Asia
Panama Papers highlight nexus between wealth and power in China
By Peter Symonds, 7 April 2016
Family members of current and former Chinese leaders, including President Xi Jinping, have set up offshore companies in tax havens such as the British Virgin Islands.
Oppose Indian government’s witch-hunt of JNU students
By the International Youth and Students for Social Equality (Sri Lanka), 7 April 2016
The BJP government’s witch-hunt of the JNU students is part of a turn to authoritarian methods of rule.
Sri Lankan government imprisons Frontline Socialist Party leader
By Wasantha Rupasinghe, 5 April 2016
Gunaratnam’s jailing is another warning of the anti-democratic methods that the government will use against political opponents and more broadly against working people.
US navy prepares third provocation in South China Sea
By Peter Symonds, 5 April 2016
Amid large US-Philippine war games, the Pentagon is preparing a new “freedom of navigation” operation to challenge China’s maritime claims.
Sri Lankan government presents phony “Right to Information” bill
By Rohantha De Silva, 4 April 2016
The legislation provides limited access to state information, while entrenching broad areas that will remain off-limits, including national security, diplomacy and economic activities.
Government-company negligence responsible for Indian flyover disaster
By Arun Kumar and Palash Roy, 2 April 2016
India’s political elite has turned a blind-eye to dangerous cost-cutting methods rampant throughout the construction industry.
Pakistan’s military expands its power in wake of Lahore terror attack
By Sampath Perera, 1 April 2016
Pakistan’s military has seized on last Sunday’s terrorist atrocity to implement plans for an “antiterrorism” offensive and to strengthen its authority over the civilian government.
Fresh corruption allegations undermine Malaysian prime minister
By John Roberts, 1 April 2016
The corruption scandal swirling around Prime Minister Najib Razak points to deep rifts in ruling circles produced by a deteriorating economy and rising geo-political tensions.
Japan’s security laws: Another milestone in the drive to world war
By Peter Symonds, 29 March 2016
The implementation of the military legislation is a major step in the revival of Japanese militarism, encouraged by Washington as part of its war preparations against China.
Japanese economy continues to show signs of faltering
By Ben McGrath, 29 March 2016
A negative interest rate introduced in January by the Bank of Japan has done nothing to promote economic growth.
Arrests follow call for Chinese President Xi’s resignation
By Peter Symonds, 26 March 2016
An open letter by “loyal Communist Party members” called on President Xi to resign all positions and blamed him for China’s “unprecedented problems and crises.”
Chinese government’s phony anti-poverty plan
By John Ward, 25 March 2016
The announcement at the National People’s Congress of a 43 percent increase in poverty alleviation funds is to deflect attention from growing social inequality.
Indonesia accuses China of encroaching on its territory
By John Roberts and Peter Symonds, 23 March 2016
Last weekend’s incident involving Chinese and Indonesian vessels is a sign of the acute tensions being generated by Washington’s intervention in South China Sea disputes.
India: Tata workers end strike after being isolated by the unions
By Arun Kumar, 23 March 2016
The trade unions, mainly those led by Stalinists, played a key role in pushing Tata auto workers to end the strike.
Sri Lankan parliament to draft new constitution to shore up capitalist rule
By Rohantha De Silva, 21 March 2016
Under the guise of “democracy,” the government is seeking to strengthen its hand to impose austerity and deepen its integration into the US “pivot to Asia” against China.
Workers Struggles: Asia, Australia and the Pacific
19 March 2016
The World Socialist Web Site invites workers and other readers to contribute to this regular feature.
New Burmese president installed amid tensions with the military
By John Roberts, 17 March 2016
Despite Suu Kyi’s efforts to appease the generals, no deal was reached to allow her to assume the country’s presidency.
South Korea imposes extra sanctions on North Korea
By Ben McGrath, 15 March 2016
The South Korean sanctions go further than the recent UN resolution in strangling the North Korean economy and exacerbating Pyongyang’s political crisis.
Sri Lankan government refuses to release Tamil political prisoners
By Subash Somachandran and S. Jayanth, 15 March 2016
The ongoing detention of hundreds of Tamil political prisoners is part of a broader government attack on democratic rights.
China: Thousands of coal miners protest over unpaid wages
By Peter Symonds, 14 March 2016
The protests are a sign of the acute social tensions building up as the economy slows and the government prepares to axe millions of jobs.
