June 18,2018 Open Forum

Authoritarian Sharp Power: Comparing China and Russia

The notion and practices of “sharp power” are increasingly grabbing our attention. This is so as the ascent of sharp power is taking place amidst the recent retreat of liberalism, and as authoritarian states, China and Russia in particular, vigorously attempt to expand their influence across the globe, utilizing any available means of power, whether soft, hard, or something in bet..

Kim Taehwan*
“Russian World" , China Dream , disinformation warfare , Eurasianism , foreign political influence operations , Sharp power , soft power
June 11,2018 Open Forum

An Exchange with Alexander Lukin on Russo-Chinese Relations: The New Rapprochement

Below is a dialogue consisting of questions asked by Gilbert Rozman after reading the new book and responses by Alexander Lukin clarifying the arguments of the book. First are some comments to set the stage, considering that Russian thinking about East Asia is important in the 2018 context of intense diplomacy over North Korea, rising Sino-US tensions, and reorganization as China’s pr..

Gilbert Rozman , Alexander Lukin
BRI , democratism , EAEU , free and open Indo-Pacific , SCO , THAAD
June 07,2018 Country Reports

Country Report: Japan (June 2018)

Kawakami Takashi in Kaigai Jijo No. 3-4, linked Trump’s chaos to America’s decline, leading to a breakdown in the world order. Giving rise to this is the power shift between Washington and Beijing, which is accompanied by a civilizational transfer from the West. US fatigue from the fight against terrorism has accelerated this shift. Instead of ideology, civilizational elements a..

Editorial Staff
Abe-Trump summit , BRI , China-Japan-Korea summit , Deal diplomacy , free and open Indo-Pacific , RCEP , trade war
May 30,2018 Country Reports

Country Report: Russia (May 2018)

In the spring of 2018, Russians reacted to the drama over North Korea as they questioned their country’s place in Northeast Asia and the Indo-Pacific region. Two figures loomed large in their writings: Donald Trump, representing a US government whose motives could never be trusted; and Kim Jong-un, ready to cut a deal with diplomacy left in doubt mainly because of the ideological bent o..

Editorial Staff (with the assistance of Olga Puzanova)
BRI , BRICS , free and open Indo-Pacific , Quad , SCO , Xi-Kim summit , Xi-Modi summit
May 08,2018 Open Forum

The Interference Operations from Putin’s Kremlin and Xi’s Communist Party: Forging a Joint Response

Xi Jinping’s Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and Vladimir Putin’s Kremlin are systematically interfering in the politics and undermining the institutions of democratic nations.1 Xi’s China and Putin’s Russia have different long-term goals, strategic positions, methodologies, and capabilities. But their interests in weakening the liberal order are converging, and they are ..

Laura Rosenberger , John Garnaut
Chinese Communist Party , Sharp power , Vladmir Putin , Xi Jinping
May 01,2018 National Commentaries

A View from Russia, China, and Sundry Progressives

The optimism is palpable despite whiffs of concern. Many who had long been saying that North Korea only needed to be reassured to become a reliable diplomatic partner with willingness to abandon its threats and proceed to denuclearization in stages now feel vindicated. Instead of being some sort of madman, Kim Jong-un proved to be a savvy practitioner of diplomacy. The mood in Moscow, Beijing..

Editorial Staff
inter-Korean summit , Pyeongchang Olympics , Regional security framework , US-ROK alliance
March 19,2018 Country Reports

Country Report: Russia (March 2018)

Three themes dominated the coverage in Russian analyses of the Asia-Pacific region: 1) China’s shift toward authoritarianism and tensions in the West over perceived Chinese protectionism; 2) aspects of Sino-Russian relations; and 3) fast-moving developments related to North Korea. Also, a miscellaneous category is required to capture other issues raised in the latter part of the winte..

Editorial Staff (with the assistance of Olga Puzanova)
BRI , Greater Eurasia , Russian Far East , Southern Kuril Islands , Trump-Kim summit , Xi Jinping
March 14,2018 Country Reports

Country Report: Japan (February 2018)

Understandably, Japanese have been preoccupied with the Korean Peninsula since the start of 2018. In this Country Report, we cover issues not central to the serious matters over the peninsula, while in the upcoming Report, we focus exclusively on peninsular matters. Together, the two reports serve as coverage of Japan for the first two issues of 2018, including brief accounts from late Decemb..

Editorial Staff
“Year of China” , BRI , CPTPP , free and open Indo-Pacific , TPP-11
February 13,2018 National Commentaries

A Russian Perspective

Russia’s Gambit in the Korean Nuclear Crisis Since the late 19th century Russia has been a major stakeholder in Korean affairs, at times capable of exercising critical influence on them. The current crisis over Pyongyang’s nuclear and missile programs may once again be raising Russia’s profile on the Korean Peninsula, ending a period when, only a few years ago, Moscow was l..

Artyom Lukin
double freeze , parallel advancement , Pyeongchang Olympics , roadmap , Six-Party Talks
February 05,2018 Open Forum

Washington Insights

The mood in DC approached alarmism at the beginning of 2018. Following the Olympic Games in South Korea, not only was it assumed that North Korea would revert to provocative behavior, but Moon Jae-in was not trusted to apply more pressure, trying to sustain the rosy atmosphere that took shape in January. The Trump administration’s determination for a trade showdown was finally becomin..

Editorial Staff
BRI , free and open Indo-Pacific , North-South talks , Pyeongchang Olympics , Quad , THAAD