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The Asia-Pacific in 2021: What to Expect
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The Asia-Pacific in 2021: What to Expect

The Diplomat looks at the trends to watch across the region in the coming year.

By Shihoko Goto, Sheila Smith, Mitch Shin, Shannon Tiezzi, Sebastian Strangio, Prashanth Parameswaran, Abhijnan Rej, Umair Jamal, Catherine Putz and Grant Wyeth

2020 taught us all a lesson about the dangers of prediction. The COVID-19 pandemic that emerged this time last year violently shoved nearly every forecast into the rubbish bin. But we’re trying again for 2021, with one big “known unknown” looming large for the Asia-Pacific: the continuing effects of COVID-19. How will governments keep their people safe while struggling to rebuild their economies?

Another big question mark that will impact nearly every sector and state is the ascension of the Biden administration in the United States. Governments throughout Asia are looking to see what new policies and priorities could be rolled out from Washington, especially with regard to China. And, of course, some things never change, pandemic or no: Climate change will continue to pose an existential crisis to us all.

Beyond those big shared questions, though, each country has its own concerns. From elections in Kyrgyzstan, India, and South Korea to the peace process in Afghanistan; from protest movements in Pakistan and Thailand to Olympic dreams in China and Japan; we offer suggestions of key markers to watch in the new year.

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The Authors

Shihoko Goto is the deputy director for geoeconomics and the senior Northeast Asia associate at the Wilson Center's Asia Program.

Sheila Smith is senior fellow for Japan studies at the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR).

Mitch Shin is a correspondent for The Diplomat in South Korea.

Shannon Tiezzi is Editor-in-Chief of The Diplomat.

Sebastian Strangio is Southeast Asia editor at The Diplomat.

Prashanth Parameswaran is a senior columnist at The Diplomat and a fellow at the Wilson Center’s Asia Program.

Abhijnan Rej is security & defense editor at The Diplomat and director of research at Diplomat Risk Intelligence.

Umair Jamal is a freelance journalist and a correspondent for The Diplomat, based in Lahore, Pakistan.

Catherine Putz is Managing Editor of The Diplomat.
Grant Wyeth is a Melbourne-based political analyst specializing in Australia and the Pacific, India and Canada.
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