Sri Lankan SEP to hold Jaffna public meeting on imperialist war and Tamil nationalism
14 March 2016
The meeting will expose the pro-imperialist stance of the Tamil nationalist parties and elaborate a socialist perspective to halt the growing danger of world war.
Sri Lankan government announces tax hikes before IMF loan talks
By Saman Gunadasa, 12 March 2016
The IMF-required austerity measures implemented by Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe will have a heavy impact on the living standards of workers and the poor.
Sri Lankan government to convert Western province into investment hub
By Minusha Fernando, 11 March 2016
The government’s “megapolis” project will see thousands of workers and low-income residents ejected from their homes.
As Chinese exports plunge
IMF issues new warning on global economy
By Nick Beams, 10 March 2016
The sharp fall in Chinese exports reflects a decline in global trade that has been expressed as well in US trade data.
Five years after Japan’s nuclear disaster, TEPCO executives charged
By Ben McGrath, 10 March 2016
As it seeks to reopen the country’s nuclear plants, the government is opposing even the limited charges of negligence in connection with the Fukushima nuclear catastrophe.
US-South Korean militaries rehearse pre-emptive strikes on North Korea
By Peter Symonds, 8 March 2016
This year’s joint war games are based on a new operational plan that includes pre-emptive attacks on North Korean missile and nuclear sites and “decapitation” raids to kill its leaders.
Sri Lankan government prepares to sign economic pact with India
By W. A. Sunil, 4 March 2016
To divert rising social discontent, nationalist groups have stepped up a virulent anti-Indian campaign that serves to divide workers in the two countries.
Chinese government prepares to sack millions of workers
By John Ward and Peter Symonds, 3 March 2016
The emergence of huge overcapacities in China’s basic industries is intimately bound up with the continuing worldwide economic slump.
US, China agree to new UN sanctions on North Korea
By Ben McGrath, 1 March 2016
The draft resolution contains measures reportedly the strictest in 20 years and will further heighten tensions on the Korean Peninsula and throughout the region.
India: Tata Nano auto workers strike over suspensions
By Arun Kumar and Deepal Jayasekera, 25 February 2016
The Nano workers’ strike is a sign of the growing social unrest created by the deteriorating living and working conditions of workers throughout India.
South Korea whips up fears over North Korea’s nuclear program
By Ben McGrath, 25 February 2016
Seoul’s denunciations of Pyongyang come before massive war games with the US, designed to simulate a takeover of the entire Korean Peninsula.
India: Mounting death toll as army deployed to end caste-based job agitation
By Sarath Kumara and Keith Jones, 23 February 2016
For decades the Indian bourgeoisie and its political hirelings have manipulated and incited caste and communal divisions, the better to divide the working class.
US blocked talks with North Korea before nuclear test
By Peter Symonds, 23 February 2016
For seven years, the Obama administration has stymied any resumption of the six-party negotiations to resolve the nuclear standoff with North Korea.
Sri Lankan Maoist party advocates “progressive Tamil nationalism”
By Subash Somachandran and S. Jayanth, 22 February 2016
There is nothing progressive about Tamil nationalism, or indeed about nationalism in general, which only divides workers and blocks a unified struggle against war and austerity.
Workers Struggles: Asia, Australia and the Pacific
20 February 2016
The World Socialist Web Site invites workers and other readers to contribute to this regular feature.
US condemns Chinese missiles in the South China Sea
By Peter Symonds, 18 February 2016
Much of the US and international media coverage of the Chinese missile revelations is exaggerated and deliberately misleading.
US push on South China Sea falls short at ASEAN summit
By Peter Symonds, 17 February 2016
Obama’s failure to secure a tough statement against Beijing will not stop the provocative US freedom of navigation operations challenging Chinese maritime claims.
Economic problems mount in Japan and China
By Nick Beams, 17 February 2016
The latest statistics from the world’s second and third largest economies underscore the worsening world downturn.
A reply to Tamil nationalist slanders against the World Socialist Web Site
An Open Letter to TamilNet
By K. Nesan and V. Gnana, 17 February 2016
TamilNet’s claim that the WSWS is working with imperialism to facilitate genocide by the Sri Lankan state is a grotesque fabrication.
