State of Asia

On October 20, 2024, Indonesia will inaugurate Prabowo Subianto as its new President. Ever since his election win back in February, world leaders have been courting Prabowo, meeting with him even before he has taken office. Prabowo seems to love presidenting around the world much more than current President Joko Widodo did during his ten years in office.If all goes well, says Dewi Fortuna Anwar, our guest on this episode, Indonesia under Prabowo could claim a much more active role on the world stage to deal with global issues like climate change and energy security. But Prabowo is also known to be temperamental and at times unpredictable, finding particular joy in sneering at Europe.Dewi Fortuna Anwar is one of the speakers at our flagship STATE OF ASIA conference on November 7 in Zurich. Have a look at the full line-up and find information on how to get tickets on our website.STATE OF ASIA brings you engaging conversations with leading minds on the issues that shape Asia and affect us all.Stay up-to-date on all events and activities at Asia Society Switzerland: subscribe to the newsletter and support our work by becoming a member.-STATE OF ASIA is a podcast from Asia Society Switzerland.  Season 7, episode 3 - Published: October 1, 2024Host, editor/producer: Remko Tanis, Programs and Editorial Manager, Asia Society Switzerland

Over the past year, U.S.-China relations have seen slight improvement, in part driven by the U.S. desire for stability leading up to the Presidential election. Regardless of whether Kamala Harris or Donald Trump wins the election, the new President will have to make a crucial decision: maintain this fragile period of stability, or press forward with more competitive measures to push back against China's rise. The decision will hinge on a policy debate that balances the need to deter Chinese aggression with the importance of reassuring China about U.S. long-term intentions, particularly regarding sensitive issues like Taiwan.Should the new U.S. administration double down on tougher deterrence, including military hard power and denying China access to advanced technology? Or should it instead seek reassurance, aiming to collaborate with China on global issues such as climate change?Listen to an Oxford Debate co-organized by Asia Society Policy Institute and Asia Society Switzerland and held on September 17, 2024, on the motion “The next U.S. administration must reassure China, not just deter it”.Presenting clear-cut, time-constrained, well-thought-out arguments are:Yun Sun, Director of the China Program at the Stimson CenterRorry Daniels, Managing Director, Asia Society Policy InstituteJames Crabtree, TOY Senior Fellow at Asia Society Switzerland and at the Asia Society Policy InstituteJason Hsu, former Taiwanese Legislator and Mason Fellow at the Harvard Kennedy SchoolLearn more about the speakers on the event's website and watch the video of the entire debate here.Our Oxford Debate series offers insights into complex issues, presented in short and clear arguments. Find all the debates here.—STATE OF ASIA is a podcast from Asia Society Switzerland.  Season 7, Bonus Episode 1 - Published: September 18, 2024Host, editor/producer: Remko Tanis, Programs and Editorial Manager, Asia Society Switzerland

Experts from Asia share their insights on how the upcoming U.S. election will impact relations in the region. They delve into India's evolving ties with the U.S. and discuss the complexities of U.S.-China relations. Perspectives from Japan highlight concerns over Trump's unpredictability versus a potential Harris administration. The dynamics between Australia and the U.S. are examined, particularly regarding Southeast Asia's quest for autonomy. Additionally, contrasting views on Trump and Harris among the Chinese population reveal shifting sentiments across Asia.

In 2024, over half the world’s population has been voting for new leaders – or will do so very soon.In Asia, countries from Bangladesh to Singapore, Vietnam, Thailand, Japan, and Indonesia, end this year with other leaders than the one they started it with (though not all through general elections). So do the EU, the UK and, in January 2025, the U.S.James Crabtree, TOY Senior Fellow at Asia Society Policy Institute and Asia Society Switzerland, joins us to dissect the impacts these leadership changes  have on the geopolitical landscape.James Crabtree is one of the speakers at our flagship STATE OF ASIA conference on November 7 in Zurich. Have a look at the full line-up and find information on how to get tickets on our website.STATE OF ASIA brings you engaging conversations with leading minds on the issues that shape Asia and affect us all.Stay up-to-date on all events and activities at Asia Society Switzerland: subscribe to the newsletter and support our work by becoming a member.-STATE OF ASIA is a podcast from Asia Society Switzerland.  Season 7, episode 1 - Published: September 3, 2024Host: Nico Luchsinger, Executive Director, Asia Society SwitzerlandEditor/producer: Remko Tanis, Programs and Editorial Manager, Asia Society Switzerland

STATE OF ASIA, the podcast from Asia Society Switzerland, is back with engaging conversations with leading minds on the issues that shape Asia and affect us all.The new season premieres Tuesday, September 3. New episodes follow every other Tuesday.Plus: look out for bonus episodes bringing you insights from some of the many events organized by Asia Society Switzerland.Stay up-to-date on all our activities: subscribe to the newsletter and support our work by becoming a member.-----STATE OF ASIA is a podcast series from Asia Society Switzerland.  Season 7 trailer - Published: August 27, 2024Editor/Producer:Remko Tanis, Programs and Editorial Manager, Asia Society Switzerland

Batteries increasingly power everything around us, all thanks to major innovations and a supply chain that spans the world. And that’s where things get complicated.As battery costs sink and technology advances, nations increasingly view batteries as vital for national security, economic competitiveness, and to reach their climate goals.We spoke with two experts on all things batteries and geopolitics: Marina Yue Zhang, Associate Professor at the Australia-China Relations Institute of the University of Technology Sydney; and Duo Fu, Vice President of the Clean Tech Division at Rystad Energy, a Norwegian energy intelligence firm.The conversation is also available as a webcast here. More information on the speakers is on our website.STATE OF ASIA is back with new episodes in September.Stay up-to-date on all our activities: subscribe to the newsletter and support our work by becoming a member.-STATE OF ASIA is a podcast from Asia Society Switzerland.  Season 6,  Bonus episode 4 - Published: July 11, 2024Host and Producer: Remko Tanis, Programs and Editorial Manager, Asia Society Switzerland

