[{"_1":2,"_297":-5,"_298":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_16":17,"_295":296},"root",{"_5":6,"_14":15},"fb",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":12,"_13":8},"apiKey","AIzaSyAdxqOaB63feHHqSm_nZCKsSHpSAcxkct8","authDomain","thediplomat.firebaseapp.com","projectId","firebase-thediplomat","appId","ga",true,"routes/$issue",{"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":23},"slug","2015-09","path","/2015-09","issue",{"_24":25,"_26":27,"_28":29,"_30":31,"_32":33,"_34":35,"_36":37,"_38":39,"_40":41,"_42":43},"eid","-K-0w1Uq5GqzE4gIbH10","title","U.S.-China Summit: Decoding a Tower of Babel","description","This month we consider China-U.S. relations ahead of Chinese President Xi Jinping’s state visit to the United States. We also cover Sri Lanka’s parliamentary elections and the attempted comeback of former President Mahinda Rajapaksa, report on the scandal plaguing Malaysia’s Prime Minister Najib Razak, and travel through Pakistan’s hidden paradise, Gilgit-Baltistan. Along, of course, with reporting, analysis and commentary from across Asia and the Pacific.","masthead","","number",10,"date","September 2015","month",9,"year",2015,"status","rdy","toc",[44,63,86,96,122,146,171,196,221,242,262,278],{"_24":45,"_46":47,"_26":48,"_49":50},"CVRS","priority",0,"Cover Story","pages",[51],{"_24":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_46":47,"_18":61,"_40":41,"_26":62},"-K-0wNYmyLFxgW0bb6uM","image","10_CVRS_1","lead","

Washington and Beijing consistently send mixed messages about how they see the world, each other and, indeed, themselves.

","model","story","preview",1,"the-us-china-summit-decoding-a-tower-of-babel","The U.S.-China Summit: Decoding a Tower of Babel",{"_24":64,"_46":60,"_26":65,"_49":66},"LDS","Leads",[67,73,79],{"_24":68,"_53":69,"_55":70,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_46":47,"_18":71,"_40":41,"_26":72},"-K-0wNYpQ061zAttWmvu","10_LDS_1","

Is it the end of the road for the country’s former strongman?

","sri-lanka-rajapaksa-foiled-again","Sri Lanka: Rajapaksa Foiled Again",{"_24":74,"_53":75,"_55":76,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_46":60,"_18":77,"_40":41,"_26":78},"-K-0wNYq-irroUtqbTAA","10_LDS_2","

Prime Minister Najib Razak seems to have navigated the immediate fallout of the 1MDB scandal, but it will continue to haunt him.

","after-the-scandal-whats-next-for-malaysia","After the Scandal: What’s Next for Malaysia",{"_24":80,"_53":81,"_55":82,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_46":83,"_18":84,"_40":41,"_26":85},"-K-0wNYsd8vyWWN2OBVC","10_LDS_3_1","

Some stunning experiences await the traveler to one of Pakistan’s most unique regions.

",2,"gilgit-baltistan-pakistans-hidden-paradise","Gilgit-Baltistan: Pakistan’s Hidden Paradise",{"_24":87,"_46":83,"_26":88,"_49":89},"INT","Interview",[90],{"_24":91,"_53":92,"_55":93,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_46":47,"_18":94,"_40":41,"_26":95},"-K-0wNYu7berBYmQ3LIl","10_INT_1","

In The Girl With Seven Names Hyeonseo Lee tells the story of her life in North Korea and the long road to freedom from the Hermit Kingdom.

","hyeonseo-lee","Hyeonseo Lee",{"_24":97,"_46":98,"_26":99,"_49":100},"CHN",3,"China",[101,105,109,113,117],{"_24":102,"_55":103,"_57":58,"_59":47,"_46":47,"_40":41,"_26":104},"-K-0wNYwCRrKN0ykht-x","

The legacy of World War II cannot be entirely dismissed as Communist Party propaganda.

