Asia News

The Daily Signal delivers Asia-Pacific news with reporting and conservative commentary on regional security challenges, U.S. military alliances, China containment strategy, Taiwan defense, North Korea threats, economic competition, and America’s vital interests in the Indo-Pacific region.
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  • opinion

    How Harvard Secretly Discriminates Against Americans of Asian Descent
    In April, a group launched a lawsuit against the school, insisting that Harvard University release hidden information regarding its admissions. The organization leading the lawsuit is Students for Fair Admissions, which is comprised of Asian-American students who applied to get into Harvard and were rejected. The group says it believes the school is guilty of…
    Jarrett Stepman
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  • opinion

    US-South Korea Trade Agreement Dodges a Bullet
    President Donald Trump derided the U.S.-Korea Free Trade Agreement as an “unacceptable, horrible deal” and a “job killer.” He vowed to “renegotiate that deal or terminate it.” The South Korean trade ministry responded by declaring “the U.S. is not the only one who can use scrapping the [free trade agreement] as a negotiating tactic.” Despite…
    Bruce Klingner
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  • opinion

    In Reviewing Trade Deal, US and South Korean Leaders Must Preserve Critical Alliance
    March 15 marks the sixth anniversary of the Korea-U.S. Free Trade Agreement. The United States and South Korea have been close economic partners for decades. Since March 2012, however, this free trade agreement has allowed economic interaction between the two countries to become more comprehensive and institutionalized. It is still premature to weigh the full, comprehensive impact of the agreement,…
    Anthony B. Kim | Terry Miller
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  • opinion

    US Arms Sale to Georgia a Long-Overdue Show of Support for Eurasian Ally
    The U.S.- Georgian relationship was taken to a new level on Nov. 20, when President Donald Trump approved something that never occurred during President Barack Obama’s eight years in office. That would be an estimated $75 million deal to sell Javelin anti-tank missiles to the Eastern European republic of Georgia. After 25 years of diplomatic…
    Alexis Mrachek
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  • opinion

    China Cutting Tariffs Just Weeks After Trump’s Asia Trip
    Following President Donald Trump’s recent trip to Asia, China has released a long list of dramatic tariff cuts on a range of imported consumer goods. In fact, over 200 different products will see an average reduction of approximately 10 percent. U.S. cheese exporters have been particularly vocal about the importance of China lowering tariffs. Demand…
    Rachael Wilfong | Tori K. Smith
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  • opinion

    How Affirmative Action Hurts Asian-Americans in College Admissions
    Michael Wang stared at the letter in dismay. It marked the sixth Ivy League university he had been rejected by, out of the seven he had applied to. In addition to his perfect ACT score and grade-point average, he was ranked third nationally in piano, sang at President Barack Obama’s inauguration, and had received accolades…
    Helaina Hirsch | Mike Gonzalez
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  • opinion

    If Trump Skips This Event, It Could Undercut US Influence in Asia
    Early this week, it became clear that President Donald Trump had decided not to attend the East Asia Summit in the Philippines on Nov. 14. He should reconsider. The annual summit brings together leaders from the 10 Southeast Asian countries with eight others from outside the Association of Southeast Asian Nations—namely, the U.S., China, Japan,…
    Walter Lohman
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  • opinion

    What Japan’s Election Outcome Means for the US, East Asia
    From a distant American viewpoint, the Japanese election on Sunday was much ado about nothing. The country’s leader remained in place, the dominant party remained in control, and there will be no shifts in Japan’s policies. The electorate chose continuation of the status quo rather than risk upsetting a positive economic growth trend or putting…
    Bruce Klingner
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  • news

    US, South Korea Stand United Against Kim Ahead of Trump’s Asia Trip
    President Donald Trump and South Korean President Moon Jae-in could be set to take an international good cop/bad cop approach in handling the North Korean nuclear threat, one expert suggests in advance of Trump’s two-week trip to Asia in November. “While it’s true many of the things said by President Trump and [North Korea’s] Kim…
    Fred Lucas
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  • opinion

    How Ivy League Schools Discriminate Against Asians
    Earlier this month, The New York Times ran an article titled “U.S. Rights Unit Shifts to Study Antiwhite Bias” on its front page. The article says that President Donald Trump’s Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division is going to investigate and sue universities whose affirmative action admissions policies discriminate against white applicants. This is an out-and-out…
    Walter E. Williams
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  • opinion

