Covid-19 has accelerated change in many respects, from the adoption of digital technologies to shifts in consumer behaviour. However, set against the backdrop of geopolitical tensions, a rising China and an increasingly divided US, the pandemic has also acted as a catalyst for power shifts within the Asian region. The 2020 edition of the Asia Power Index, produced by the Lowy Institute, aims to chart that shift, by looking both at hard power and soft power developments of 26 nation-states over the past year. We speak to the team behind the index, Hervé Lemahieu and Alyssa Leng of the Asia Power and Diplomacy Program at the Lowy Institute, for insight into this Covid-driven race to the bottom. Explore the full index here.

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