August 29,2016 Special Forum

Japanese views of Korean history

For many Japanese, Korean history—including the history of South Korean ties to the outside world—is viewed through the lens of the country’s modern relations with Japan. Whether looking at the ups and downs of diplomacy, the competition for the favor of US administrations, or the prospect of cooperation on regionalism, Japanese often seem preoccupied with how they interpret South K..

Alexis Dudden
comfort women , Dokdo/Takeshima , history problems" , Kono Declaration , Revisionism , ryodo , textbooks , Yasukuni
August 29,2016 Special Forum

Chinese views of South Korean history

On August 3, Beijing ribao depicted THAAD as not aimed at defending against North Korea, but rather splitting China from South Korea.1 On August 7, Huanqiu shibao depicted the visit of Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong to Washington as Singapore joining in the US containment of China.2 China is rapidly adopting a polarized view of Asia—a realist, balance of power approach on the surface, but act..

Gilbert Rozman
China Dream , Cold War , communism , Koguryo , Korean War , Multipolarity , Northeast Project , regional order , Sinocentrism , Trustpolitik
August 29,2016 Open Forum

A Chinese Take on India’s Eastward Strategy and Its Implications

India is rising, with growing economic power and expanding interests. India is not satisfied with being a dominant power in South Asia and the Indian Ocean. It is also looking toward other regions, east and west – the Middle East, Africa, East Asia, and Southeast Asia in particular. India’s eastward movement has some important implications for the Asia-Pacific region, which are bei..

CHU Shulong
APEC , ASEAN , ASEAN + 6 , BRICS , East China Sea , One Belt, One Road , One Road" , RCEP , SCO , South China Sea
August 25,2016 Alternative Scenarios

Negative Scenario I

Chinese and Russian leaders regularly declare that their countries’ bilateral relationship is at its highest level in history. The two countries share similar views on a range of international issues, and though they disavow any intention to form an alliance, they frequently proclaim their desire to oppose “hegemonism” and to build a multipolar world. In recent years, they h..

Brian G. Carlson
Eurasian Economic Union , Power of Siberia-2 , Russia Far East , Shanghai Cooperation Organization , Siberia , Silk Road Economic Belt , US hegemony
August 25,2016 Alternative Scenarios

Positive Scenario I

It has been more than two years since the Ukraine crisis ushered in a new era in Sino-Russian relations. Many analysts argue that the Sino-Russian rapprochement began much earlier than 2014, but it is undeniable that 2014 was a watershed year. Since that time, the nascent partnership has experienced both ebbs and flows, as the expectations from 2014 clashed with the dreary realities of 2015...

Gregory Shtraks
Eurasian Economic Union , One Belt One Road Initiative , Russia Far East , Shanghai Cooperation Organization , Silk Road Economic Belt , US hegemony
August 24,2016 Open Forum

Washington Insights

In the summer of 2016, Washington DC has been consumed with the Clinton-Trump race and the unprecedented revolt of the Republican national security establishment against their party’s presidential candidate. Three bilateral relations have been in flux against the background of increased uncertainty about Sino-US relations.  DC discussions have in particular focused on Sino-Russian relations, wh..

Editorial Staff
alliance building , Cold War , rebalance , sanctions , Sea of Okhotsk , Shanghai Cooperation Organization , Six-Party Talks , South China Sea , THAAD
August 24,2016 Open Forum

The Undercurrent of Sino-Vietnamese Relations

Since 2010, the South China Sea disputes have emerged as the most acute issue in the Sino-Vietnamese relationship. Bilateral relations have suffered greatly as China expands its land reclamation and maritime control in the region, challenging what Vietnam perceives to be its sovereign territory and exclusive economic zones. While most attention has been focused on the contentious maritime dis..

Yun Sun
Chinese Communist Party , Communist Party of Vietnam , economic reforms , liberalization , political reforms
August 24,2016 Country Reports

Country Report: China (August 2016)

The Hague tribunal’s adjudication of the South China Sea dispute between China and the Philippines dominated Chinese foreign policy discussions in mid-2016. Chinese analysts also assessed relations with Russia and India, suggested structural reforms to encourage the resumption of the Six-Party Talks, and considered the implications of Japan’s new security laws. Hague Tribunal on..

Danielle F. S. Cohen (assisted by Dong Jiaxin)
Arunachal Pradesh , ASEAN , Diaoyu/Senkaku Islands , East and South China Seas , Eurasian Economic Union , Hague Tribunal , Silk Road Economic Belt , Six-Party Talks , Tibet , Xinjiang
August 12,2016 Alternative Scenarios

Negative Scenario II: India’s Balance of Interest in the Asian Century

By outlining the nuances propelling India’s diplomatic and military engagements in recent weeks, this article argues that each nation in the India-US-Japan trilateral design is guided by its own individual national interest and that India’s attitude toward geopolitical realities is shaped by a balance between engagement and autonomy. This piece, as the first one, analyzes developm..

Titli Basu
BRICS , East China Sea , India-US-Japan , Nuclear Suppliers’ Group , RIMPAC , SCO , Shangri-La Dialogue , South China Sea , UNCLOS