, explore Bhutan’s remarkable COVID-19 success story, and recount the recent gains – in the face of deep-seated prejudice – of Pakistan’s transgender community. 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
\nYuki Tatsumi
\nColleen Wood
\nGrant Wyeth\n

\n Design & Code\n Stefan Yanku\n

","number",89,"date","April 2022","month",4,"year",2022,"status","rdy","toc",[44,60,68,85,94,118,143,168,193,218,239,256,277],{"_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},"-Mxj3ZJ2TKXl0m0mwSgS","lead","

Some surprises are not all that surprising upon deeper examination.

","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":67},"-Mxj3ZJ6iHX230NoXUTb","

Marcos Jr. leads Leni Robredo in the race, but with a month left until election day much can still change.

","Inside the Philippines’ Critical Presidential Election",{"_24":69,"_46":70,"_26":71,"_49":72},"LDS",2,"Leads",[73,77,81],{"_24":74,"_53":75,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_46":47,"_40":41,"_26":76},"-Mxj3ZJ7UIR41P9kerws","

The saga of Nicaragua-Taiwan relations – and their eventual end in December 2021 – stretches back to the Cold War heyday of Taipei’s anti-communist obsession.

","The Cold War History Behind Nicaragua’s Break With Taiwan",{"_24":78,"_53":79,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_46":58,"_40":41,"_26":80},"-Mxj3ZJ7UIR41P9kerwt","

Compassionate leadership – and the resulting public trust and goodwill – provided the key to Bhutan’s remarkable pandemic success story.

","Overcoming COVID-19 the Bhutanese Way",{"_24":82,"_53":83,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_46":70,"_40":41,"_26":84},"-Mxj3ZJ84u6uKC1kTOoN","

Pakistan’s transgender community has notched several historic successes in recent years, but discrimination remains rampant.

","Meet the Khwaja Sira: Pakistan’s Transgender Community",{"_24":86,"_46":87,"_26":88,"_49":89},"INT",3,"Interview",[90],{"_24":91,"_53":92,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_46":47,"_40":41,"_26":93},"-Mxj3ZJhULyJfyMxpPKw","

There’s a new Berdimuhamedov at the helm in Turkmenistan. What will the “son of the nation” do with the presidency?

","Victoria Clement",{"_24":95,"_46":37,"_26":96,"_49":97},"CHN","China",[98,102,106,110,114],{"_24":99,"_53":100,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_46":47,"_40":41,"_26":101},"-Mxj3ZJiYa1eVIIUfHC0","

A shocking video of a trafficked woman has sparked anger and debate in China since January 2022.

","On International Women’s Day, China’s Netizens Remember the ‘Chained Woman’",{"_24":103,"_53":104,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_46":58,"_40":41,"_26":105},"-Mxj3ZJiYa1eVIIUfHC1","

With concerns about food security at home, wheat, not oil, is the currently the crux of China’s economic interest in Russia.

","China and Russia: The Trade Ties That Bind",{"_24":107,"_53":108,"_55":56,"_57":47,"_46":70,"_40":41,"_26":109},"-Mxj3ZJjOxBmqMp3ZVX4","

Beijing has both the motive and means to fudge its statistics.

","How Reliable Are China’s Statistics?",{"_24":111,"_53":112,"_55":56,"_57":47,"_46":87,"_40":41,"_26":113},"-Mxj3ZJkGvyfApsxRMc0","

The Department of Justice has accused five individuals of working with China’s Ministry of State Security to surveil and harass Chinese dissidents residing in the United States.

","US Alleges ‘Transnational Repression’ Scheme Involving China’s Secret Police",{"_24":115,"_53":116,"_55":56,"_57":47,"_46":37,"_40":41,"_26":117},"-Mxj3ZJlEgkryBteDCxy","

The invasion of Ukraine has sparked a conversation about how well Taiwan’s armed forces and civilian population are prepared to fend off a Chinese invasion.

","Taiwan Watches the Ukraine Invasion and Asks: Are We Ready?",{"_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},"-Mxj3ZJlEgkryBteDCxz","

The foreign policy team of President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol has a history of expanding South Korea’s overseas aid and development assistance.

","Will South Korea’s Incoming President Recommit to Public Diplomacy?",{"_24":128,"_53":129,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_46":58,"_40":41,"_26":130},"-Mxj3ZJmlT4HrKEOe51D","

Kishida Fumio joined crisis talks in Brussels primarily to advise on the economic impact of the invasion. He also used the trip to promote Japan’s wider diplomatic and security agenda.

","Japan Resets Its Role in Europe in the Wake of Ukraine War",{"_24":132,"_53":133,"_55":56,"_57":47,"_46":70,"_40":41,"_26":134},"-Mxj3ZJnR_2NcBsA9JO9","

Tokyo appears to have finally realized that Putin has no intention of ever handing any of the disputed islands back to Japanese control.

