Political Risk

The resignation of Ichiro Ozawa as head of the opposition Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) on May 11 could give the party a much-needed boost ahead of general elections due by October.... 2009-05-11

BMI View: Beijing's decision not to bar Taiwan from participating in the United Nation's World Health Assembly meeting in May is one likely result of thawing tensions between the... 2009-05-11

In a clear sign of popular discontent with the ruling party, President Lee Myung-bak's Grand National Party failed to win a single of the five seats being contested in parliamentary... 2009-05-07

Although the Japanese government has rejected suggestions that it might arm itself with nuclear weapons, the nuclear debate could gain new momentum, as North Korea continues to boost... 2009-04-20

BMI View: North Korea's rocket launch will embolden Pyongyang in its relations with Washington, Seoul, and Tokyo, but it does not change much in regional dynamics. Going forward,... 2009-04-06

BMI View: President Ma Ying-jeou certainly has his work cut out with the economy tanking and unemployment on the rise. We expect the Kuomintang (KMT) government to continue to adopt... 2009-03-20

BMI View: Cross-Strait relations remain on a benign path, with Beijing having made explicit references to the possibility of a peace agreement and defence co-operation in early March.... 2009-03-10

BMI View: North Korea's new Supreme People's Assembly (SPA), to be elected on March 8, will lay the groundwork for a new leadership that will eventually succeed Kim Jong Il. Below,... 2009-03-03

Rapidly slowing economic growth could pose a significant challenge to political stability in China in 2009. Anecdotal evidence has already suggested that social unrest linked to rising... 2009-02-11

BMI View: The debilitating downturn in the economy will likely serve to reinforce disillusionment with the Kuomintang (KMT) government further, but given the very weak legislative... 2009-02-06