Asia & the Pacific

[North Korea’s demands on sanctions relief still went far beyond what was likely to be accepted in exchange for limited steps toward denuclearization.] Trump demonstrating his desire for substantive actions on denuclearization was important because Kim has been ignoring U.S. negotiators and banking on his personal appeals to Trump, whom he probably judged was more malleable.

[Regarding Hanoi's market reforms Doi Moi in 1986] Vietnam's choice to liberalize its economy was one made out of desperation...Vietnam's socialist experiment was failing, growth was at a standstill and inflation was running at something like 500% per annum. The regime had no choice but to reform if they wanted to survive.