","Why World War II Is So Important to China",{"_24":106,"_55":107,"_57":58,"_59":47,"_46":60,"_40":41,"_26":108},"-K-0wNYxzlOtQR3MG0f2","

In China, the lack of interest in traditional clothing is closely tied to politics.

","What Happened to China’s Traditional Clothing?",{"_24":110,"_55":111,"_57":58,"_59":47,"_46":83,"_40":41,"_26":112},"-K-0wNYyIEq65DrqI_z-","

Climate change may be a greater threat to China’s long-term prosperity than its leaders recognize.

","Climate Change Might Be China’s Biggest Security Threat",{"_24":114,"_55":115,"_57":58,"_59":47,"_46":98,"_40":41,"_26":116},"-K-0wNYz4N8Xew71Wk9t","

Executives
In addition, the head of China’s Work Safety Administration is being investigated for corruption.

","After Tianjin Explosions, China Investigates Executives",{"_24":118,"_55":119,"_57":58,"_59":47,"_46":120,"_40":41,"_26":121},"-K-0wNZ-KbyCwSz0kgy1","

China’s leaders value stability above all – and China itself is predictably unpredictable.

",4,"Why China Is Its Own Worst Nightmare",{"_24":123,"_46":120,"_26":124,"_49":125},"NEA","Northeast Asia",[126,130,134,138,142],{"_24":127,"_55":128,"_57":58,"_59":47,"_46":47,"_40":41,"_26":129},"-K-0wNZ1aO2Z-k-BxPOF","

Japan has been increasingly active, at least rhetorically, over the disputes. Why – and why now?

","Untangling Japan’s Stake in the South China Sea",{"_24":131,"_55":132,"_57":58,"_59":47,"_46":60,"_40":41,"_26":133},"-K-0wNZ2kcnOeXz4b08m","

Taiwan and Korea remember Japan in very different ways.

","A Tale of Two Histories: Taiwan, Korea and Japan",{"_24":135,"_55":136,"_57":58,"_59":47,"_46":83,"_40":41,"_26":137},"-K-0wNZ389tdXv6zdTTd","

Pyongyang certainly has an interesting history in the region.

","Could North Korea Benefit from Middle East Shifts?",{"_24":139,"_55":140,"_57":58,"_59":47,"_46":98,"_40":41,"_26":141},"-K-0wNZ5ThN-jBORiTUG","

The language in Abe’s statement reflects a mainstream consensus on modern Japanese identity.

","What Abe’s WW2 Anniversary Statement Says About Japanese Identity",{"_24":143,"_55":144,"_57":58,"_59":47,"_46":120,"_40":41,"_26":145},"-K-0wNZ6UVYPdBdCBTM5","

South Korea’s participation in international institutions reflects an evolution in its alliance with the U.S.

","The U.S.-ROK Alliance: New Areas for Cooperation",{"_24":147,"_46":148,"_26":149,"_49":150},"SOA",5,"South Asia",[151,155,159,163,167],{"_24":152,"_55":153,"_57":58,"_59":47,"_46":47,"_40":41,"_26":154},"-K-0wNZ9k0qT-SavIaD0","

The British Empire’s Indian Army was the world’s largest volunteer force.

","Remembering the British Indian Army",{"_24":156,"_55":157,"_57":58,"_59":47,"_46":60,"_40":41,"_26":158},"-K-0wNZA0xkoitUwlhjZ","

In the wake of the nuclear deal, the two countries get ready to do business.

","Iran and Pakistan: Back to Business",{"_24":160,"_55":161,"_57":58,"_59":47,"_46":83,"_40":41,"_26":162},"-K-0wNZB6n0eAGvMPor9","

The Modi government has announced some impressive plans, but it will need to find the land to accommodate them.

","India’s Solar Dream",{"_24":164,"_55":165,"_57":58,"_59":47,"_46":98,"_40":41,"_26":166},"-K-0wNZCkHINVj_uEu0o","

New Delhi has shifted its approach toward talks with Pakistan. The implications could be huge.

