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Nick Wadhams
For Nick Wadhams's latest contributions to The Japan Times, see below:
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Jul 16, 2021
Citing China’s pressure, U.S. warns investors on Hong Kong
Washington says Beijing's push to exert more control over the financial hub threatens the rule of law and endangers employees and data.
Japan Times
WORLD
Jun 28, 2021
U.S. strikes on Iran-backed militias test Ebrahim Raisi and nuclear talks
The latest U.S. airstrikes on Iranian-backed militia groups come at a delicate time for Washington and Tehran.
Japan Times
WORLD
Jun 17, 2021
Biden and Putin paper over splits as both claim summit victories
Putin got one thing he craved — legitimacy on the international stage. Biden argued he confronted Putin over cyberattacks and Russia's treatment of democracy activists.
Japan Times
WORLD / ANALYSIS
May 19, 2021
Biden, boxed in on Israel-Gaza, is only able to urge a cease-fire
Biden's statement, expressing support for a halt to the deadly warfare but not demanding one outright, showed the limits of U.S. power.
Japan Times
WORLD
Apr 15, 2021
Biden pulls the plug on Afghan War despite risk of turmoil ahead
For the U.S. President, withdrawing the remaining American troops from Afghanistan is a recognition of the inevitable after 20 years of war with no clear victory in sight.
Japan Times
WORLD / Politics
Mar 25, 2021
Blinken says U.S. won’t force ‘us-or-them’ choice with China
The top American diplomat said that the U.S. and its allies need to come together to develop technologies when the benefits of trading with China must be weighed against the risks.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics / ANALYSIS
Mar 20, 2021
U.S. and China must figure out what’s next after talks clear the air
While the Americans portrayed the talks as a good chance to exchange views, they left Alaska without any clear path forward on key issues, with experts saying relations may only get worse.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC / ANALYSIS
Mar 1, 2021
Biden putting tech — not troops — at center of U.S.-China strategy
The administration is moving to put semiconductors, artificial intelligence and next-generation networks at the heart of U.S. strategy toward Asia, attempting to rally what officials are calling 'techno-democracies” to stand up to China.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics / FOCUS
Feb 17, 2021
Biden builds out China team with staff who reflect tougher tone
It wasn't always clear that the administration — many of whose officials worked to foster close, cordial ties with China during the Obama era — would press a tough line.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC
Jan 20, 2021
Incoming top U.S. diplomat says Washington still ‘long way’ from stronger Iran deal
Antony Blinken said Tehran must return to compliance with the terms of the deal first, and he vowed to work closely with Congress as potential talks progress.
Japan Times
WORLD
Jan 10, 2021
Trump chaos peaks: First ‘I need 11,000 votes,’ then a riot
A seven-day stretch that began with a call demanding Georgia officials help overturn the state's election crescendoed with him inciting a mob toward the nation's Capitol.
Japan Times
WORLD / Politics
Nov 17, 2020
Trump to saddle Biden with last-minute flurry of policy moves
U.S. President Donald Trump is rushing to leave his final mark on energy, financial and foreign policy while stalling the transition to President-elect Joe Biden — who warned that further delays in the handoff risk increasing the coronavirus death toll.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics / ANALYSIS
Aug 8, 2020
Trump’s attacks on China reach new peak of ‘pent-up’ grievances
U.S. President Donald Trump’s rapid-fire escalation of attacks on China — from bans of WeChat and TikTok to sanctions on Hong Kong’s top official — underscores that he’s dropped past restraint and decided to make confronting Beijing his priority less than 90 days before the U.S. election.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics / ANALYSIS
Jul 23, 2020
Chinese Consulate fight shows Trump’s hard-liners are in charge
U.S. President Donald Trump spent the first three years of his presidency balancing the demands of hard-liners who wanted a crackdown on China against his own desire to pursue a trade deal and cultivate a stronger relationship with Xi Jinping.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC / ANALYSIS
Jul 16, 2020
China is forcing the world to find new ways to deal with it
The leadership under Xi Jinping believes China is now strong enough that it can forcefully assert its agenda both at home and abroad.
Japan Times
WORLD / Politics / ANALYSIS
Sep 19, 2019
Robert O'Brien, Trump's new national security adviser, seen as an arbiter rather than a confrontationalist
Donald Trump's selection of top hostage-affairs official Robert O'Brien as his new national security adviser sends a clear signal the president is seeking to turn the page from the confrontation and controversy that defined John Bolton's tenure in the job.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Aug 9, 2019
Trump's no-worries stance on Kim's missile provocations under strain
For the fourth time in two weeks, North Korea has tested an increasingly sophisticated, hard-to-track missile system that could wipe out South Korean and Japanese cities — not to mention U.S. forces based in both countries. Yet Donald Trump says he's not worried.
Japan Times
WORLD / Politics / ANALYSIS
Jul 1, 2019
At Osaka G20, Trump does his bit to help shunned strongmen return from political wilderness
It was a good few days to be an authoritarian leader.
Japan Times
WORLD / ANALYSIS
Jun 18, 2019
As U.S. boosts pressure, Iran tests Trump's appetite for a fight
President Donald Trump's campaign vow to get the U.S. out of costly foreign entanglements is colliding with the messy reality of America's commitments in the Middle East, where tensions are rising between Washington and Tehran after attacks on two tankers last week.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC / Crime & Legal / FOCUS
Jun 11, 2019
U.S. voices 'grave concern' over proposed Hong Kong extradition law as city braces for showdown
The U.S. expressed "grave concern" over Hong Kong legislation that would for the first time allow extraditions to mainland China, raising pressure on Beijing as the city braced for a potentially historic showdown over the proposal.

Longform

When trying to trace your lineage in Japan, the "koseki" is the most important form of document you'll encounter.
Climbing the branches of a Japanese family tree