ISDP Voices

This week marks the 50th anniversary of China and Lebanon establishing diplomatic relations in November 1971. Much has changed since then for both Beijing and Beirut, but the history of the relationship is revealing of some key forces driving both countries’ foreign relations. China is building closer relations with Middle Eastern states, part of a […]

(This is the second blog post in a series of similar posts on gender equality in South Korea – Click here for the first post in the series) Last year, South Korea’s population declined for the first time, with the fertility rate dropping to an all-time low. Although an increase in unemployment and falling incomes […]

(This is the first blog post in a series of similar posts on gender equality in South Korea – Click here for the second post in the series) As the 2022 South Korean presidential election draws nearer, political parties and candidates have begun to proclaim their ambitions. Among them is the newly elected chairman of the main […]

A key element of Deng Xiaoping’s approach to governance was to transform the Chinese communist system into a market-oriented model to achieve economic growth and modernization. Socialism with Chinese characteristics emphasized private sector coexistence with state-owned enterprises (SOEs). However, Xi Jinping has taken steps to reverse this trend by introducing regulations such as anti-monopoly restrictions, […]

The newly released ROK 2022-2026 Midterm Defense Plan promises sharper swords and stronger shields following the termination of US missile guidelines earlier this year. It is a continued evolution of President Moon’s two-tier inter-Korean strategy of promoting dialogue while simultaneously expanding military capabilities. However, the heavy focus on developments within ISR, C41 and BMD (see […]

On July 2nd, Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga hosted the Ninth Pacific Islands Leaders Meeting, also known as PALM. As with other major meetings taking place during a global pandemic, this year’s PALM was held virtually, with bilateral talks being held in the runup to the actual summit. The Japanese government is no stranger to […]

In 1979, China’s one-child policy was introduced to curb the country’s population growth. Couples have been allowed to have two children since 2016, when the policy was replaced by a two-child policy. Yet, birth rates increased only for the first two years after the shift and have been declining since. In fact, China’s birth rates […]

Last week Mongolians went to the polls to vote for a new President. The Mongolian Presidential elections saw the victory of former Prime Minister Ukhnaa Khurelsukh of the Mongolian People’s Party (MPP). Khurelsukh won in a landslide, securing 68% of the votes against the 20,1% and 6%, won by Dangaasuren Enkhbat of the Right Person […]

During times of armed conflicts, civilians, particularly students, tend to be targeted and victimized in violation of the Geneva Convention relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War, or the Fourth Geneva Convention. This is due to the fact that schools are apt to be used for military purposes in wartime. In […]

In 1979, 319,000 divorces were registered in China. Since 2003, divorce rates have increased, and in 2019 alone, more than four million couples dissolved their marriages. However, in the first quarter of 2021, the number of divorces in China dropped more than 70 percent. During this time period, only 296,000 divorces were registered, which differs […]