Asia Rising

Observers worldwide are watching with trepidation as Donald Trump gains ground in the United States election. Perhaps none more carefully than China, who Trump directs many aggressive remarks towards, expressing a desire for stronger trade negotiations. Professor Nick Bisley (Executive Director, La Trobe Asia) speaks to Matt Smith about Trump's attitude towards China, the actions he could take, an...

During World War II (and the wider Pacific War) women from many Asian countries were kept in 'comfort stations' for the use of Japanese soldiers. While Japan has now given ¥1 billion in compensation there is little acknowledgement of the issue, and it has caused tension in particular with neighbouring South Korea. Dr Nicola Henry (Social Inquiry, La Trobe University) speaks to Professor Nick Bisle...

Suicide is a significant public health problem. With a highly populated and urbanised environment, Hong Kong in particular has taken a proactive approach to suicide prevention, such as restricting means, improving the data record, and media engagement. Professor Paul Yip (Director for the Centre for Suicide Research and Prevention) dicusses suicide prevention practices in Hong Kong, as well as cul...

The west has an uneasiness when it comes to dealing with China. Although it is their biggest trading partner, many governments are concerned about a more confident, ambitious and militarily capable China. Its activities in the South China Sea, its ambitions to develop new links to Europe across the Asian continent, and the recent crackdown on dissent and opponents appear to confirm those most worr...

India is a country that can overload the senses. One of the most striking features a visitor can notice is the country's seemingly endemic problem with rubbish and pollution. Professor Robin Jeffrey (Emeritus, La Trobe University) talks to Professor Nick Bisley (Executive Director, La Trobe Asia) the extent of India's problem with waste, the cultural attitude towards sanitation, and Modi's plan to...

The South China Sea is a critical commercial gateway for a significant portion of the world’s merchant shipping, and much of the territory is disputed by neighbouring countries. China's recent land reclamation projects in disputed areas leave many to fear it could escalate into full-scale conflict. Dr Euan Graham (Director, International Security. Lowy Institute for International Policy) joins Pro...

China sees itself as a victim of imperialism and colonialism. The modern Chinese nationalism, including the one adopted and promoted by the Chinese Communist Party, is defined through this. Assoc. Professor Dibyesh Anand (Centre for the Study of Democracy at the University of Westminster in London) interrogates this narrative and argues that there is a fundamental disjuncture at the heart of the m...

The recent arrest of Jawaharlal Nehru University student leader Kanhaiya Kumar on the charges of sedition have shaken India, the world's biggest democracy. Dr Ian Woolford (Hindi Program, La Trobe University) talks to Professor Nick Bisley (Executive Director, La Trobe Asia) about the Modi government reaction and what this crisis means for freedom of speech in India. Follow Ian Woolford on Twitter...

Australia's Turnbull government has released a new defence white paper containing the affirmation of the purchase of 12 new submarines. There have been previous indications that these would come from Japan, but much has changed in both domestic and international politics in this time. Professor Nick Bisley (Executive Director, La Trobe Asia) tells Matt Smith why Japan will be the provider of Austr...

Chinatown was established in Melbourne in 1854, 20 years after the city started. It is located in Little Bourke St, and has a long history of supporting the local Chinese community. Dr Sophie Couchman (Curator at the Chinese Museum (Melbourne), Honorary Research Fellow, History, La Trobe University) talks about history, culture, and influences of Melbourne's Chinatown. Follow Sophie Couchman on Tw...

Art therapy is a theraputic mental health inititiative from the western world, but it has now been incorporated into mental health initiatives in the Pacific Island nation of Samoa. Dr Patricia Fenner (Public Health, La Trobe University) talks about the program success and the strong influence Samoan community and culture has played in it. Theme music: Asian Wonders by Butterfly Tea Photo: Steve P...

It's been 15 years since the United Nations Security Council resolution on women, peace and security. Despite all the efforts there is still a lot of disappointment that women are still so excluded from peace processes. Dr Meenakshi Gopinath (Founder and Honorary Director of WISCOMP) talks to Dr Jasmine-Kim Westendorf (International Relations, La Trobe University) about how and why women should be...

At the end of World War II, Japan adopted Article 9 into their constitution, aspiring to international peace and not having a standing army. Pacifism became part of the Japanese identity, but this could change with recent legislation. Professor Nick Bisley (Executive Director, La Trobe Asia) and Matt Smith discuss the recent constitution changes and what it could mean for Japanese society. Follow...

