Today Trends

Author: Walter James, Temple University In June 2023, Japan revised its national hydrogen strategy that envisages a carbon neutral ‘hydrogen society’. Ironically, fulfilling this strategy could increase global greenhouse gas emissions as most of the global supply chains that the Japanese government is creating to import hydrogen rely on fossil fuels. Rather than a ‘ hydrogen society ’, Japan should aim to become a ‘prudent hydrogen society’. This means using hydrogen that has been produced in the cleanest way possible and only in sectors where it makes the most sense for the climate. In December 2017, Japan became the first country to formulate a national hydrogen strategy. Since then, over 40 countries have followed suit, prompting Japan to revise its strategy . Tokyo’s updated strategy sets lofty targets. The government will spend 15 trillion yen over 15 years with the goal of using 3 million tons of hydrogen annually by 2030, 12 million tons by 2040 and 20 million tons by 205

Author: Mark Cogan, Kansai Gaidai University Since 2018, the human rights environment in mainland China and its associated autonomous regions has deteriorated. The evidence is overwhelming. The latest US State Department Report on China’s human rights record recognised ‘genocide and crimes against humanity’ against Muslim Uyghurs as well as members of other religious and ethnic groups in the Xinjiang region. These crimes included the ‘severe deprivation of physical liberty of more than one million civilians’ as well as ‘forced sterilization, coerced abortions’ and ‘draconian restrictions on freedom of religion, expression, and movement’. The United Nations Office of the High Commissioner of Human Rights (OHCHR) on its own assessment of abuses in the Xinjiang region wrote that the deprivation [of Uyghur rights] may constitute international crimes, ‘in particular crimes against humanity’. On 24 January 2024, the UN Human Rights Council will begin the process of China’s Fourth Cycle

Author: Stephan Ortmann, Hong Kong Metropolitan University Once known for its vibrant civil society and political rights, Hong Kong moved toward illiberal authoritarianism in 2023. This trend began with the introduction of the National Security Law by the Chinese government in 2020, which has led to the arrest of at least 284 people. Electoral changes have also contributed to the decline of democracy in Hong Kong. In 2023, 47 democrats were trialled for holding an unofficial primary for the Legislative Council election in 2020. Many of these detainees have been in custody since January 2021. The government asserted that the democrats’ plan to gain a majority in the legislature and veto government bills was part of a conspiracy to commit subversion under the national security legislation . These cases have highlighted the paradoxical nature of elections in Hong Kong, where the government can remain unelected but alternate political parties can only aim for opposition status, not ele

Author: Andrew Levidis, ANU The creation of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) in 1955 was a turning point in Japanese political history. Five years past the midpoint of the 20th century, Japanese political leaders joined hands to unite a divided conservative movement into one of the most efficient machines of political power in modern times. For over 70 years, the LDP has been an indispensable vehicle for harmonising elite competition and sharing power among fractious ruling groups. As a historically rooted institution, the LDP resembles not so much a party as a political order — the eponymous 1955 system. This order – like the founders of the LDP – was haunted by the chaos and violent upheavals of the prewar empire; and steeled by a system of money politics, bureaucratic interest, and partnership with the United States. Since the assassination of former prime minister Shinzo Abe, the dominant political personality of the 2010s , the LDP is at a crossroads. This historical conjun

Author: Editorial Board, ANU On the face of it, India appears to be in something of a sweet spot. Last year the nation became the world’s most populous country; Prime Minister Narendra Modi hosted world leaders at the G20 Summit while being treated to large and enthusiastic receptions abroad; and India enjoyed the fastest growth of any major economy in the world. Sweet spots have a habit of becoming intoxicating — but take a peek under the hood and things may not smell quite so rosy. The Hindutva ideology espoused by the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has propelled it to electoral success in the Hindi Belt, but the party has made fewer inroads in the southern states. The geopolitical honeymoon with the West has cooled. And India’s economic ambitions are still, for now, more smoke than fire. Yet with general elections fast approaching, ‘2024 could be an epoch-making year’ for Modi and the BJP, writes Robin Jeffrey  in this week’s lead article . Modi is hoping to guide his part

Author: Robin Jeffrey, Melbourne For Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, his Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and its mentors in the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), the Hindu supremacist civil society organisation, 2024 could be an epoch-making year. As 2023 ended, they had much to feel pleased about. Preparation for national elections due by May 2024 had gone on carefully. The BJP received a boost of confidence in early December after landslides in three Hindi-speaking northern states. The extent of the victory was surprising. The Indian National Congress had been in power in both Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh and was thought to have a chance at re-election. In Madhya Pradesh, the diverse state in the centre of India, Congress had formed a short-lived government in 2018 before a number of its members defected to the BJP. This time, it had counted on winning. Instead, the incumbent BJP government was returned with 49 per cent of the votes and 70 per cent of the seats. State-level s

Authors: Guanie Lim and Nguyen Nhat Anh, GRIPS In December 2023, ASEAN gathered for the 50th iteration of the ASEAN-Japan Commemorative Summit. The bloc has always had a very special relationship with Japan. Southeast Asia was very different when this relationship began in the 1970s. Issues ranging from political instability in the Mekong to low agricultural yields in Java kept policymakers awake at night. Yet one bright spot was the role played by Japan. The Fukuda Doctrine, enunciated in 1977, declared Japan’s resolve to never again become a military power and that it would seek a ‘heart-to-heart’ relationship with Southeast Asia. In practical terms, Japanese foreign direct investment helped uplift productivity in the labour-intensive industries of Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia and the Philippines. This process gained further momentum in the aftermath of the 1985 Plaza Accord, as the yen significantly appreciated against major currencies. Japan’s sustained economic b

Author: Jia Qingguo, Peking University A glimmer of hope for the stabilisation of China–US relations sparked in 2023. Chinese President Xi Jinping and US President Joe Biden met in Bali on 14 November 2022. They agreed that the two countries should re-establish contact and dialogue to improve the management of this important but increasingly troubled relationship. Several developments contributed to the China–US agreement. The Republican control of the House of Representatives following the US mid-term elections made it impossible for Biden to pass legislation through the anti-China US Congress. Accidentally, it also provided him with greater flexibility to adjust his China policy as he no longer needed the votes of the congressmen. The 20th National Party Congress of the Chinese Communist Party ushered in new leadership. As China was going through some serious economic difficulties, the new leadership’s top priority is to secure the renewal of economic growth. In doing so, China n