Commentary / World Jul 27, 2013
China betting on overland energy-supply lines
China's strategy to diversify supply routes for its rapidly rising energy imports has taken a major step forward as natural gas flows through a Myanmar pipeline.
Michael Richardson
For Michael Richardson's latest contributions to The Japan Times, see below:
Commentary / World Jul 17, 2013
The rush toward Asia-Pacific FTAs
Whichever of three mega-trade-and-investment liberalization blocs is first to conclude a credible agreement will have a signficant impact on world trade and geopolitics.
Commentary / World Jul 8, 2013
Deterring an Asia nuke race
Asia risks sliding into a nuclear arms race, aggravated by underlying mistrust. Potential "threshold" countries include South Korea, Japan, Taiwan, Indonesia and Vietnam.
Commentary / World Jul 3, 2013
Preparing for cyberwarfare
Washington expects cyberspace missions to become a dominant factor in military operations. But what will the rules of engagement be in the lawless, digital frontier
Commentary / World Jun 18, 2013
Cruise missile threat in Asia
Cruise missiles that are difficult to detect, increasingly fast and capable of carrying nuclear warheads are raising the risk of catastrophic conflict in Asia.
Commentary / World Jun 6, 2013
China's troubling core interests
This week Chinese President Xi Jinping appears set to offer his U.S. counterpart, Barack Obama, an alluring deal for closer economic cooperation.
Commentary / World May 30, 2013
New U.S. weapons have China worried
Recently a U.S. test of an advanced, long-range weapon — apparently designed to reduce U.S. reliance on nuclear arms in a crisis — set alarm bells ringing in China.
Commentary / World May 23, 2013
China's nuclear program still shrouded in secrecy
The best hope for unraveling China's nuclear secrets may be to make future U.S.-Russia nuclear arms cuts contingent on participation by China, India and Pakistan.
Commentary / World May 8, 2013
U.S. burnishing energy card
As the top natural gas producer outpacing even Russia, the U.S. has an energy card to play. It can decide how much to export, at what price, and to which countries.
Commentary / World Apr 24, 2013
North Korea's nuclear puzzle
Additional evidence that North Korea is about to deploy nuclear-tipped long-range missiles will raise a question that no Asian or Western leader wants to answer.