Expert Related Publication Feeds

Comparative Connections v.14 n.1 - US-Japan

bMizuno — Mon, 14 May 2012 00:00:00 -0400

After three tumultuous and frustrating years as the DPJ tried to find its legs, Prime Minister Noda finally visited Washington.

Rethinking U.S. Military Presence in Asia and the Pacific

ian — Fri, 13 Apr 2012 00:00:00 -0400

For the past six decades the U.S. military has enjoyed preeminence in the Western Pacific, but there are increasing questions about whether this advantageous position is sustainable given a combination of budget cuts, asymmetrical military threats, and local opposition to bases.

TWQ: Defining U.S. Indian Ocean Strategy - Spring 2012

Mon, 19 Mar 2012 00:00:00 -0400

In the past few years, the Indian Ocean has emerged as a major center of geostrategic interest. The Pentagon’s 2010 Quadrennial Defense Review (QDR) set the tone by calling for a more “integrated approach to the region across military and civilian organizations” and asking the rest of the U.S. government for an assessment of “U.S.

Xi Jinping Comes to Washington

sherry — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -0500

Vice President Joe Biden will host Vice President Xi Jinping of China on February 14–17. Xi, who is 58 years old, is the heir apparent to China’s top leader Hu Jintao. He will become secretary of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) this fall at the 18th Party Congress and will become China’s president in March 2013.

PacNet #3 - Comparative Connections Summary

ellise — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0500

It's been an Asia-centric four months. The US proclaimed America's "pivot" toward Asia, while North Korea faced a pivotal moment following the death of Kim Jong Il.

Comparative Connections v.13 n.3 - US-Japan

bMizuno — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0500

Prime Minister Noda accomplished important steps including the selection of the F-35 as Japan’s next-generation fighter, relaxing the three arms export principles, and announcing a decision to join negotiations for the Trans-Pacific Partnership – all of which demonstrated Tokyo’s readiness to revive the economy and strengthen security ties and capabilities.

Critical Questions for 2012

ian — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0500

From international security and regional study to global challenges, CSIS experts will address many of the world's most difficult policy concerns and critical questions in 2012. To kick off the new year, we asked 25 of our scholars to identity what worries them most and what are the biggest opportunities in their respective areas of study.

Partnership for Recovery and a Stronger Future

jdunton — Thu, 03 Nov 2011 00:00:00 -0400

When a magnitude 9.0 earthquake shook the earth beneath the Western Pacific on March 11, 2011, it unleashed a massive nine-meter tsunami toward the coast of the Tohoku region of Japan’s main island of Honshu.

Comparative Connections v.13 n.2 - US-Japan

bMizuno — Tue, 13 Sep 2011 00:00:00 -0400

Kan Naoto resigned as prime minister on Aug. 26 after promising to step aside almost three months earlier amid dissension within his ruling Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) and dwindling public support after a clumsy response to the tragedies of March 11.

Japan's New Prime Minister

sherry — Mon, 29 Aug 2011 00:00:00 -0400

Q1: Who is Japan’s new prime minister?

Reassuring Presence: Japanese Assessments of U.S. Power

ian — Fri, 17 Jun 2011 00:00:00 -0400

Japan has historically been highly attuned to the distribution of power in the international system. For almost two millennia, Japanese strategy has been to bandwagon with the world’s leading power while seeking greater freedom of maneuver within Asia. Until the eighteenth century that power was China.

A Partnership for Recovery

ian — Wed, 15 Jun 2011 00:00:00 -0400

The earthquake, tsunami, and nuclear disaster that struck Japan on March 11, 2011, reminded the world that even the most developed nations are not immune from nature’s wrath. The triple catastrophe took more than 14,000 lives, and estimates of total damage range from $250 billion to $600 billion.

Comparative Connections v.13 n.1 - US-Japan

bMizuno — Fri, 13 May 2011 00:00:00 -0400

The earthquake, tsunami, and nuclear disaster that struck Japan March 11 tested the leadership credentials of the Kan government and the alliance coordination during simultaneous crises.

The March 11 Earthquake in Japan

mentman — Mon, 14 Mar 2011 00:00:00 -0400

Q1: Where did the earthquake occur, and how much damage did it inflict?

PacNet #9 - Is Obama about to go wobbly on North Korea?

bMizuno — Fri, 04 Feb 2011 00:00:00 -0500

After campaigning on the untenable promise that he would meet with leaders like Kim Jong Il without preconditions, President Obama has actually approached North Korea with a firmness that sometimes eluded the Bush administration in its last year.

Comparative Connections v.12 n.4 - US-Japan

bMizuno — Fri, 14 Jan 2011 00:00:00 -0500

Prime Minister Kan promised the government would deliver on domestic and foreign policy, but public opinion polls indicated he was failing on both fronts, damaging his own approval rating and that of the ruling Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ).

