Asia

Amid the escalating US-China rivalry and the deteriorating China-West relations that threaten to unravel the global economic order, effective multilateralism is more vital now than ever. Professor Yves Tiberghien (Political Science; SPPGA) co-authored an article published in the Global Solutions Journal, which calls for innovative ideas on global governance based on an alternative framework for multilateral China-West relations.

Under the new Perikatan Nasional (PN) government led by Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin, concerns around Malaysia’s political and economic future have sparked a series of conversations. Professor Kai Ostwald (SPPGA; Political Science) is featured in an interview by The Diplomat, in which he shares his insights on Malaysia’s sociopolitical and economic trajectories following the collapse of the Pakatan Harapan (PH) government, and on the challenges faced by the country in light of the COVID-19 outbreak.

In the dawn of a new political era, Malaysia transitions into an unprecedented non-UMNO government under a de facto two-coalition system. Professor Kai Ostwald (SPPGA; Political Science) puts the country’s new governmental structure under analytical scrutiny, examining its viability as a governing entity as well as the sociopolitical and economical complications of Malaysia’s current impasse in its politics.

In light of foreign interference allegations against China and Russia made by Canada’s all-party National Intelligence and Security Committee, SPPGA Visiting Professor Wenran Jiang cautions against the generalization that overseas Chinese communities are tools of the PRC government in a The Globe and Mail article.

Against the Odds: Malaysia’s Electoral Process and Pakatan Harapan’s Unlikely Victory

With growing fear and tension around the novel coronavirus COVID-19, some Chinese businesses are falling victim to ungrounded accusations. Professor Yves Tiberghien (SPPGA Faculty Associate; UBC Political Science) speaks to the rapid spread of misinformation online, which could, in part, be due to mistrust between people, within the community, and with the government.

Professor Yves Tiberghien (UBC Political Science; SPPGA Faculty Associate) is quoted in a NEWS 1130 article that examines misinformation regarding the novel coronavirus COVID-19. Due to the inherent mistrust of Chinese-government news, social media has become a trusted source of information for many Chinese speakers, which gives easy passage for misinformation.

SPPGA Visiting Professor Wenran Jiang contributes to an article by The Star on the U.K. announcement to allow Huawei to be a part of its 5G network construction, despite being in direct conflict with Trump’s administration.

In an interview by CTV News, SPPGA Visiting Professor Wenran Jiang shares his insights on the ‘politically motivated’ arrest of Huawei’s CFO, Meng Wanzhou, stating that Canada is ‘stuck’ amid the diplomatic tensions between China and the United States, which has unfavorable repercussions on Canada’s economic and trade relations with China.

In a CBC News article, SPPGA Professor Paul Evans speaks to the ongoing Huawei incident, claiming that the 5G decision, Meng Wanzhou’s arrest and Huawei’s involvement in Canada are three separate entities and thus should not be considered as one.

In a story for the East Asia Forum, SPPGA Associate Professor Julian Dierkes examines the current political landscape in Mongolia, the state of Mongolian finances and the impacts of the recent constitutional amendments.

In an interview by The Globe and Mail, SPPGA Visiting Professor Wenran Jiang voices that the volunteer recruitment by the Chinese Consulate may simply be an effort to compensate for the thin consular resources for overseas Chinese citizens, rather than a ploy to assert local control as claimed by critics.

Yves Tiberghien, SPPGA Faculty Associate and Professor of Political Science, speaks at the International Conference, “Rethinking Asian Capitalism and Socialism in the Twenty-First Century: An Overview Comparison of Vietnam’s Achievements after 30 Years of Innovation and Challenges Ahead” held in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.

SPPGA Professor Paul Evans sheds light on Canada’s deteriorating relations with China in regards to the political unrest in Hong Kong, the city with the most Canadian residents in Asia.