For David Tweed's latest contributions to The Japan Times, see below:
The abrupt resignation of U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis has governments from Seoul to Brussels on edge, as the reliability of American alliances and the direction of policy under an erratic leader comes increasingly under question. The former marine general was widely seen a moderating ...
U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo went to Pyongyang to get Kim Jong Un to give up his nuclear weapons. He left with a harsh reminder that the North Korean leader expects something in return. While President Donald Trump's point man for nuclear talks summed ...
The last remnants of Libya's nuclear program were loaded onto an aircraft in 2009 and shipped out of the country, part of a U.S.-brokered deal with dictator Moammar Gadhafi to disarm in return for sanctions relief. Two years later, NATO-backed rebels brutally killed him. The ...
China's decision to give its top military body control over the country's vast coast guard has increased concerns about the risk of miscalculation in the disputed waters of East Asia. The ruling Communist Party is transferring authority over Asia's biggest coast guard fleet to the ...
As China continues to transform disputed territory in the South China Sea into features capable of sustaining air and naval bases, Vietnam is also upgrading areas it occupies. Images taken by DigitalGlobe satellites in September show new facilities, including a possible dry dock, at West ...
In discussions between the U.S. and China about reining in North Korea, one topic remains taboo: What would happen if Kim Jong Un's regime collapses? For years, China has rebuffed U.S. attempts to raise the topic at so-called Track 2 dialogue sessions between academics in ...
As the U.S. and its allies look to impose even stricter measures against North Korea, leader Kim Jong Un could find inspiration from oppressive regimes of yesteryear in Nazi Germany and Apartheid-era South Africa. Both managed to survive oil blockades with the help of liquefying ...
From 700 sailors spelling out "Hello Hong Kong" on the deck to youthful soldiers singing about iPads and smartphones, China's People's Liberation Army used the first port call in Hong Kong by its aircraft carrier to turn on the charm. The PLA opted for a ...
China's dismissive critique of the U.K. treaty governing the return of Hong Kong raised new doubts about its commitment to the city's autonomy and other international agreements. On the eve of the handover's 20th anniversary, the Chinese Foreign Ministry declared the Sino-British Joint Declaration a ...
In a year dominated by Brexit and Donald Trump's surprise U.S. election win, Asia felt like a relatively stable part of the world. A closer look shows that the region endured its own seismic events in 2016, from a Philippine leader embracing China to ...
