Letter From the Editors
After the headlines, it’s the follow-through – or lack thereof – that truly matters.
Welcome to the February 2024 issue of The Diplomat Magazine.
Certain events are bound to make headlines: election results, major investment deals, fiery government rhetoric. But it’s what happens afterward that actually shapes history. In this issue, we go beyond the one-off headlines to look at how events are unfolding on the ground. Whether in politics or economics, it’s the follow-through – or lack thereof – that truly matters.
In our cover story, Taiwan political analysts Lev Nachman and Brian Hioe explain the priorities and constraints facing the incoming Lai Ching-te administration, which will take office in May. Taiwan’s presidential races are usually dominated by cross-strait concerns, and the 2024 race was no exception. However, Nachman and Hioe note the frustrated public’s demand for more concrete strategies to address socioeconomic issues – a point highlighted by the strong performance of the iconoclastic Taiwan People’s Party (TPP), which leaned into populist discontent in its campaign. Ultimately, Lai will need to find a way to consolidate support beyond the cross-strait realm if he hopes to win a second term in the future.
Next we turn to Southeast Asia, where a variety of countries are jockeying for position in the emerging electric vehicle industry. As James Guild, an expert in trade, finance, and economic development in Southeast Asia, explains, understanding the “increasingly competitive EV landscape in the region requires first drawing a line between the markets and the makers.” Among the markets are Singapore and Malaysia, with the latter desperate to make the leap to maker. The region’s top automobile manufacturers, Indonesia and Thailand, have an edge already with established production lines and, in the case of Indonesia, a hold on key battery inputs like nickel. In all, governments are seeking to boost EV uptake and find a lucrative position in the growing industry.
Pakistan has been vociferous in its criticisms of India’s governance of Jammu and Kashmir, especially since the former state’s autonomy was scrapped in 2019. But all is not well within Pakistan’s own slice of the Kashmir Valley, as Pakistan-based correspondent Kunwar Khuldune Shahid explains in our final lead article. Locals complain that the central government and military are siphoning off their resources, leaving what Pakistan calls Azad (“Free”) Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) with little to show for it. Meanwhile, any discontent – especially calls for Kashmiri independence from Pakistan – is harshly quelled. As one local activist put it: “If Pakistan actually stands in solidarity with Kashmir, they have the opportunity to demonstrate that” by granting the nominally independent AJK more real autonomy.
We hope you enjoy these stories and the many more in the following pages.