North Korea’s nuclear efforts pose a serious threat to the region and to international security. Yet efforts to curb North Korea’s nuclear capabilities to date have failed. North Korea’s foreign policy objectives have evolved over the years, with a shift toward military control that encourages militarized solutions to political problems at home and abroad. The massive economic changes of the past 25 years mean that life chances for all North Koreans are frequently determined by how well they can make use of market opportunities. What impact does this have on North Korean foreign policy? Are the risks of war on the rise as the possibilities for a peaceful resolution to the North-South conflict decrease? What would a smart power-based foreign policy to North Korea look like?

While China’s rise is often viewed through its wide-ranging political and economic effects on the world, its growing impacts on the physical planet will leave a more permanent legacy. In his new book, The Devouring Dragon, Craig Simons argues that China’s growing consumer demands have pushed China from being a small player in global resource consumption to its most voracious participant in just a decade. China’s transition is already having massive impacts on the environment.

Taiwan’s economic ties with China continue to grow steadily. Yet political tensions between the two sides remain unresolved. Where are relations between Taipei and Beijing heading as security threats increase in East Asia on the one hand and the United States rebalances its priorities toward the region on the other?

The Mekong Region is a massive ecosystem that is the lifeline for more than 60 million people across six countries: China, Laos, Burma/Myanmar, Cambodia, Thailand and Vietnam. For the people in the Lower Mekong Basin, it provides more fish to more people than any other river in the world.