The Washington Times has hired veteran reporter and longtime contributor Andrew Salmon as its new Asia bureau chief, a recognition that China’s rise and the new Cold War in the Indo-Pacific are casting an ever-longer shadow over the U.S. political, diplomatic, military and business communities.
Mr. Salmon is based in Seoul and will report on developments throughout the region both for The Washington Times newspaper and its award-winning washingtontimes.com website.
“Andrew brings two decades of journalistic experience and personal immersion in the region,” said Washington Times Executive Editor Christopher Dolan. “And as Andrew reported from the region for The Washington Times early in his career, we already know he will be a good fit.”
The Times was particularly excited to establish a permanent bureau in Seoul, the geopolitical heart of East Asia and increasingly a crossroads for political, security and economic trends spanning the entire region, Mr. Dolan said.
The newspaper’s already strong coverage of Capitol Hill and the Washington political scene got a boost with the return of another alumnus.
Haris Alic, a seasoned political journalist who has also reported for Fox News and the Washington Free Beacon, has returned to The Times’ team on Capitol Hill after a brief hiatus. His reporting will focus on the Senate, but he will also contribute to stories on the House and political campaigns as the 2024 election cycle heats up.
Mr. Alic has established a reputation for breaking news about the behind-the-scenes maneuvering on Capitol Hill, digging into legislation in both chambers and dogging candidates on the campaign trail. In 2022, his in-depth campaign coverage for The Times led to Mr. Alic moderating a GOP Senate primary debate that was sponsored by N.H. Journal and held at the St. Anselm College New Hampshire Institute of Politics.
“Haris finds the stories so many other reporters miss,” said Assistant Managing Editor S.A. Miller, who oversees the Times’ political coverage. “There will be plenty more such stories with the new Congress, and we’re very happy to have him back.”
Before joining The Washington Times, Mr. Salmon was Northeast Asia editor of the Hong Kong-based Asia Times. His reporting has appeared in a wide variety of publications, including the Daily Telegraph, Forbes, the International Herald Tribune, and the South China Morning Post, as well as The Washington Times. He has made television appearances on South Korea-based Arirang TV, CNN and France24.
He also previously served as Seoul correspondent for Hong Kong-based Political and Economic Risk Consultancy Ltd., and research and publications manager for the American Chamber of Commerce in Korea.
“East Asia is both important and fascinating,” Mr. Salmon said. “Along with North America and Western Europe, it is one of the world’s three most important zones of economic activity, buzzing with giant-scale manufacturing, advanced technologies and global brands.”
However, the region is important for reasons that extend far beyond its position as an industrial font of chips and ships, autos and gadgets.
“This is the arena where the democracies of Japan, South Korea and Taiwan face off against the authoritarian bloc of China, North Korea and the Russian Far East,” he continued. “From the South China Sea to the Korean DMZ, the region is a complex powder keg of strategic flash points, competing ideologies and prickly nationalisms.”
On a long-divided peninsula bristling with nuclear weapons and still featuring a major U.S. troop deployment, security will be a particular focus for Mr. Salmon.
In addition to editing his former publication’s War Drums newsletter, and analyzing developments in Ukraine — from Russia’s infantry shortfall and the influence of climate upon combat to the troubling charges of atrocities committed by both sides — Mr. Salmon has made a particular study of the Korean War. His books on that conflict won him a “Korean Wave” award from the South Korean National Assembly and a Member of the British Empire award from the late Queen Elizabeth II.
As such, he conducts staff rides around Korean War battlefields and briefs officers up to the general level.
“We look forward to Andrew’s contributions informing the paper’s readership about the region as China continues on its rising trajectory,” said Washington Times Foreign Editor David R. Sands. “This is arguably the world’s biggest story, and Americans need to grasp both the opportunities and the challenges this trend represents for themselves and their allies.”
Mr. Salmon holds a B.A. in literature and history from the University of Kent and a master’s in Asia studies from the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) at the University of London. His interests include history, travel and martial arts. He likes beer, rum and cats.
He expects to cast a spotlight not just on the region’s geopolitical developments, but its human and cultural side as well.
“East Asia is inhabited by dynamic populaces that are animated by vibrant cultures, but also informed by ancient traditions,” Mr. Salmon said. “It will be a privilege to tell their stories.”
• Staff can be reached at 202-636-3000.
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