Letter From the Editors
From climate change policy to democratic development, the past cannot be divorced from the present.
2022 has been a year of surprises – and mostly unpleasant ones, at that. But often the unexpected looks all too predictable in hindsight, when we take into consideration the broader historical trends shaping individual countries and the world. From the polycrisis that is climate change to the unique factors shaping different countries’ democratic development, the past cannot be divorced from the present. In this issue, we look back at the longer trajectory of developments playing out in the Asia-Pacific region today.
Twenty-five years ago, the Kyoto Protocol put in place the world’s current approach to climate change. For better or for worse, the agreement also cemented the pillars of China’s climate change strategy, explains Marina Kaneti, an assistant professor in international affairs at the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, National University of Singapore. From ducking certain responsibilities due to its status as a developing country to focusing on technological solutions to reduce emissions, China’s climate change approach has remained broadly in line with the precedents set by Kyoto. “The trouble with this strategy,” Kaneti writes, “is that, presently, it is no different from any other government’s vision… [C]ollectively, strategies such as these would only lead to an even more drastic transformation of the planet and further collapse of the already fragile and severely strained ecosystems.”
South Korea is one of a few countries to have successfully transitioned from an autocracy to a clear democracy. And that transition leaves a legacy. As Joan E. Cho writes, “authoritarian legacies have lasting effects on people’s attitudes and behavior even decades after a country becomes a democracy.” Cho, an assistant professor of East Asian Studies and Government at Wesleyan University, goes on to explain the authoritarian roots of South Korea’s weak party system and its strong social movements, distinct features within a uniquely South Korean iteration of democracy.
Next we turn to China’s Afghanistan's dilemma. The U.S. withdrawal and collapse of the Afghan Republic government in August 2021 left China in an awkward position as the neighbor of a pariah state linked with terrorism, as well as the closest strategic ally of the Taliban’s principal supporter on the international stage: Pakistan. As Raffaello Pantucci explains, Washington’s withdrawal left Beijing in an position of incredible influence but without the United States to hide behind. Pantucci, a senior fellow at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies (RSIS), writes that Beijing faces myriad challenges in Afghanistan but lacks the interest, and perhaps the ability, to confront them.
Finally, we take a look at the recent Malaysian general election, held on November 19. After five days of missed deadlines to form a government, perennial opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim rose to the top and was sworn in as Malaysia’s tenth prime minister on November 24. But as prime minister, he will have to deal with the unexpectedly strong performance by the Malay-centric Islamic party, PAS. James Chin, a professor of Asian Studies at the University of Tasmania, examines the results closely and finds that despite the ultimate victory of Anwar’s progressive, multi-ethnic coalition, the space for pluralism in Malaysia’s politics is closing.
We hope you enjoy these stories and the many more in the following pages.