Transitions

Abstract

I am writing this introduction in Manila, the Philippines—a country that has imposed one of the longest and strictest lockdowns in the world. COVID-19 has drastically affected my country in so many ways and this pandemic is the most difficult “stress-test” for governments in Asia and around the world. Scholars and policymakers are faced with the challenges of the multiple transitions to a post-pandemic world that will hopefully survive and thrive. A transition is also happening within Asian Politics & Policy. This is my maiden issue as the journal’s new Editor-in-Chief. I assume this position as an academic with two decades of experience as a comparative political scientist focusing on topics such as democratization, civil-military relations, electoral politics, strategic studies, and foreign policy. Having been with APP for the past 6 years as Senior Editor, it is a distinct honor and privilege to take over a journal that was well-maintained by its past editor, Professor Aileen Baviera. Under her stewardship, the journal acquired a credible and excellent reputation of publishing cutting-edge scholarship from “Asianists” around the world. What I observed is APP’s distinct orientation of providing space for the research outputs of the next generation of Asian scholars. I believe this was Professor Baviera’s personal vision for a journal she led for almost a decade. Her vision is my vision as well. In the next few issues, I plan to introduce new members to the APP Editorial Team. There will also be a new and more diverse Advisory Board for the journal that comprises established scholars as well as the most prolific and dynamic young academics in the field of political science, international relations, and policy studies from all around the world. They will guide the journal in maintaining the highest standards of academic publishing but also ensure that it contains research informed by the latest theoretical approaches, methodological innovations, and policy debates. I also plan to enhance the Praxis: Review of Policy Practice section of the journal to become an outlet for more policy-oriented research. Given that they will undergo a similar rigorous review process as original research articles, manuscripts published in Praxis will be given proper recognition as refereed publications but more focused on the evaluation, formulation, and examination of public policies in Asia. I am also launching a special series within Praxis, entitled: “Covid-19: Policy Responses from Asia.” This will feature policy-oriented papers that deal with how governments, markets, and societies in Asia have responded to the COVID-19 pandemic. To launch this series, Wei-ting Yen’s brilliant essay on Taiwan’s early effective management of the pandemic can hopefully stir debate and perhaps provide policy guidance to other countries in Asia and elsewhere. For this issue, APP has a varied array of research articles dealing on themes such as soft power, alliances, labor migration, ethnic politics, and anti-corruption reforms. China figures prominently in three of the six articles. Carminati examines how Thailand navigates the soft power projection of China compared to Japan while Fulton investigates how Saudi Arabia manages its participation in China’s Belt and Road Initiative with its alliance with the United States. This similar difficult balancing act between these rival superpowers is the topic of Kil’s paper on South Korea. The remaining papers deal with the role of ethnic identity politics in the evolution of Taiwan’s developmental state (He), the struggles faced by Indonesia’s anti-corruption agency against powerful interests (Umam & Head), and labor negotiations for Filipino migrant nurses (Cabanda). Together with the book and media reviews, I do hope APP readers will find this issue of great interest.