    In Upcoming Summit, an Opportunity for US, South Korea to Forge Economic Partnership
    President Donald Trump and South Korean President Moon Jae-in will hold their first face-to-face meetings in Washington on June 29 and 30. While there are a host of issues that the two presidents could disagree on when they meet at the White House, the real focus of the Trump-Moon summit, beyond cultivating a personal connection…
    Anthony B. Kim
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  • opinion

    Here’s Trump’s Chance to Recommit to the Vital Alliance With South Korea
    This week’s U.S.-South Korea summit will be scrutinized for signals of the strength of the relationship and divergence in approaches to North Korea. The elections of U.S. President Donald Trump and South Korean President Moon Jae-in upended their countries’ policies toward the bilateral alliance and North Korea, producing uncertainty and concerns in both capitals. Both…
    Bruce Klingner
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  • news

    North Korea’s Missile Launch a ‘Litmus Test’ for Trump and South Korean Leader
    President Donald Trump will speak again to the newly elected South Korean president—who during his campaign advocated more direct engagement with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. That was before North Korea’s ballistic missile test over the weekend. “There is no question that North Korea continues to threaten the United States,” @PressSec says. Trump talked…
    Fred Lucas
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  • opinion

    How Instability in the Taiwan Straits Strains the US Position in Asia
    While the eyes of the world are focused on security developments on the Korean Peninsula, two recent events should resharpen attention on the Taiwan Straits. The Chinese launched a new aircraft carrier, and President Donald Trump indicated that he would check with Chinese President Xi Jinping before he would take another phone call from the…
    Dean Cheng
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  • opinion

    Liberal Moon Jae-in Has Won the South Korean Election. Here’s What It Means for US, North Korea.
    As with most presidential elections, South Korean voters predominantly voted their pocketbooks in Tuesday’s national election. While the election featured the usual struggle between a conservative market-based growth strategy and liberal redistributionism, voters this time were driven in large part by a desire to end their nation’s endemic political corruption. After 10 years of conservative…
    Bruce Klingner
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  • opinion

    Trump’s Comments Risk Undermining Asia Policy
    President Donald Trump made several worrying remarks during an interview with Reuters last week that raise questions about his Asia policy and his ability to implement it. Trump’s comments come at a particularly inopportune time as his administration unveils its North Korea policy and seeks international support to ratchet up pressure on Pyongyang—all while South…
    Bruce Klingner
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  • opinion

    US Falling Behind on Trade, While Japan and EU Thrive
    European Union and Japanese leaders recently met in Brussels to further negotiations for a free trade agreement. As the EU and Japan work together to boost their economic, political, and security ties, sentiments in the United States seem to be turning away from free trade in favor of protectionism. President Donald Trump has fueled anti-trade…
    Kelly Cousoulis | Tori K. Smith
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  • opinion

    As Rex Tillerson Heads to Asia, Here’s Where the Region Stands
    As Secretary of State Rex Tillerson sets out on his first official visit to Asia, expectations are high. As he visits key U.S. allies Japan and South Korea, he will be expected to reassure them of America’s steadfast commitment to their security. And in visiting the People’s Republic of China, Tillerson will have to send…
    Dean Cheng | Bruce Klingner | Walter Lohman
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  • opinion

    Impeachment Controversy Stokes Uncertainty Ahead of South Korean Election
    The next South Korean presidential election is scheduled to be held on or before Dec. 20, 2017. However, there is a possibility that South Korea will have its election in advance because of President Park Geun-hye’s impeachment, which led to her immediate suspension. Park’s impeachment must be ratified by the Constitutional Court within six months…
    Soo Jin Hwang | Olivia Enos
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  • opinion

    As South Korea Impeaches President, US Must Remain Steady Ally
    The South Korean National Assembly impeached President Park Geun-hye Friday by a resounding vote of 234-56. Under the country’s constitution, Park will immediately cede all her authorities to Prime Minister Hwang Kyo-ahn but remain in office until the Constitutional Court reviews the impeachment proceedings. The largest liberal opposition party has declared that it will not…
    Bruce Klingner
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