August 29,2016 Special Forum

Introduction to the Special Forum

Not long ago, there was talk of the “end of history,” as if the post-Cold War era gave the nations of the world—especially dynamic East Asia—a compelling opportunity to put aside troubled historical memories. Instead, history in the past quarter century has continued to divert progress toward forging a future-oriented regional community. Many looked to 2015 with dread, fearin..

Editorial Staff
Cold War , imperialism , militarism , Sinocentrism , Territorial Disputes , WWII
August 29,2016 Special Forum

Russian views of Japanese history

As Russia and Japan strive in 2016 for a breakthrough in a relationship long seen as falling behind its true potential, historical consciousness on the Russian side is an overlooked factor. Japanese historical memory toward Russia has been widely examined. Balance of power in East Asia or economic objectives of the two countries have been the subject of frequent attention. Neglect of Russian ..

Dmitry Streltsov
1956 Declaration , Anti-Comintern Pact , Kuril Islands , South Sakhalin , Soviet Union , WWII
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 Special Forum

Chinese views of Japanese history

Sino-Japanese relations have been on a downswing in recent years, despite resumed meetings between the leaders Xi Jinping and Abe Shinzo since late 2014. Strategic and territorial differences over the East and South China Seas have exacerbated the sharp divisions over history that long plagued their relationship. While some may argue that geopolitics is the driving force of poorer relations,..

Jin Linbo
East China Sea , militarism , Revisionism , South China Sea , Twenty-One Demands , WWII , Yasukuni
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 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 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
August 12,2016 Open Forum

Northeast Asia’s Space Launch Nationalism

*The views expressed in this article are those of the author alone and do not represent official policies of the U.S. Navy or the U.S. Department of Defense. Northeast Asia today is in the midst of a major expansion of space launch services—with Japan, South Korea, North Korea, China, and Russia all attempting to build new boosters, often at costly new national facilities. National leade..

James Clay Moltz
anti-satellite weapons test , geostationary orbit , liquid-fuel rocket , low-Earth orbit , space launch capability , UN Convention on the Registration of Space Objects , UN Outer Space Treaty
August 03,2016 Review Article

Review of Rising China’s Influence in Developing Asia by Evelyn Goh et al. (2016)

For some time China has felt itself alone among many neighbors, and its sudden leap to prominence since 2008 has heightened concern that it might use its increasing asymmetries of power to control its regional environment. While China sees its influence in Asia as a "win-win” interaction based on mutual respect, its actions in the South China Sea have encouraged the view that China..

Brantly Womack
ASEAN , Asian Infrastructural Investment Bank , Development , Hydropower , Monetary policy , South China Sea , UN Human Rights Council