Nov 04,2020 Country Reports

Country Report: South Korea (November 2020)

The fall of 2020 left South Korea in limbo. Who would win the US presidential elections? Would there be an October or post-election surprise from North Korea? How would US ties to China change after the election? Would the replacement of Abe by Suga result in new hope for the troubled ROK-Japan relationship? At the […]

Sanghwa Hong

Donald Trump , Joe Biden , New Cold War , OPCON transfer , Suga Yoshihide , US presidential election , US-China rivalry , US-ROK alliance

May 12,2015 Country Reports

Country Report: China (April 2015)

In Waijiao pinglun, no. 2, Xiong Lili and Pan Yu analyze Russia’s predicament in Europe, discerning elements of both continuity and discontinuity in the Ukrainian situation. In order to contain Ukraine after its decision in February 2014 to sign the agreement with the European Union to “leave Russia, enter Europe,” Russia with military force annexed […]

Editorial Staff (with the assistance of Dong Jiaxin*)

AIIB , Maritime Silk Road , New Cold War , Sino-Japanese Relations , US strategic encirclement

Dec 30,2014 Country Reports

Country Report: China (December 2014)

The prevailing Chinese narrative is zero-sum, blaming Japan unsparingly and the United States, if in a less vitriolic manner, for regional fragmentation when a path to integration is within reach. Not only is there no hint of any mistakes made by China at any time since the 1949 revolution, there is no indication that compromise […]

Editorial Staff (with the assistance of Dong Jiaxin*)

Japanese containment , New Cold War , Sino-ROK alliance , US-ROK alliance

Oct 29,2014 Country Reports

Country Report: China (October 2014)

Ukraine (Russia), South Korea, India and, as usual, Japan attracted keen attention for their potential to alter the geopolitical environment in Asia. Ukraine’s significance is its impact on Russian relations with both the United States and China. In the case of South Korea its tensions with Japan and forward-looking diplomacy with China led to questions […]

Editorial Staff (with the assistance of Dong Jiaxin*)

Civilizations , hegemonism , India , Look East policy , New Cold War , new defense guidelines , Ukraine , US-ROK alliance

Sep 29,2014 Country Reports

Country Report: Russia (September 2014)

While the world’s gaze centered on Russia’s relations with the West and the on-again, off-again confrontation over Ukraine, Russian publications paraded a new, more assertive outlook on Russia’s “turn to the East” (povorot na Vostok). Giving impetus to this was an early July meeting of ambassadors addressed by Vladimir Putin, the statements at which on […]

Editorial Staff (with the assistance of Olga Puzanova)

BRICS , Central Asia , dead hikiwake , India , liberal secularism , New Cold War , turn to the East , Ukraine

Jul 25,2014 Country Reports

Country Report: Russia (July 2014)

New Russian articles suggest that South Korea’s foreign policy is more intriguing than previously anticipated. Explaining that there is talk today of forging a new system of global governance, an article in the June issue of Mezhdunarodnaia zhizn’ argues that the responsibility is rising for South Korea, with its important interests in the geopolitics and […]

Editorial Staff (with the assistance of Olga Puzanova)

Gas deal , global governance , New Cold War , New Silk Road , SCO , Sino-Russian alliance , soft integration , threat from the West , Trustpolitik , Ukraine

Jul 19,2013 Special Forum

A New Cold War? Introduction to the July Special Forum

With this first issue of The Asan Forum, we post our first Special Forum, five articles that address different aspects of a single overarching theme on Asian international relations. Each Special Forum will have an introduction, identifying common themes in the articles and pointing to some comparisons of their findings. Rather than five unrelated writings, […]

Editorial Staff

infographics , New Cold War

Jul 19,2013 Special Forum

Another Cold War in Asia?

The biggest strategic challenge for policymakers in the Asia-Pacific is the peaceful integration of China into the international order. Within three decades, China has transformed from a rural society to the second largest economy in the world. As China continues to grow economically and its interests and influence expand, its neighboring countries and the United […]

Michishita Narushige* , Peter van der Hoest

Arms Race , Australia , New Cold War , Sino-US Relations , Southeast Asia , Trade

Jul 19,2013 Special Forum

Is an Economic Cold War Emerging in Asia?

For the past 35 years, as China’s economic development accelerated in the post-Mao period, US policy towards the Asia-Pacific was aimed at fostering an environment that would gradually integrate China into the international order. Such a policy was intended to give Beijing incentives to play by a common set of rules, allow the United States […]

Scott W. Harold

Beijing Consensus , FTAs , Investment , New Cold War , TPP , Trade , Washington Consensus

Jul 19,2013 Special Forum

National Identity and Changing Great Power Relations in the Asia-Pacific: Is a Cold War Emerging?

International relations in the Asia-Pacific have long been driven and dominated by great power politics. Despite the growing significance of smaller nations and regional organizations in East Asian affairs, the great powers remain the key actors in shaping the regional security environment. Arguably, China, the United States, and Japan are the most influential powers in […]

Rex Li

Democratic Peace Theory , Global Financial Crisis , Japan as a Normal Power , Maritime Power , New Cold War , Strategic Encirclement