","What Russia’s Invasion of Ukraine Portends for Japan’s Northern Territories",{"_24":136,"_53":137,"_55":56,"_57":47,"_46":87,"_40":41,"_26":138},"-Mxj3ZJpBJiZ2hge1DGb","

Amid online shopping bonanzas and anti-COVID measures, one-person business owners and self-employed subcontractors have suffered.

","South Korea’s Self-Employment Crisis",{"_24":140,"_53":141,"_55":56,"_57":47,"_46":37,"_40":41,"_26":142},"-Mxj3ZJpBJiZ2hge1DGc","

A new survey shows the importance for Tokyo of keeping the ASEAN public in mind.

","Japan, ASEAN, and the Importance of Grassroots Diplomacy",{"_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},"-Mxj3ZJq6xVDiU3G4WOS","

India’s democracy used to be a powerful source of soft power. That power is now rapidly fading.

","The Downgrading of India’s Democracy",{"_24":153,"_53":154,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_46":58,"_40":41,"_26":155},"-Mxj3ZJrwyrLYZEXJuF5","

The organization has lost its vision of protecting and furthering the interests of Muslims worldwide.

","OIC Silent on Alleged Genocide of Muslims in China",{"_24":157,"_53":158,"_55":56,"_57":47,"_46":70,"_40":41,"_26":159},"-Mxj3ZJrwyrLYZEXJuF6","

How will the U.S. grant – approved despite a raging controversy – factor into both upcoming elections and Nepal’s diplomatic positioning?

","Nepal Ratified the MCC Compact. What Now?",{"_24":161,"_53":162,"_55":56,"_57":47,"_46":87,"_40":41,"_26":163},"-Mxj3ZJsJk7AuT0JWwEO","

India risks being sidelined in an increasingly polarized Indo-Pacific regional architecture.

","Ukraine War Adds Pressure Points to India’s ‘Act East’ Policy",{"_24":165,"_53":166,"_55":56,"_57":47,"_46":37,"_40":41,"_26":167},"-Mxj3ZJtgkN868hqFHZh","

As maritime issues between India and Sri Lanka deepen, fishers grapple with increasing economic woes.

","India, Sri Lanka, and the Fishers Caught in the Middle",{"_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},"-Mxj3ZJuqL_6uApsKQ3n","

The Indonesian government has shown few indications of heeding any criticisms about its economic activities in Papua.

","West Papua Tensions on the Rise",{"_24":178,"_53":179,"_55":56,"_57":47,"_46":58,"_40":41,"_26":180},"-Mxj3ZJuqL_6uApsKQ3o","

Under Rodrigo Duterte, Manila has become proficient in playing all sides, even if there’s a war going on.

","The Philippines Wants to Befriend All the Great Powers",{"_24":182,"_53":183,"_55":56,"_57":47,"_46":70,"_40":41,"_26":184},"-Mxj3ZJvZEHGPrzPWg7y","

Watching the war unfold in Ukraine, many members of the anti-coup resistance see clear parallels to their own struggle.

","The Russian Invasion of Ukraine Through a Burmese Lens",{"_24":186,"_53":187,"_55":56,"_57":47,"_46":87,"_40":41,"_26":188},"-Mxj3ZJwwcc_h9RbIYjB","

Russian President Vladimir Putin has attracted both admirers and detractors among the country’s active netizens.

","Explaining the Vietnamese Public’s Mixed Responses to the Russia-Ukraine Crisis",{"_24":190,"_53":191,"_55":56,"_57":47,"_46":37,"_40":41,"_26":192},"-Mxj3ZJwwcc_h9RbIYjC","

The convictions come ahead of important commune council elections scheduled for June.

","Cambodia Convicts 20 Opposition Activists on Vague, Political Charges",{"_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},"-Mxj3ZJxa75k6LlsnuiP","

In February, Russian officials complained that NATO didn’t take the CSTO seriously. There’s clearly no reason to do so.

","What Is the Value of the CSTO Now?",{"_24":203,"_53":204,"_55":56,"_57":47,"_46":58,"_40":41,"_26":205},"-Mxj3ZJxa75k6LlsnuiQ","

After a dozen years, the Cotton Campaign has finally announced the end of its pledge, signed by 331 brands and retailers, to boycott Uzbek cotton on account of forced labor.

","The Boycott of Uzbek Cotton Is Over",{"_24":207,"_53":208,"_55":56,"_57":47,"_46":70,"_40":41,"_26":209},"-Mxj3ZJyf17KNb7LvA8m","

Tokayev’s “new Kazakhstan” is much less in sync with Russia, as illustrated by the country’s response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

","How Ukraine Could Remake Kazakhstan’s Relationship With Russia",{"_24":211,"_53":212,"_55":56,"_57":47,"_46":87,"_40":41,"_26":213},"-Mxj3ZJz1yFt4iduilp-","

In a recent speech, Kazakh President Tokayev laid out the government’s understanding of the January events and proposed a litany of reforms to achieve a “New Kazakhstan.”

","Tokayev Outlines ‘New Kazakhstan’ in State of the Nation Address",{"_24":215,"_53":216,"_55":56,"_57":47,"_46":37,"_40":41,"_26":217},"-Mxj3ZJz1yFt4iduilp0","

From Kunayev to Razzakov to Rashidov, Soviet-era Central Asian leaders continue to play an important role in constructing historical narratives 30 years after independence.

