One of the most complicated topics in contemporary international relations is the status of the self-governing island of Taiwan and its government in Taipei, formally called the government of the Republic of China. In this October 9, 2025 talk, Julian Ku, professor of law at Hofstra University, explains what international law says about the use of force for self-defense and collective self-defense in a potential cross-strait conflict, and argues that the United States and Taiwan should prepare credible legal arguments now to rally international support.
In 2023, the Hong Kong Court of Final Appeal delivered a landmark judgment in Sham Tsz Kit v. Secretary for Justice, giving the Hong Kong government two years to provide an alternative legal framework to recognize same-sex partnerships. The court’s deadline has passed with no such legal framework in place. Preston Cheung and Venisa Wai write that what the government does next will send an important signal about the future of Hong Kong’s constitutional order and the authority of the Court of Final Appeal in deciding constitutional questions.
South Korea is carrying out one of the most far-reaching reforms of its modern legal history. It is abolishing the powerful 78-year-old Prosecutors’ Office and separating the roles of investigator and prosecutor in an effort to curb abuses and restore public trust. Jaewoong Yoon analyzes why the shakeup is deemed necessary, why it has been so long in coming, and the challenges ahead.
January 11- January 17
China’s Commerce Ministry says stronger export controls and supply chain security are top priorities for 2026; Hong Kong’s High Court hears arguments about how severe a sentence to give former Apple Daily founder Jimmy Lai; the prime ministers of Japan and South Korea - which have had rocky relations in recent years - agree to increase cooperation in economic security, AI, defense, crime fighting, and other areas; South Korean prosecutors ask that impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol be given the death penalty for declaring martial law in 2024; and Taiwan’s opposition-dominated legislature opens public hearings on impeaching President Lai Ching-te as the legislature and executive remain locked in a standoff over the allocation of government funds.
January 4 - January 10
China's Ministry of Commerce bans exports of dual-use goods to Japan; Cambodia hands over to China a man accused of leading a massive transnational online scam operation built on forced labor; more voices in Hong Kong call for a crackdown on bid-rigging in building maintenance following a devastating residential estate fire; Japan’s government plans to create an institution to review foreign investments in domestic companies; South Korean President Lee returns from a visit to China and says he built a foundation for the full restoration of relations with Beijing; a Taiwanese court convicts a Chinese fishing boat captain of negligently damaging an undersea cable and deports him to China.
December 21 - December 27
China’s legislature revises the Foreign Trade Law to strengthen IP protection and revises the Civil Aviation Law to begin formally regulating drones; Japan’s Cabinet approves a record defense budget plan as tensions with China rise; South Korea’s National Assembly approves legislation requiring two Seoul courts to create specialized panels to handle future cases involving rebellion, treason, and foreign subversion; Taiwan’s opposition-controlled Legislative Yuan approves a motion to initiate impeachment proceedings against President Lai Ching-te as its constitutional crisis deepens.
Program on International Law & Relations in Asia
