Letter from the Editor
A special note of thanks from Managing Editor Catherine Putz as the magazine marks its 100th issue.
Welcome to the March 2023 issue of The Diplomat Magazine, our 100th.
To mark this special occasion, we’ve carefully crafted the front of the issue to reflect on the time that has passed, the themes that stand out, and what lessons we can draw from 100 months of publishing this magazine. From China’s economy to climate change, from Central Asia to the Pacific, these pieces highlight topics that The Diplomat Magazine has returned to time and again over the course of its existence. In Issue 100, our authors distill the changes that have taken place since December 2014, when our very first issue launched.
The rest of the issue is as our readers will have come to expect: a curated collection of both new articles and the best from the website to present a snapshot of what’s happening in Asia.
When people ask me how long I’ve been with The Diplomat, I usually reply with something along the lines of: “Whatever magazine issue we’re on, plus three months.” I joined The Diplomat in September 2014 as the new special projects editor tasked with standing up a digital magazine companion for The Diplomat’s website. Many things have changed over the ensuing years – presidents, policies, perceptions – and my job at The Diplomat has grown and changed too, but I’m still here making magazines and you’re still here reading them. Thank you.
My thanks must turn next to James Pach, The Diplomat’s publisher, and Zachary Keck, at the time managing editor, who hired me in 2014 to make this magazine a reality. I also have to thank all of The Diplomat’s editors, past and present, without whom this magazine would not exist. Thanks for letting me pick your brains and your contact lists: Ankit Panda, Franz-Stefan Gady, Prashanth Parameswaran, Abhijnan Rej, Sebastian Strangio, Sudha Ramachandran, and, of course, Shannon Tiezzi. Special thanks also to Stefan Yanku, who is responsible for designing every single cover and so much more.
You can look back through our catalog of issues for the full list of writers who, over the last eight-plus years, have shared their research, reporting, and insights with us. They range from prominent experts and distinguished professors to sharp young scholars and remarkable freelance journalists from across Asia. There are many places to publish on the internet; I am honored you choose to write for us.
Whether you’ve been reading from the start or Issue 100 is your first time scrolling through the magazine, thank you for your support. From all of us at The Diplomat, we hope you enjoy reading the magazine as much as we love creating it – which is a whole damn lot.