","A Seismic Shift in India’s Pakistan Policy",{"_24":168,"_55":169,"_57":58,"_59":47,"_46":120,"_40":41,"_26":170},"-K-0wNZDIoTyAX_VQV8i","

A push to change the draft constitution could place religious freedoms under threat.

","Should Nepal Be Secular?",{"_24":172,"_46":173,"_26":174,"_49":175},"SEA",6,"Southeast Asia",[176,180,184,188,192],{"_24":177,"_55":178,"_57":58,"_59":47,"_46":47,"_40":41,"_26":179},"-K-0wNZFjbBzQMU15vwj","

Myanmar’s bedraggled masses head to the polls on November 8, and the politicians are scrambling to look competent.

","Myanmar: The Flood Before the Storm",{"_24":181,"_55":182,"_57":58,"_59":47,"_46":60,"_40":41,"_26":183},"-K-0wNZIIIXSt0htfosu","

There is a growing consensus within the region that the war on drugs has failed.

","‘Drug Free’ ASEAN by 2015?",{"_24":185,"_55":186,"_57":58,"_59":47,"_46":83,"_40":41,"_26":187},"-K-0wNZJlQ1GCrB2vzHo","

A true resolution demands more than empty rhetoric.

","Toward A Real Solution to Southeast Asia’s Refugee Crisis",{"_24":189,"_55":190,"_57":58,"_59":47,"_46":98,"_40":41,"_26":191},"-K-0wNZLA_HUvcy_X-W6","

An ominous message from Hanoi should be taken seriously.

","Vietnam Warns of Economic Bombshell for Mainland Southeast Asia",{"_24":193,"_55":194,"_57":58,"_59":47,"_46":120,"_40":41,"_26":195},"-K-0wNZM1b5b1BnHREMd","

The move aims to quell growing economic anxieties.

","Thailand’s Junta Reshuffles Cabinet Amid Uncertainty",{"_24":197,"_46":198,"_26":199,"_49":200},"CEA",7,"Central Asia",[201,205,209,213,217],{"_24":202,"_55":203,"_57":58,"_59":47,"_46":47,"_40":41,"_26":204},"-K-0wNZQC3qH0bYtXYcX","

The region is much more dexterous and active in the global system than generally assumed.

","Not So Isolated After All, Central Asia",{"_24":206,"_55":207,"_57":58,"_59":47,"_46":60,"_40":41,"_26":208},"-K-0wNZRpJ2rc8z_WBKD","

Astana is caught an economic rock and a social hard place.

","Kazakhstan’s Predicament",{"_24":210,"_55":211,"_57":58,"_59":47,"_46":83,"_40":41,"_26":212},"-K-0wNZTXBM2Dk4PZksq","

What will happen in the region when the current crop of leaders leave the stage?

","Central Asia and the Succession Question",{"_24":214,"_55":215,"_57":58,"_59":47,"_46":98,"_40":41,"_26":216},"-K-0wNZU3OALeKYTMYh6","

Tired of misrepresentation in global media, the Turkic speaking world wants to set up its own international news channel.

","Coming to a TV Near You: International Turkic News",{"_24":218,"_55":219,"_57":58,"_59":47,"_46":120,"_40":41,"_26":220},"-K-0wNZXjGRCHk8GdwLV","

Voters will need to registered in the country’s new biometric database if they hope to cast a ballot in October.

","Kyrgyzstan Set to Use Biometric Registration in Next Election",{"_24":222,"_46":223,"_26":224,"_49":225},"OCE",8,"Oceania",[226,230,234,238],{"_24":227,"_55":228,"_57":58,"_59":47,"_46":47,"_40":41,"_26":229},"-K-0wN_d3a9J1SNoqS0J","

The opposition and government are clashing over the labor implications of last year’s free trade agreement.

","Australian Worries About FTA With China",{"_24":231,"_55":232,"_57":58,"_59":47,"_46":60,"_40":41,"_26":233},"-K-0wN_f75DHV6lGClnB","

The freeze that followed the Bali 9 executions appears to be thawing.