As India’s economy continues to grow, can the world’s most populous country truly replicate China's success of the past decades? Should India even imitate China? Maybe not, says our guest on this episode, Alicia García Herrero, Hong Kong-based Chief Economist for Asia-Pacific at French investment bank Natixis, and Senior Fellow at European think tank Breugel. Alicia discusses the key differences between the two countries, talks about if the world is even looking for a new China, and provides insights on what economic policies could drive India’s continued growth, especially as the country enters a second decade under Prime Minister Narendra Modi.STATE OF ASIA brings you engaging conversations with leading minds on the issues that shape Asia and affect us all.This is the final episode of this season. Expect bonus episodes over the summer. We’re back with new episodes early September.Stay up-to-date on all events and activities at Asia Society Switzerland: subscribe to the newsletter and support our work by becoming a member.-STATE OF ASIA is a podcast from Asia Society Switzerland.  Season 6, episode 6 - Published: June 11, 2024Host: Nico Luchsinger, Executive Director, Asia Society SwitzerlandEditor/producer: Remko Tanis, Programs and Editorial Manager, Asia Society Switzerland

As tensions simmer in its immediate environment, Japan is on high alert. In the midst of China's "sustained aggressiveness," Japan is revising its defense and security policies.But how does this align with its pacifist constitution, and is there still room for engagement with China? Hear from Yuki Tatsumi, Senior Fellow, Co-Director of the East Asia Program, and Director of the Japan Program at the Stimson Center in Washington, DC.Yuki sheds light on Japan's historical approach to China, the current state of their bilateral relations, and the delicate balance between deterrence and engagement.We also discuss the implications of Japan's changing security policies on its relationship with other regional players, including South Korea and India and we explore the sentiment of the Japanese public towards these shifts.Want more insights on Japan’s foreign policy? Watch Gideon Rachman, chief foreign affairs commentator at the Financial Times in conversation with Jesper Koll at Asia Society Japan in this video.STATE OF ASIA brings you engaging conversations with leading minds on the issues that shape Asia and affect us all.Stay up-to-date on all events and activities at Asia Society Switzerland: subscribe to the newsletter and support our work by becoming a member.-STATE OF ASIA is a podcast from Asia Society Switzerland.  Season 6, episode 5 - Published: May 28, 2024Host/Producer: Remko Tanis, Programs and Editorial Manager, Asia Society Switzerland

China’s leader Xi Jinping raised his country’s relationship with EU and NATO member Hungary to a level that puts Hungary almost as close to Beijing’s chest as Russia and North Korea are.Western Europe long regarded  the ’new’ EU member states in the East as Trojan horses. But views on, and relations with, China have grown very diverse in Central and Eastern Europe. Especially in the Baltics, the Czech Republic and, increasingly, Poland, China is looked at with suspicion, given its support of Russia’s war in Ukraine and Beijing's failed attempt over the past decade to reel them in through the now defunct 17+1 grouping.A week after Xi’s visit to Hungary, Serbia, and France, and ahead of June’s European Parliament elections, we speak with Alicja Bachulska, policy fellow at the European Council on Foreign Relations on how the experiences Central and Eastern European countries have dealing with China can contribute to a stronger European China policy.Alicja co-authored The Missing Pieces? How CEE Can Contribute To A Stronger European Approach To China, a research paper published in April 2024. The full report is available on the website of CHOICE, China Observers in Central and Eastern Europe.Also in April, the Asia Society Policy Institute published a report on the experience Lithuania had dealing with economic coercion coming from China. That’s available here.STATE OF ASIA brings you engaging conversations with leading minds on the issues that shape Asia and affect us all.Stay up-to-date on all events and activities at Asia Society Switzerland: subscribe to the newsletter and support our work by becoming a member.-STATE OF ASIA is a podcast from Asia Society Switzerland.  Season 6, episode 4 - Published: May 14, 2024Host/Producer: Remko Tanis, Programs and Editorial Manager, Asia Society Switzerland

Indira Ranamagar is Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives of Nepal since January 2023. She started her career as a primary science and maths teacher in village schools in the southeast of Nepal, and became a social worker in prisons in 1990. For well over 30 years now, she has been a prolific human rights and social worker. In 2000, she founded the NGO Prisoner’s Assistance Nepal, which looks after prisoners' welfare and works to give children whose parents are imprisoned an education and a roof over their heads.In 2022, she was elected to Nepal’s House of Representatives on behalf of a brand-new political party, taking her social work from the streets to parliament.In 2007, Indira was named an Asia 21 Young Leader by the global network of Asia Society, while in 2009 her NGO PA Nepal received the Asia Society Asia 21 Public Service Award. In 2017, she was the first Nepali to feature on the BBC’s list of the 100 most influential women in the world.For more on Nepal, watch this episode of our popular series A Closer Look: a quick but deep dive into the Himalayan nation with Nepalese investor Suman Joshi, recorded in March, 2023.STATE OF ASIA brings you engaging conversations with leading minds on the issues that shape Asia and affect us all.Stay up-to-date on all events and activities at Asia Society Switzerland: subscribe to the newsletter and support our work by becoming a member.-STATE OF ASIA is a podcast from Asia Society Switzerland.  Season 6, episode 3 - Published: April 29, 2024Host/Producer: Remko Tanis, Programs and Editorial Manager, Asia Society Switzerland