US military boosts anti-missile systems in South Korea
By Peter Symonds, 16 February 2016
Far from being a defensive move, the restructuring of US forces in South Korea is bound up with more aggressive war plans, agreed last year between Washington and Seoul.
Is the Indian Stalinist CPM heading for a split?
By Arun Kumar and Deepal Jayasekera, 16 February 2016
India’s principal Stalinist party is bitterly divided over whether to ally with the Indian bourgeoisie’s traditional party of government, the Congress, to contest elections in West Bengal.
Japanese PM pushes to remove constitutional constraints on military
By Ben McGrath, 15 February 2016
Far from backtracking from last year’s unconstitutional military laws, Abe is pressing forward with long-held plans for wholesale constitutional revision.
US prepares harsh new sanctions on North Korea
By Peter Symonds, 12 February 2016
Washington and its allies are escalating a dangerous confrontation with Pyongyang following its recent nuclear test and rocket launch.
International investigations fuel Malaysian corruption scandal
By John Roberts, 11 February 2016
The government’s attempt to bury the protracted 1MDB scandal last month has floundered amid damaging new revelations.
Japanese bond rate goes negative as bank shares tumble
By Nick Beams, 10 February 2016
All eyes in global financial markets will be on Fed chairwoman Janet Yellen as she delivers testimony to the US Congress Wednesday.
Earthquake in Taiwan leaves over 100 killed and missing
By Ben McGrath, 10 February 2016
The lack of earthquake safety measures contributed to the collapse of an apartment complex and the subsequent deaths.
Sordid horse-trading over next Burmese president
By John Roberts and Peter Symonds, 9 February 2016
“Democracy icon” Suu Kyi is in closed-door talks with the military to secure the presidency in return for handing more political posts to the generals.
Unions preparing to shut down Pakistan airline workers strike
By Sampath Perera, 9 February 2016
As the militant strike of 14,000 Pakistan International Airlines workers enters its second week, the unions are maneuvering to shut it down.
Bangladesh tea estate workers oppose government’s land seizures
By Wimal Perera, 9 February 2016
The government wants the land in order to expand the number of cheap labour Economic Zones.
Top US general confirms Pentagon plans for permanent combat role in Afghanistan
By Thomas Gaist, 8 February 2016
Statements from the commander in Afghanistan are the latest in a series of acknowledgements by US officials that the American military is planning a permanent occupation of the country.
North Korean satellite launch heightens US-China tensions
By Peter Symonds, 8 February 2016
Washington immediately seized on the launch to intensify pressure on Beijing for tougher sanctions on Pyongyang and accelerate the US military build-up in Asia.
Sri Lanka: Plantation unions suppress struggle for wage rise
By M. Thevarajah and W. A. Sunil, 6 February 2016
The trade unions are promoting the illusion that the government will force the companies to grant a 2,500-rupee ($17) increase in the monthly wage.
The Ezubao scam: A sign of deeper problems in China’s financial system
By Peter Symonds, 5 February 2016
Ezubao was part of the largely unregulated peer-to-peer online finance industry that has drawn in millions of small investors with the offer of high returns.
India steps up pressure on Nepal
By W. A. Sunil, 5 February 2016
The conflicting signals over whether Nepal’s prime minister will first visit India or China reveals a political crisis exacerbated by India’s US-backed intervention.
Open leadership row at Vietnam’s ruling party congress
By John Roberts and Peter Symonds, 3 February 2016
While General Secretary Trong may be more cautious than his rival about embracing US imperialism, Vietnam’s leadership will continue the tilt to Washington.
Maldives government releases former president
By Wasantha Rupasinghe, 2 February 2016
The strategically-located island archipelago has increasingly become a focal point of Washington’s “pivot” to the Indo-Pacific region to confront China.
US navy carries out provocative operation in South China Sea
By Peter Symonds, 1 February 2016
Washington’s actions are deliberately confrontational and reckless, raising the danger of a military clash with China.
South Korea joins US-Japan intelligence link
By Ben McGrath, 1 February 2016
Seoul’s decision will further integrate South Korea into Washington’s plans for an anti-ballistic missile system aimed against China.
China announcing 400,000 steelworker job cuts
By Samuel Davidson, 1 February 2016
The steelworkers will lose their jobs, in line with plans to slash crude steel production capacity by between 100 million and 150 million tons.