","Australia and Indonesia: Business as Usual?",{"_24":235,"_55":236,"_57":58,"_59":47,"_46":83,"_40":41,"_26":237},"-K-0wN_gQVTj9fCI32p9","

The government has decided it wants a new flag.

","New Zealand: Goodbye to the Union Jack?",{"_24":239,"_55":240,"_57":58,"_59":47,"_46":98,"_40":41,"_26":241},"-K-0wN_jip12WBJDJs0o","

Is Australia moving out of the “slipstream” of power?

","Australia’s Worldview, Minus the Spin",{"_24":243,"_46":37,"_26":244,"_49":245},"SCR","Security",[246,250,254,258],{"_24":247,"_55":248,"_57":58,"_59":47,"_46":47,"_40":41,"_26":249},"-K-0wNaTrImqqffWK6Wn","

The British Empire’s defeat in Burma in 1942 laid bare the most grotesque elements of European colonialism in Asia.

","Britain’s Forgotten Disaster of World War II",{"_24":251,"_55":252,"_57":58,"_59":47,"_46":60,"_40":41,"_26":253},"-K-0wNaW_SeYQ1VgB5JQ","

There is good reason to worry that any future Taiwan Strait crisis will escalate.

","Taiwan and the Prospects for War Between China and America",{"_24":255,"_55":256,"_57":58,"_59":47,"_46":83,"_40":41,"_26":257},"-K-0wNaYetf2M32ZDwbq","

There are compelling reasons for India to join – and preserve – the Non-Proliferation Treaty.

","India and the NPT Need Each Other",{"_24":259,"_55":260,"_57":58,"_59":47,"_46":98,"_40":41,"_26":261},"-K-0wNaZfGNoJqozF-lz","

Islamabad and Moscow have signed an agreement for the purchase of four MI-35 Hind gunships.

","Pakistan Is Buying New Attack Helicopters From Russia",{"_24":263,"_46":33,"_26":264,"_49":265},"DPL","Diplomacy",[266,270,274],{"_24":267,"_55":268,"_57":58,"_59":47,"_46":47,"_40":41,"_26":269},"-K-0wNabV5U3-pVmegQw","

A Code of Conduct for the South China Sea could be stabilizing, but can ASEAN and China get there?

","Diplomacy in the South China Sea",{"_24":271,"_55":272,"_57":58,"_59":47,"_46":60,"_40":41,"_26":273},"-K-0wNacj2FMtvUZq2Hj","

Regional realities are shifting fast, with some significant ramifications for India.

","Russia, China and Pakistan: An Emerging New Axis?",{"_24":275,"_55":276,"_57":58,"_59":47,"_46":83,"_40":41,"_26":277},"-K-0wNadppkMGKTWXym4","

Japan continues to be drawn toward the South China Sea.

","Japan Joins US-Philippines Humanitarian Drills in Subic Bay",{"_24":279,"_46":280,"_26":281,"_49":282},"ASL",11,"Asia Life",[283,287,291],{"_24":284,"_55":285,"_57":58,"_59":47,"_46":47,"_40":41,"_26":286},"-K-0wNaktQL_xes8vJun","

In poignant images, children narrate the stories of their flights from injustice and persecution.

","Burma’s Struggle for Democracy: A Child’s-Eye View",{"_24":288,"_55":289,"_57":58,"_59":47,"_46":60,"_40":41,"_26":290},"-K-0wNal2JzvIjREes0u","

Manjhi – The Mountain Man tells a grim but inspiring story of both Indian neglect and resolve.

","Manjhi: The Broken Mountains and the Mountains to Break",{"_24":292,"_55":293,"_57":58,"_59":47,"_46":83,"_40":41,"_26":294},"-K-0wNamDFudqphZdMvF","

Could the announcement trigger a domino effect?

","A Second Japanese Ward Recognizes Same-Sex Couples","routes/$issue.masthead",{"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":23},"actionData","errors"]

Masthead