East Asia

America's consular refugees: Two's a crowd

There was more than enough tension in Beijing even before Chen Guangcheng's escape(259)

Company formation: Shells and shelves

Making money by making companies: another industry that is globalising, consolidating and shifting east(4)

Global poverty: A fall to cheer

For the first time ever, the number of poor people is declining everywhere(69)

Perilous journey

Pakistan has a lot going for it, but optimism about its future is nevertheless hard to sustain, says Simon Long(182)

Kim Jong Il

Kim Jong Il, dictator of North Korea, died on December 17th, aged 69 or 70(30)

The East India Company: The Company that ruled the waves

As state-backed firms once again become forces in global business, we ask what they can learn from the greatest of them all(263)

Central Asia: Make a new plan, Stans

The biggest instability facing the region’s dictators is the lack of any mechanism to succeed them(18)

Paying for pixels

Virtual goods are worth real money—and cause real dilemmas(5)

Books of the Year: Page-turners

The best books of 2011 were about China, Congo, Afghanistan, Charles Dickens, Vincent van Gogh, the "Flora Delanica", Jerusalem, Mumbai’s dance bars, quantum physics, sugar, orgasms, blue nights, two moons and other people’s money(21)

Africa’s hopeful economies: The sun shines bright

The continent’s impressive growth looks likely to continue(46)

Deng Xiaoping’s legacy: The great stabiliser

The definitive biography of a diminutive giant of the 20th century(42)

Asia: Tiger traps

Asia's seemingly relentless economic rise is still not inevitable(3)

Demography: A tale of three islands

The world’s population will reach 7 billion at the end of October. Don’t panic(139)

The United States and Taiwan: Dim sum for China

Why America should not walk away from Taiwan(543)

Banyan: Where Asia left its heart

The curious durability of America’s Asian alliances(85)

Gender inequality: Death and the maiden

Women and girls die prematurely in greater numbers than men(59)

Gender inequality: Growth is not enough

A new report from the World Bank shows that economic development alone will not be enough to balance the scales(30)

Liverpool and China: Here comes the yuan

A city’s bid to revive its fortunes through the local and the global(11)

Asian demography: The flight from marriage

Asians are marrying later, and less, than in the past. This has profound implications for women, traditional family life and Asian politics(47)

American manufacturing: Sticking it to China

A factory in rural Georgia helps East Asia eat(48)

Asian ports: Containing the competition

China and other countries rush to build new ports, threatening Singapore's supremacy(11)

Banyan: On a Bali high

Reasons to cheer, even if ASEAN is selling the same horses again(7)