US secretary of state demands China act against North Korea
By Peter Symonds, 28 January 2016
Kerry threatened to expand the US military presence in Asia unless Beijing took tough measures in response to Pyongyang’s latest nuclear test.
US planning to keep military forces in Afghanistan for “decades”
By Thomas Gaist, 27 January 2016
The US military is planning on using Afghanistan as a launching pad for military operations throughout South and Central Asia, senior US military officials told the Washington Post.
Indonesian authorities seize on Jakarta attack to strengthen detention powers
By John Roberts, 26 January 2016
Beneath the cloak of combatting terrorism, Suharto-era measures are being revived in response to developing social tensions.
US think tank outlines master plan for war with China
By Peter Symonds, 26 January 2016
The CSIS report represents the voice of the vast American military establishment, which regards China as the chief threat to untrammelled US strategic dominance in Asia.
CSIS report: A blueprint for US war with China
By Peter Symonds, 25 January 2016
The study is a master plan for an accelerating arms race in Asia in preparation for a conflict that would draw in the entire region and the world.
Indian Stalinist leaders divided over alliance with big business Congress Party
By Arun Kumar and K. Ratnayake, 23 January 2016
For weeks, leaders of the Stalinist Communist Party of India (Marxist) have been signalling their readiness to form an electoral alliance with the Congress Party for the West Bengal state elections.
Sri Lankan government tries to woo foreign investors
By Saman Gunadasa, 20 January 2016
The government’s “Sri Lanka Economic Forum” highlighted the country’s vulnerability in the deepening global economic downturn.
South Korea’s opposition splits ahead of general election
By Ben McGrath, 14 January 2016
The departure of Kim Han-gil and the creation of new opposition parties constitute attempts to head off discontent among South Korean workers.
Philippine Supreme Court declares US basing deal constitutional
By Joseph Santolan, 13 January 2016
The decision gives the legal green light for the deployment of US military forces to the Philippines, in direct confrontation with China.
China’s deep economic malaise
By Peter Symonds, 13 January 2016
The economic slowdown, which is exposing massive overcapacity and high levels of debt, is threatening to trigger an upsurge in the class struggle.
India-Pakistan talks may be derailed even before they begin
By K. Ratnayake, 13 January 2016
Whoever was responsible for the January 2 assault by armed gunmen on India’s Pathankot Air Force Base, its purpose was to scuttle the US-backed “dialogue” between the two nuclear-armed rivals.
Chinese markets continue to fall, amid mounting concerns over growth
By Nick Beams, 12 January 2016
The Shenzhen Composite Index has fallen by more than 20 percent so far this year, wiping off almost $1 trillion from share values.
US flies B-52 strategic bomber close to Korean border
By Peter Symonds, 11 January 2016
Washington has seized on the latest North Korean nuclear test to accelerate its military build-up in the region against China as part of the US “pivot to Asia.”
One year of Sri Lankan President Sirisena’s rule: Propaganda and reality
By Pani Wijesiriwardena, 11 January 2016
The government is both intensifying the offensive against the working class and tying the country to the war plans of the United States.
South Korean union leader charged with sedition
By Ben McGrath, 9 January 2016
Not used since 1986, the charge of sedition represents a deepening of the Park government’s suppression of political dissent.
US, South Korea discuss deploying “strategic weapons”
By Ben McGrath, 8 January 2016
The stationing of nuclear weapons on the Korean Peninsula would be a major escalation of the US military build-up in Asia, directed primarily against China, not North Korea.
North Korea conducts fourth nuclear test
By Peter Symonds, 7 January 2016
The test will heighten the tense situation in North East Asia generated by the Obama administration’s confrontational “pivot to Asia” against China.
Sri Lankan government moves to criminalise “hate speech”
By Saman Gunadasa, 6 January 2016
The planned new laws are an attack on the democratic rights of the working class, directed in particular against any person or party fighting for a revolutionary socialist perspective.
Indian prime minister visits Russia to consolidate relations
By Deepal Jayasekera, 5 January 2016
While supporting the US “pivot to Asia” against India’s regional rival China, the Modi government is maintaining New Delhi’s longstanding ties with Russia.
Condemnations of Chinese flight in South China Sea
By Peter Symonds, 5 January 2016
Washington’s calls for restraint are in marked contrast to its escalating provocations to challenge Chinese claims in the disputed waters.
