The Beer Barrel

China's Achilles' Heel in Southeast Asia
By Benjamin Schreer

Recent commentary on US President Barack Obama's last minute cancellation of his trips to the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) meeting in Bali and the East Asia...

Japan Doubles Down on ASEAN

Tokyo has had a busy year reaching out to ASEAN countries. Will the effort continue in 2014?

By J. Berkshire Miller
December 23, 2013

This month, Japan’s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe finished up a busy year of diplomatic overtures in Asia with a...

Iraq's devastation outlasts Saddam Hussein

December 24, 2013

Tom Switzer

Far from becoming a viable state and flourishing democracy, post-Saddam Iraq has proved an unmitigated disaster.

This month marks the 10th anniversary of the capture of Saddam Hussein. In the long sweep of history, a decade is a mere second. But for the Facebook-Twitter...

China To Ease One-Child Policy in Early 2014

By Kharunya Paramaguru Dec. 24, 2013

Plans to ease China’s decades-old one-child policy will be rolled out early next year, Chinese state media have said.

The policy change, which Beijing announced last month it was relaxing after nearly three decades, is part of a plan to raise fertility rates...