https://www.scmp.com/rss/281434/feed en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com As South Korean President Moon Jae-in and North Korean Supreme Leader Kim Jong-un head into a historic summit this week, the big question is how sincere Pyongyang is in efforts to achieve lasting peace. Here’s what to look out for in testing Kim’s sincerity. First, and most simply, form matters. The South already achieved a victory of sorts in persuading Kim to come to the South (or more technically to the southern part of the demilitarised zone or DMZ) for the meeting rather than having Moon... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/geopolitics/article/2142691/korea-summit-kim-jong-un-sincere-heres-how-tell?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/geopolitics/article/2142691/korea-summit-kim-jong-un-sincere-heres-how-tell?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 23 Apr 2018 02:00:37 +0000 Help Wanted: US Ambassador to Korea. Seasoned diplomat or foreign area specialist preferred. Must think preventive war is a good idea, the Korea-US Free Trade Agreement is a bad idea and that it wouldn’t be too disruptive if 280,000 American citizens were suddenly evacuated from the Korean Peninsula. The US needs a polished diplomat with Korean Peninsula experience to represent the Trump administration during a period of increased tension in Korea (and it seems like there are always increased... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/opinion/article/2132374/heres-why-trump-cant-find-us-ambassador-south-korea?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/opinion/article/2132374/heres-why-trump-cant-find-us-ambassador-south-korea?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 10 Feb 2018 01:49:27 +0000 Counter-intuitive as it may sound, the latest North Korean intercontinental ballistic missile test may actually set the stage for a reduction of tensions, rather than an exacerbation of the “crisis”. It may also set Washington up for a fool’s choice if we fail to understand Pyongyang’s logic and ultimate end game. The United States, as it always does, is calling for UN Security Council action which is likely to result in Washington and Beijing arguing over the next few days (weeks? months?)... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/2122405/north-koreas-icbm-test-storm-calm?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/2122405/north-koreas-icbm-test-storm-calm?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 03 Dec 2017 01:02:28 +0000 A change of mind just hours before he touched down in Tokyo on Sunday at the start of his maiden trip to Asia as US president should have come as no great surprise to anyone given Donald Trump’s turbulent first 11 months in the White House. Whether the last-minute volte-face, which will see Trump attend the East Asia Summit (EAS) in the Philippines, will convince anyone that the US has a coherent policy on what it is now calling the “Indo-Pacific region” remains to be seen. What is clear is this... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/geopolitics/article/2118367/what-expect-us-president-donald-trumps-visit-asia?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/geopolitics/article/2118367/what-expect-us-president-donald-trumps-visit-asia?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 05 Nov 2017 00:00:00 +0000 Ralph Cossa Ralph Cossa There is an interesting, somewhat counter-intuitive aspect to the current North Korea-United States war of words: the further one gets from the source of the threat, the more frantic they seem to become. South Koreans, always sitting under the shadow of North Korea’s long-range artillery, are going about their daily business with little or no concern about Kim Jong-un’s recent threats; they have learned to take them with a huge grain of salt. The people of Guam, sitting at ground zero, seem more... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/opinion/article/2107406/trumps-nuclear-standoff-north-korea-why-no-cuban-missile-crisis?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/opinion/article/2107406/trumps-nuclear-standoff-north-korea-why-no-cuban-missile-crisis?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 20 Aug 2017 01:45:36 +0000 Any discussion of US foreign policy begins with an understanding and appreciation of American "power" and influence in an evolving and uncertain world. The conversation often starts with the assertion that the US is the "indispensable nation", as President Barack Obama insisted in the candidates' foreign policy debate. But the debate about US power and purpose glosses over the more important issue - that of leadership. While considerable ink has been spilled over the first two items, precious... https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/1075040/us-must-learn-how-lead?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/1075040/us-must-learn-how-lead?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 04 Nov 2012 16:00:00 +0000