Isaac B. Kardon
on July 13, 2016
Isaac B. Kardon is a Ph.D. candidate in the Government Department at Cornell University and a Visiting Scholar at N.Y.U. Law’s U.S.-Asia Law Institute in 2015-16. He will be an Assistant Professor at the Naval War College beginning Fall 2016, where he will join the China Maritime Studies Institute. He will also be a non-resident Post-Doctoral Fellow at Princeton with the China & the World Program. Kardon’s dissertation and research focus on China’s practice of international law and maritime security in Asia. His work on Chinese politics and law has been published by Stanford University Press, Routledge, the Journal of East Asia & International Law, the Journal of Global Policy & Governance, and the NDU Press. He holds an M.Phil in Modern Chinese Studies from Oxford University, a B.A. in History from Dartmouth College, and studied Mandarin at Peking University, Taiwan Normal University, and Tsinghua University.
A Cold War Island Thaws
on July 12, 2016
Mounds of sand sit beneath a row of pile drivers on Dadeng Island, where the Chinese city of Xiamen is building a new airport on reclaimed land.
Syril Hung sighs, awe-struck by this scene. The retired editor is looking through a pair of binoculars from the Mashan Observation Station on Kinmen, a nearby island that belongs to Taiwan. On a clear day like this, we can see sand-dredging barges working non-stop in the two-kilometer stretch of open water that separates the two former Cold War rivals.
You Ask How Deeply I Love You
Kinmen Island, and the Past and Future of Sino-Taiwanese Relations
on July 12, 2016
“Back when I was a soldier on Kinmen, around 1975, the water demons still sometimes killed people,” Xu Shifu (Master Xu) said. The laugh-lines at the corners of his eyes were not visible now, even in the white fluorescent light shining down from the ceiling. “When it was my turn for guard duty at night and everyone else went down into the bunkers, I was scared. I would turn my cap backwards . . . I knew the water demons would approach from behind. But in the darkness, all they could see was a person’s silhouette. I thought that would fool them into coming at me head on.”
China’s Claims in the South China Sea Rejected
A ChinaFile Conversation
on July 12, 2016
On Tuesday in the Hague, the Permanent Court of Arbitration rejected China’s claims that a scattering of rocks and reefs in the contested South China Sea qualify as Exclusive Economic Zones for China. The court found in favor of the Philippines’ lawsuit that argued against China’s claims. We asked contributors to this ChinaFile Conversation for their reactions to the decision and thoughts about Beijing’s rejection of the ruling. What happens next?
Chinese Architect’s Nature-Infused Buildings Take World By Storm
on July 12, 2016
Ma Yansong blurs the lines between lanscaping and architecture, inspired by his Chinese culture....
China Should Let Soccer Fans Gamble
on July 12, 2016
Tom Nagorski
on July 12, 2016
Tom Nagorski became Executive Vice President of Asia Society following a three-decade career in journalism. Prior to joining Asia Society, he served most recently as Managing Editor for International Coverage at ABC News. Before that he was Foreign Editor for World News Tonight, and a reporter and producer based in Russia, Germany, and Thailand.
Nagorski was the recipient of eight Emmy awards and the Dupont Award for excellence in international coverage, as well as a fellowship from the Henry Luce Foundation. He has written for several publications and is the author of Miracles on the Water: The Heroic Survivors of a World War II U-Boat Attack.
Odeon And UCI Cinemas Sold to China-Owned Firm
on July 12, 2016
The Cinema group has been bought by AMC, owned by Chinese conglomerate Dalian Wanda....