January 2, 2019 THE YEAR AHEAD IN ASIA
Happy New Year, and welcome to the first edition of InAsia for 2019. In our last issue we looked at some of our top stories from the year just ended, stories that chronicled the successes and failures, the triumphs, and the tribulations of 2018 through the eyes of our experts in Asia. This week, we invite you to look ahead with us to a still-young 2019, as The Asia Foundation’s country representatives offer their predictions of the stories that will dominate the news from Asia in the coming year. Here, to kick off 2019, are perspectives from our 18 offices in Asia.
—John Rieger, editor, In Asia
Afghanistan
Whether from a political, security, or economic perspective, 2019 promises to
be a challenging year for Afghanistan. Parliamentary elections in October were
marred by concerns over…read more
Bangladesh
The resilience of the Bangladeshi people will continue to be on display in 2019
as the nation tackles the ongoing Rohingya refugee crisis…read more
China
2019 will be a year of several important anniversaries for China. The People’s
Republic will celebrate its 70th birthday, reflecting with pride on the
stunning economic growth…read more
India
The recent breakdown of various international trade alliances (the disruption
of NAFTA, the U.S.-China tariff wars, the paralysis of the WTO) has created an
opportunity for growing…read more
Indonesia
In 2019, 185 million Indonesians will exercise their constitutional right to
vote, electing a president, a vice president, and members of the national
legislature…read more
Korea
In 2019, the third year of the Moon Jae-In
administration, South Korea stands at a social, economic, and foreign-policy
crossroads…read more
Laos
Infrastructure boomed in Laos in 2018, with the
Lao-China railway reaching 20 percent completion and deals struck for two
expressways—the first ever in Laos…read more
Malaysia
Following the unprecedented result of the nation’s 14th general election in
May, Malaysia experienced a change of regime for the first time in 60 years…read more
Mongolia
Mongolia enters 2019 still reeling from a major corruption scandal, involving
misuse of the national small and medium enterprise fund…read more
Myanmar
Put simply, 2018 was a difficult year for Myanmar. The fallout from the
Rohingya crisis has increased as the UN and assorted parliaments and
governments have labelled it genocide…read more
Nepal
Power sharing and self-rule will again be the center of attention in 2019, as
Nepal’s three tiers of government continue to flesh out their working
relationships…read more
Pakistan
With a newly elected government firmly in place after July general elections,
economic stabilization, inclusive growth, and good governance will remain Naya
(new) Pakistan’s priorities…read more
The Philippines
Global headlines on the Philippines in 2019 will likely be dominated by
President Duterte, his continuing war on drugs, and a plebiscite in January and
February over new regional…read more
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka is just emerging from a constitutional crisis that destabilized the
country for over 50 days. On October 26, citing irreconcilable differences and
the national interest…read more
Thailand
Thailand is about to take center stage in world affairs once again. As ASEAN
chair in 2019, Thailand is likely to preside over increasingly complex regional
relations…read more
Timor-Leste
2019 is looking to be a crucial year politically and economically for
Timor-Leste. Historic early elections in 2018 led to a political impasse
between the coalition AMP government and…read moreVietnam
Vietnam conducts energy planning by matching short- and long-term demand
projections with available technologies and energy sources. As we enter 2019,
the declining cost of…read more