Thai special operations troops are pulling out of Thailand's mostly Muslim southern provinces, signaling a shift in tactics from "search and destroy" to "hearts and minds." [more]
Taiwanese President-Elect Ma Ying-jeou will take the oath of office May 20, ending eight years of rule by the Democratic Progressive Party and bringing the Kuomintang (KMT) back to power. [more]
Cracks in the Zipingpu dam pose a threat to an area still reeling from the destruction caused by a May 12 earthquake. The dam’s power station may be off line for months. (With Stratfor map)[more]
South Korean President Lee Myung Bak is due to meet with his Chinese counterpart Hu Jintao in Beijing on May 27. At the top of the agenda will be economics and talk of a new regional security mechanism as the North Korean nuclear issue starts to fade. [more]
As a large-scale secessionist movement in the making, the Uighur threat is overplayed by the Chinese, who view the various Uighur groups as more unified than they really are. Still, as Beijing tries to clamp down on Uighur militants outside of Xinjiang, a more significant threat could soon be targeting China. [more]
The East Turkistan Islamic Movement (ETIM) is at the top of China’s most-wanted list of terrorist organizations. Although the group has a long and varied history, there are indications today that a revived movement may be integrating into the broader international jihadist movement in Central and South Asia.(With Stratfor map)[more]
In the run-up to the summer Olympics in China, Beijing has implemented stringent security measures to guard against terrorist attacks — and any politically motivated protest that could embarrass the regime. To help justify the measures, the government has shined a spotlight on the East Turkistan Islamic Movement.(With Stratfor map)[more]
Two earthquakes struck China within the space of seven minutes on the afternoon of May 12. This natural disaster will bolster Beijing's defense against external critics of the upcoming Olympic Games. (With Stratfor map.)[more]
Chinese media reported that the Olympic torch was extinguished May 8 in the southern Chinese city of Shenzhen. Stratfor sources confirm that the torch was briefly extinguished, but it was the result of crowd control being unable to contain over-enthusiastic spectators. Still, fears remain that the mainland torch run will be impeded at some point by political protest.(With Stratfor map)[more]
The Chinese government's debate over whether to implement a one-off yuan revaluation will not lead to any change in Beijing's current policy of gradual appreciation. [more]
Venezuela has made a deal to build a refinery in China -- a move that will allow Caracas and Beijing to strengthen ties but will put pressure on Venezuela's state oil firm. [more]
China's president, Hu Jintao, arrives in Tokyo, presenting a friendly face and an end to rancor between his country and Japan. But the case of the bad dumplings may poison high expectations for the talks, Donna Kwok, Stratfor's East Asia analyst, tells Colin Chapman. [more]
Rumors are flying in Tokyo that Japanese Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda is about to step down because of problems rooted in Japan's deeply entrenched and inefficient economic-political system. [more]
A Shanghai bus caught fire May 5, killing three people, though it is unclear whether the fire was intentional or accidental. Whether attack or accident, the incident raises questions about transportation safety that Beijing will need to address ahead of the Olympics. [more]
