Regional matters

We analyse the latest issues and developments across Asia.

	India flexes its nuclear arms With the recent launch of its Agni-V inter-continental ballistic missile, India has dramatically increased its nuclear capabilities
	Indonesia: Islam's model democracy? New Zealand joins the list of countries looking to woo one of Southeast Asia's best-performing economies
	Indonesia's workers strike a nerve Employees' frustration grows as the country's economic gains fail to filter down into their wages
	Tension in the South China Sea Competing claims within the resource-rich shipping route are straining relations in the region
	North Korea after Kim Jong-il Challenges facing the country and wider region after the death of the "dear leader"
	Ageing populations threaten Asia's growth Speed of demographic change creates challenges for region's economies and social services
	Indian anti-corruption movement under fire Popular campaigner Anna Hazare attracts criticism for his methods
	China reaches for the stars The launch of China's first space laboratory on September 29, 2011 was an important milestone in the country's space programme
	Democracy in the making, or public relations campaign? Changes made by Myanmar's new president have drawn a mixed response from observers
	Thailand's brittle democracy We look at the challenges facing the newly elected Yingluck Shinawatra
	China's harmony express Gigantic high-speed rail network spreads
	Asia looks to a nuclear future Continuing economic growth fuelled by nuclear power
	Japan's nuclear crisis Japan eyes new strategy of clean energy generation
	India's growing thirst In our second series on water shortages in Asia, we take a look at the challenges ahead for India
	Digging deep: grappling with water shortage in China A colossal water engineering project is underway to divert water to China's drought-stricken northeast provinces
	Mongolia mines its future Can any country to outpace China's economic growth? This mineral-rich North Asian country has thrown everything into the gamble

Earlier articles by country

Cambodia

• Cambodia on trial - the slow-running process of bringing the remaining Kymer Rouge leaders to justice. (January 2010)

China

• China rediscovers its place in the world - will an ancient Chinese coin discovered on the Kenyan coast prompt a review of history? (December 2010)
• Grabbing the microphone: China's media gamble - the third in a series on the Chinese media landscape. (May 2010)
• Chinese internet companies - more on China's burgeoning media - part two of three articles. (May 2010)
• Bloggers and Chinese Twitter, China's new media wave - the first in a three-part on Chinese media written by media adviser Charles Mabbett. (May 2010)
• China gets tough on foreign business - the increasingly fraught relations between China and a number of high profile Western investors. (April 2010)
• China strengthens economic ties with Africa - China is increasing economic presence on the continent and the mixed reactions it has prompted. (December 2009)
• China's ethnic unrest - the fallout from the recent disturbances in Urumqi, capital of the traditional Uighur homeland, is analysed. (October 2009)
• Nanjing: the politics of memory - there are efforts by China and Japan to find middle ground over contested and painful history. (August 2009)

India

• India's image-defining games - preparation for the Commonwealth Games in October 2010 has been anything but smooth. (September 2010)
• India's new rope trick - could being a runner-up to China yet prove to be to India's advantage in the future? (May 2010)
• India votes for stability - a commentary on the 2009 elections in the world's largest democracy. (July 2009)

Indonesia

• Indonesia's palm oil gambit - a two-year moratorium on deforestation has been declared. What is at stake? (June 2010)
• Indonesia: the country's evolving democracy - elections in the world's most populous Muslim-majority nation.

Japan

• Cool Japan - culture as a global export. (August 2010)
• Japan: a new direction - an assessment of the landslide victory of the leftist DPJ.

Malaysia

• Malaysia's high wire act - an assessment of the country's current economic and political landscape on negotiation of an FTA with New Zealand. (November 2009)

Nepal

• Nepal's highway of dreams - 21st century Silk Road connects China and India via Nepal and Tibet. (July 2010)
• South Asia's royal retreat - An overview of recent tumultuous developments in Nepal and Bhutan. (March 2009)

Myanmar (Burma)

• Myanmar's ersatz elections - what changes lie ahead after the country's first elections in 20 years and the liberation of AungSang Suu Kyi? (November 2010)

North Korea

• The rise of the "Morning-Star King" - we take a look at North Korea's planned succession. (October 2010)
• North Korea: its nuclear obsession - The reverse of a process of relative detente. (July 2009)

Pakistan

• Pakistan: "Clear and present danger" - Why militant Islam is unforgiving of poor governance. (May 2009)

Sri Lanka

• Tamils face life after war - following the end of armed conflict in Sri Lanka, a political situation remains volatile. (March 2010)
• Sri Lanka's civil war - We report on a country too broken to fix. (March 2009)

Thailand

• Thailands's royal politics - an assessment of the role of former leader Thaksin Shinawatra in the increasing political tension in Thailand. (February 2010)

Vietnam

• Reformist urge softens - the Communist Party's XIth congress in January 2011 would seem merely an occasion to reapply varnish to the regime (February 2011)
• Closer defence relations between New Zealand and Vietnam - a Vietnamese delegation visits military locations in New Zealand.

Regional

• Strengthening New Zealand relationships in East Asia - Terence O'Brien of the Centre for Strategic Studies on New Zealand's engagement with the region