","Soviet Central Asian Leaders Are Far From Gone",{"_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},"-Mxj3ZK-nPfIhOW27T1Z","

If Australia’s Critical Minerals Strategy is to be successful, it has to be more ambitious than simply being a source of material for Japan and South Korea.

","Resource Rich, Industry Poor: Australia’s Critical Minerals Strategy",{"_24":228,"_53":229,"_55":56,"_57":47,"_46":58,"_40":41,"_26":230},"-Mxj3ZK0OfCgUXg-1QlM","

The Morrison government appears to have settled on an approach to Antarctica that shores up Australian interests without directly mirroring China’s moves.

","Is Australia’s New Antarctica Funding Boost All About Countering China?",{"_24":232,"_53":233,"_55":56,"_57":47,"_46":70,"_40":41,"_26":234},"-Mxj3ZK0OfCgUXg-1QlN","

The law was motivated by a desire to punish Russia for its invasion of Ukraine but will have long-term implications for New Zealand’s policy toward China as well.

","How Significant Is New Zealand’s New Russia Sanctions Law?",{"_24":236,"_53":237,"_55":56,"_57":47,"_46":87,"_40":41,"_26":238},"-Mxj3ZK1kZexRLrykxlq","

Thirty years after a landmark report on inequality, Australia’s justice system remains plagued by structural racism.

","Why Australia’s Indigenous People Fear the Police",{"_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},"-Mxj3ZK30OA8eNT5PLt3","

The invasion of Ukraine has bolstered the United States’ moral confidence – and resurrected U.S. leadership in Asia.

","America’s Moral Clarity and the Indo-Pacific",{"_24":249,"_53":250,"_55":56,"_57":47,"_46":58,"_40":41,"_26":251},"-Mxj3ZK30OA8eNT5PLt4","

The Biden administration’s Indo-Pacific strategy rests on old assumptions that fail to account for the region’s dynamics and complexity.

","What the US Indo-Pacific Strategy Is Missing",{"_24":253,"_53":254,"_55":56,"_57":47,"_46":70,"_40":41,"_26":255},"-Mxj3ZK4FLxujv10GgwQ","

Yoon’s election presents opportunities to strengthen the South Korea-U.S. relationship beyond traditional security concerns.

","What South Korea’s Election Means for Its Technology Alliance With the United States",{"_24":257,"_46":258,"_26":259,"_49":260},"SCR",11,"Security",[261,265,269,273],{"_24":262,"_53":263,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_46":47,"_40":41,"_26":264},"-Mxj3ZK6ExaSpF6d5lNK","

In the run-up to the war in Ukraine, the U.S. used its intelligence apparatus in unusually public fashion to predict and pre-empt Putin’s strategy. Could that strategy work in other contexts?

","Ukraine: Painting the Black Swan?",{"_24":266,"_53":267,"_55":56,"_57":47,"_46":58,"_40":41,"_26":268},"-Mxj3ZK6ExaSpF6d5lNL","

After the Ukraine war, will China maintain, expand, or scale back its military cooperation with Russia?

","3 Possible Futures for China-Russia Military Cooperation",{"_24":270,"_53":271,"_55":56,"_57":47,"_46":70,"_40":41,"_26":272},"-Mxj3ZK7xlF0_OkB8rT8","

Recurring incidents involving the theft and sale of nuclear materials demonstrate why India must develop an independent nuclear regulatory body.

","India’s Radioactive Bazaar",{"_24":274,"_53":275,"_55":56,"_57":47,"_46":87,"_40":41,"_26":276},"-Mxj3ZK8snO2Row4WtjP","

The rise of a new leader suggests that Islamist militants continue to pose a clear and present security threat in the southern Philippines.

","The Strategic Patience of Dawlah Islamiyah in Mindanao",{"_24":278,"_46":279,"_26":280,"_49":281},"ASL",12,"Asia Life",[282,286,290],{"_24":283,"_53":284,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_46":47,"_40":41,"_26":285},"-Mxj3ZK9ebhAI0AIOB_p","

“Social and Political Life” could easily be used as a textbook to teach tolerance in Europe.

","Teaching Diversity in Class: An Indian Textbook Shows the Way Forward",{"_24":287,"_53":288,"_55":56,"_57":47,"_46":58,"_40":41,"_26":289},"-Mxj3ZKAKBenKYkQU7EA","

As Ukraine is burned and bombed, one family builds a bridge from Kyiv to Japan.

","Telling Ukraine’s Story to Japan",{"_24":291,"_53":292,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_46":70,"_40":41,"_26":293},"-Mxj3ZKAKBenKYkQU7EB","

China’s government is aware of the looming demographic crisis. So why is it so reluctant to adopt family-friendly policies?

","China Continues to Underdeliver in Its Plans to Combat the Low Birth Rate","routes/$issue.cover",{"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":23},"actionData","errors"]