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AsiaCentre

Founded in 2005, Asia Centre is an independent research institute that holds debates and issues publications on matters relating to international, strategic, economic relations, as well as the political and social transformations underway in the Asia-Pacific region. At the crossroads of university research as well as public and private decision-making, Asia Centre researchers identify critical regional issues and analyse them in-depth, taking into consideration both local and global dimensions. Asia Centre’s programs are developed with a vast network of partners, companies and major specialist centres in Europe, North America and Asia. The Centre carries out joint operations with these groups, for a better interpretation of ideas and issues. The conclusions of these meetings, such as the results of the work carried out using original sources by our researchers, are widely distributed through the Centre’s publications as well as through international journals, books and media.

Other analyses

Taiwan cooking oil scandal: Why Isn’t Beijing Adding Fuel to the Fire? • Isabelle Feng

31 July 2026 No Comments

In this new piece, Isabelle Feng looks back at the tainted cooking oil scandal that has affected Taiwan for several weeks, and at Beijing’s measured response to the affair. She examines the protests held in Taipei on 25 July, the coverage of the event by Chinese state media, and reactions observed on Chinese social media. She puts this episode in perspective alongside the history of food safety scandals in mainland China and the question of freedom to protest on both sides of the Taiwan Strait.

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JA 29 – State and Construction in Japan: Permanent Factors Amidst Change – March 2013

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Although the declining Yen seen in late December 2012 initially corresponded to a correction, the current monetary policy of competitive devaluation used by Japan to take the country out of its deflationary spiral is worrying. Beyond the controversial reactions to the policy, Shinzō Abe’s promise to renew Japan’s aging infrastructure by investing heavily in public works has reawakened the threat of the “Iron Triangle” and its worst effects on Japanese economy and society: corruption, inefficacy and interdependency between the central State and Japanese regions. How is the idea of Japanese development currently evolving?

 

Summary

– CLOSE UP ON THE NEWS – 

“From concrete to human beings”: the Japanese Democratic Party’s desire to cut public expenditure (Nicolas Morishita)

The Tokyo Sky Tree: behind the symbolism, the interests of the large private conglomerates (Raphaël Languillon-Aussel)

– POINTS OF NEWS– 

Yamaguchi Jirō, “For a politics in pursuit of ideals, instead of forgetting”, Sekai (Translated by Amélie Corbel)

Kawaguchi Masahiro, “Where is the new LDP government’s energy policy going? For a more dynamic renewable energy sector and a return to using nuclear power stations”, Sekai (Translated by Adrienne Sala)

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