Vietnam accelerates military build-up, plans for war
By John Braddock, 5 January 2016
Vietnam is preparing to enter an imperialist war as an accomplice of the United States against China.
Indonesian foreign policy tilts towards the US and its allies
By John Roberts, 31 December 2015
Amid rising tensions in the South China Sea, Indonesia has adopted a tougher approach to China, while at the same time seeking to avoid open confrontation.
Japan and South Korea reach agreement over comfort women
By Ben McGrath, 30 December 2015
The deal will be welcomed in Washington which has been pressing its two allies to mend their rift and collaborate more closely in the US “pivot to Asia” against China.
Seven confirmed dead in industrial landslide in Shenzhen, China
By Will Morrow, 30 December 2015
The response of the Chinese regime is aimed at diverting attention from the broader social and political implications of the disaster.
India’s Modi makes surprise visit to Pakistan
By Sampath Perera, 29 December 2015
Modi’s Pakistan trip was a pragmatic maneuver aimed at placating Washington and shoring up the increasingly embattled Indian government domestically.
Dozens of Chinese miners killed in three accidents
By Ben McGrath, 29 December 2015
The callous disregard for the safety of miners, resulting in a series of mine explosions and cave-ins, is a product of the drive to cut production costs and boost profits.
Tamil People's Forum sets a new nationalist trap for Sri Lankan workers
By V. Gnana, 29 December 2015
The formation of the TPF is a shabby political maneuver to give a facelift to Tamil nationalist groups discredited by their support for the Sri Lankan government.
Six US soldiers killed as Taliban overruns Helmand district in Afghanistan
By Bill Van Auken, 22 December 2015
The suicide bomb attack on a US-Afghan patrol is symptomatic of the escalating crisis of the continued American occupation of Afghanistan.
Chinese industrial zone engulfed by waste landslide
By Peter Symonds, 22 December 2015
Rescuers are struggling to find those missing after a tidal wave of mud and waste toppled buildings and inundated an area of Shenzhen.
Slavery “pervasive” in global seafood supply
By Gabriel Black, 21 December 2015
A recent Associated Press report found that many leading seafood suppliers buy shrimp processed by slaves in Thailand working in horrific conditions.
Split looms in South Korea’s opposition party
By Ben McGrath, 21 December 2015
Ahn Cheol-soo’s departure from the NPAD indicates the party is in disarray amid falling approval ratings after years of anti-working class policies while in power.
Australia, Japan “strongly support” US, amid rising tensions with China
By Peter Symonds, 19 December 2015
As Japanese and Australian leaders met in Tokyo, an American paper reported a US military intrusion into Chinese-claimed air space in the South China Sea.
Japanese premier forges ties with India to counter China
By Deepal Jayasekera, 19 December 2015
While currently proceeding under the aegis of the US “pivot,” Abe’s push for a closer partnership with India is driven by Japanese imperialism’s own substantial military-strategic and economic ambitions.
Workers Struggles: Asia, Australia and the Pacific
19 December 2015
The World Socialist Web Site invites workers and other readers to contribute to this regular feature.
US administration approves $1.8 billion arms sale to Taiwan
By Peter Symonds, 17 December 2015
The sale—the first in more than four years—provoked an angry reaction from China, which regards Taiwan as a renegade Chinese province.
Sri Lankan trade unions call off one-day stoppage
By Pani Wijesiriwardena, 17 December 2015
From the outset, the unions sought to scuttle the strike, even as opposition mounted among workers to the government’s budget cuts.
India: Government negligence responsible for flood disaster
By Sasi Kumar and Moses Rajkumar, 15 December 2015
Tens of thousands of people in the capital Chennai and across the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu are yet to be rescued and properly assisted.
Weakening currency and economic slowdown in China
By Peter Symonds, 14 December 2015
The downward slide in the renminbi’s value threatens other Asian export-dependent countries and heightens the danger of a currency war.
Sri Lankan corporate giant sues environmental activist
By Vilani Peiris, 14 December 2015
The damages action is part of the record of big business and government suppression of opposition to industrial pollution.
Sri Lanka: A socialist program to fight budget cuts
By the Socialist Equality Party (Sri Lanka), 14 December 2015
The trade unions have reluctantly called a one-day strike to deflect mounting opposition among workers and the poor to the government’s austerity measures.
Follow the WSWS