Japan’s Try-Anything Nuclear Response Draws Criticism, and Sympathy   
   

For a country that is known for its industrial robots, advanced cellphones and hybrid vehicles, Japan’s efforts to cool the hobbled nuclear reactors in Fukushima have seemed, at least to a world watching on television, to be decidedly low-tech. (The New York Times)

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Philippine interests, balancing act with China  

China’s decision to carry out the execution of three convicted Filipino drug “mules” is a setback, not because the Aquino government failed to secure their release. In general, the loss of any human life is tragic, and while we do not agree with the punishment to be meted out, we acknowledge that crimes were committed. Also, nothing suggests that the three Filipinos did not receive a fair trial from the Chinese courts, and as demonstrated by the visit of Vice President Jejomar Binay to China, the Philippine government did what it could. (The Manila Times)

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Rising China undermines US clout in Latin America   
     

The US$10 billion package agreed with the China Development Bank was another clear sign of China's surging influence in Latin America, transforming the region's economies and undermining US dominance in its traditional "backyard." (The Brunei Times)

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How much will the Japanese earthquake hurt the global economy?   
  

Experts on industrial logistics point out that, as world manufacturing has become more technologically advanced, it is more likely that a single supplier, or even a single factory, can be critical to a whole industry. And we know that, in this vein, Japanese corporations enjoy monopolies or oligopolies in a host of crucial niches in supplying advanced materials, components and production machinery for industries like electronics, cars, and aerospace.                                (The New Republic)

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Asia’s chains that bind   
   

Asian manufacturers have always migrated in search of cheaper labour. Until recently, China seemed their ultimate destination, claiming an ever larger share of investment by Asia’s huge production network. But three developments in China – rising wage inflation, the coming of a new five-year plan that will seek to shift dramatically the Chinese economy’s focus from exports to domestic consumption, and a cut-off in the supply of rare earths to Japanese companies – may auger significant changes in how these networks invest and function in the years ahead. (The Brunei Times)

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East Asia Integration – China’s Reservations on India Playing a Leading Role  

"China and India, two great nations that have gone through so many trials and tribulations, will, as always, remain vibrant, live up to the important mission bestowed by history, and work together for new glories of the Oriental civilization “ – Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao, Speech at the Indian Council of World Affairs, New Delhi, 15 December 2010.  It may be a folly to treat Wen’s words as empty, intended only to please the Indian audience; instead they deserve to be taken seriously as signifying the outcome of the fundamental transformation that has taken place in the Chinese thinking on ties with India ever since the People’s Republic of China (PRC) embarked on a ‘reforms and opening up’ policy in 1978.             (South Asia Analysis Group)

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The silver lining of Japan’s earthquake   
   

A massive earthquake and tsunami have accomplished what Japan's fiscal policy and central bank could not. Rebuilding a large swath of Japan will stimulate domestic growth and global demand, energy-efficient technologies, while helping to integrate China and Japan. (The Christian Science Monitor)

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Dalai Lama quitting poses new challenges   
   

The Dalai Lama's announcement that he will formally relinquish his political role was a long-expected development that nevertheless muddies Tibetan affairs and poses fresh challenges for not just China but his long-time host, India. (The Brunei Times)

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Japan’s earthquake and its economic impact   
   

The economic aftershocks of the earthquake and tsunami which struck Japan on Friday are only slightly less difficult to fathom than the scale of the human tragedy and physical devastation.  (East Asia Forum)

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Key Obstacles to China becoming a global leader   
   

Here is where the South China Sea poses a strategic dilemma for China: to enhance its global leadership, the support of Southeast Asia covering the wide expanse of the maritime approach towards China is necessary, yet it is having disputes with a few Southeast Asian countries over islands and isles in the South China Sea.  (The Institute of Southeast Asian Studies)

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