COVID-19: How Have Asian Approaches Differed?

03/17/20 • 39 min

Welcome to podcasting in a time of COVID-19...
The new coronavirus has run rampant throughout the world, and disrupted the global economy, transport and everyday life (including our studio access.)
But the show must go on - so joining Andrew and Vincent this week on a four-way Skype chat are Dr. Parag Khanna, managing director of strategic advisory firm FutureMap and the author 'The Future is Asian'; and Ian Johnson, China correspondent for The New York Times.

The topic, is of course, the coronavirus - specifically, as the epicentre has switched to Europe and parts of Asia seem almost ready to begin recovering, how Asian countries have differed in their approach to the virus. What can we learn from the various strategies they deployed, and what do they reveal about the different political systems themselves? And taking out our crystal balls - at this early stage are there any clues about how this epoch-defining pandemic will affect the region's geopolitical order?

Previous Episode

India: Is Hindu Nationalism Endangering its Democracy?

In December last year, Narendra Modi's government passed the controversial Citizenship Amendment Act. It's raised concerns that India's secular constitution is at risk, and critics say it discriminates against Muslims.
Last week, in Delhi, the hitherto peaceful protests against the law erupted into the worst violence the Indian capital has seen in decades. More than 40 people were killed, hundreds were wounded and some remain missing. There's also mounting evidence that Muslims were targeted in a planned manner. Parliamentary proceedings have been disrupted for three days straight as opposition MPs continue to protest the riots.
Madhav Kosla is a constitutional expert from Ashoka and Columbia universities. He joins us to discuss the protests, and the roots of rising Hindu nationalism in India. Drawing on Madhav's books, we also discuss the wider question of the challenges facing a modern Indian state, and its constitution.

Next Episode

North Korea, U.S. & China: Where Next?

One of the biggest - and most persistent - stories in the Asia region over the last few years has been North Korea. It may have been pushed out of the headlines recently by the coronavirus pandemic, but as recent missile tests have demonstrated, it's not an issue that's going away any time soon.
In this episode Andrew is joined by Chun In-Bum, a renowned expert on Korean relations who's a veteran Lieutenant General in the South Korean army, and who briefly served as a security adviser to President Moon Jae-in. To discuss China's role and interests, Tong Zhao, a senior fellow at the Carnegie-Tsinghua Center for Global Policy, joins us from Beijing as well.
NB: This episode was recorded shortly before the coronavirus crisis took hold.