America has an interesting relationship with many Asian countries - on the surface there is polite co-operation and trade, but always with a wary attitude. Professor Nick Bisley (Executive Director, La Trobe Asia) and Dr Kumuda Simpson (International Relations, La Trobe University) speaks to Matt Smith about United States and their interaction with Asian states. Recorded in front of a live audienc...

Now an independent democracy, Timor-Leste is struggling to renegotiate treaties and agreements with neighbouring countries, particularly water territories with Australia which could give them better access to dwindling oil fields. Dr Bec Strating (Department of Politics and Philosophy, La Trobe University) talks to Professor Nick Bisley (Executive Director, La Trobe Asia) on Timor-Leste's motives...

2014 was a watershed year in Australia-India relations. Not only had Modi and Abbott struck up a great rapport, the two countries' economic, strategic and political stars appeared finally to have aligned. Professor Nick Bisley (Executive Director, La Trobe Asia) looks at Australia and India's relationship. Have all the roadblocks been cleared, and do their interests align in quite the way the opti...

China has announced a relaxing of the family planning policy, with a change of the existing law to a two-child policy beginning March 2016. Dr James Leibold (Politics and Philosophy, La Trobe University) discusses how the one-child policy has impacted China, if it was effective, and whether the change will come in time. Follow James Leibold on Twitter: www.twitter.com/jleibold Theme music: Asian W...

When we talk about the Asia what is the adjective referring to? Is it culture, geography, or somewhere in between? Assoc. Professor Andrew Phillips (Reader in International Relations and Strategy, University of Queensland) talks to Professor Nick Bisley (Executive Director, La Trobe Asia) about the broad implications of that single word. Andrew Phillips on Twitter: www.twitter.com/APhillipsIntRel...

China's economy is in a state of transition, and its success and failure has an impact on a global level. Dr Geoff Raby (Australia's Ambassador to China from 2007-2011, director of his Beijing-based business advisory company – Geoff Raby and Associates Ltd) speaks to Professor Nick Bisley (Executive Director, La Trobe Asia) about how the Chinese economy is transitioning and the changes it needs to...

Australia has a relationship of mutual respect on the surface, but there are also deep concerns about the broader consequences of China's return as a great power. Linda Jakobson, John Lee, Bob Carr and Geoff Raby discuss the complex relationship, the recent fall of the Chinese economy and its repercussions for Australia, and the implications of the highly controversial Free Trade Agreement. Chaire...

North Korea has an image of dire poverty and famine, but thanks to trade with Russia and China the economy is a dynamic space and fast developing. Dr Benjamin Habib (Politics and International Relations, La Trobe University) speaks to Professor Nick Bisley (Executive Director, La Trobe University) about the impact of North Korea's development and the emergence of the 'donju', the middle class. Fol...

China marked the 70th anniversary of Japan's defeat in World War II with a massive military parade which was as much a celebration as it was a show of force to the rest of the world. Professor Nick Bisley (Executive Director, La Trobe Asia) and Dr James Leibold (Senior lecturer, Department of Politics and Philosophy, La Trobe University) examine the parade and the message that Xi Jinping was tryin...

The relationship between Australia and India will face challenges in the future, the extent to which these continue and the ongoing need to work hard, on both sides, to improve links not just between Canberra and Delhi but between our societies more broadly. John McCarthy AO FAIIA (Former Australian ambassador and High Commissioner to India (2004-2009), Professor Ian Hall (Griffith Business School...

Dr Jasmine-Kim Westendorf (International Relations, La Trobe University) examines the unconventional approach taken in the peace process in Nepal and how it affected the establishment and consolidation of peace. Her book "Negotiating Insecurity: Why Peace Processes Fail in Civil Wars" has just been released by Lynne Rienner Publishers. This was a guest lecture delivered to the Melbourne South Asia...

Hindi poet and political leader Dr Kumar Vishwas lectures on the place of poetry in Indian culture, drawing on his own experience as a well-known performer at Hindi poetry gatherings. The lecture covers a wide range of poetic ground: from the relationship between folk and literary traditions, to Hindi satirists and their critiques of government, to the three generations of women in Dr Vishwas’s ow...