The Hu-Obama Summit

mentman — Wed, 12 Jan 2011 00:00:00 -0500

Q1: What is the significance of this summit?

U.S.-Japan-ASEAN Trilateral Strategic Dialogue

sherry — Wed, 05 Jan 2011 00:00:00 -0500

At a time of growing dynamism in Asia, the United States and Japan have a shared interest in engaging the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) to help define the future contours of a vibrant and peaceful region.

Japan Chair Platform: Green Shoots in the U.S.-Japan Alliance

ian — Tue, 09 Nov 2010 00:00:00 -0500

What a difference a year makes. Last fall at this time, the Obama administration was scrambling to make sense of the Hatoyama government’s half-baked promise to counterbalance the United States in Asia and his vacillating pledges to both the American president and Okinawan anti-base activists to “trust” him on Futenma.

Green Dragons

jdunton — Wed, 03 Nov 2010 00:00:00 -0400

The negotiations held under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in Copenhagen in December 2009 fell well short of global expectations. The UNFCCC process is intended to reach an agreement in which near-term national interests are set aside in the interest of future generations of the world as a whole.

Comparative Connections v.12 n.3 - US-Japan

bMizuno — Tue, 12 Oct 2010 00:00:00 -0400

The ruling Democratic Party of Japan suffered an embarrassing defeat in the July Upper House election less than a year after assuming power. Prime Minister Kan subsequently took a beating in the polls but managed to withstand a challenge from former DPJ Secretary General Ozawa in a party presidential election marked by heated debate over economic policy.

Asia's Response to Climate Change and Natural Disasters

jdunton — Fri, 16 Jul 2010 00:00:00 -0400

This new report by energy, regional, and humanitarian disaster specialists at CSIS examines the politics of climate change in Asia, the region’s response to natural disasters, and the implications for the future geometry of Asia’s institutions and U.S. policy in the region. The assessment looks broadly at two areas of nontraditional security cooperation in Asia: (1) climate change, including the domestic political factors in Asia and the regional strategies for securing low-carbon pathways; and (2) regional approaches to disaster management. The volume draws on case studies to assess the utility of existing and emerging institutions—the promises as well as the problems—as the United States and the region seek greater cooperation on both traditional and nontraditional security challenges. The authors discuss the problems related to lack of coordination at different levels, the uncertain role of the military, and continuing gaps in resources and expertise in key organizations.

Comparative Connections v.12 n.2 - US-Japan Relations

bMizuno — Thu, 15 Jul 2010 00:00:00 -0400

The relocation of Marine Corps Air Station Futenma on Okinawa remained the predominant issue in the relationship and the two governments issued a joint statement in late May largely reaffirming a commitment to realize a plan adopted in 2006. Prime Minister Hatoyama then resigned as polls revealed frustration with his handling of the Futenma issue and weak leadership overall.

Japan’s Upper House Election

mentman — Mon, 12 Jul 2010 00:00:00 -0400

Q1: What was at stake in this election?

Regime Change in Japan: Take Two

ian — Mon, 07 Jun 2010 00:00:00 -0400

I arrived in Tokyo on June 2, 2010—the day Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama announced his resignation. The next few days of discussions were among the most interesting I have had in Japan. But at the end of the trip, I was left with more questions than answers about the future of Japanese politics.

Three Big Questions

A 12-Step Recovery Plan for the U.S.-Japan Alliance

mentman — Wed, 12 May 2010 00:00:00 -0400

The U.S.-Japan alliance has seen periods of strategic drift and even crisis before. Usually, the security relationship emerges stronger as each side adjusts to new political realities at home and shared strategic challenges abroad. Will the alliance come out of the current crisis of confidence resulting from the impasse over Marine Corps Air Station Futenma? Probably.

Comparative Connections v.12 n.1 - US-Japan Relations

dfernandez — Wed, 14 Apr 2010 00:00:00 -0400

Prime Minister Hatoyama Yukio moved to implement his domestic policy agenda with an eye toward the Upper House elections this summer but watched his approval rating fall as he and members of his ruling Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) were beset by political fundraising scandals. The impasse over the relocation of Marine Air Station Futenma continued to dominate the bilateral agenda and al

What Does Postponement of Asia Trip Mean?

ian — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 00:00:00 -0400

‬‪The White House has postponed the President's trip to Indonesia for the third time. The original plan was for a visit in March of 2009, when the President was planning on delivering a major speech to the Islamic world from Jakarta (he gave it in Cairo instead). The trip was rescheduled for the Obama children's spring break in the second week of March this year,

Comparative Connections v.11 n.4 - U.S.-Japan Relations

dfernandez — Wed, 13 Jan 2010 00:00:00 -0500

In the last quarter of 2009, the US-Japan alliance entered one of the greatest periods of uncertainty in recent memory. Many of the populist policy proposals of the Democratic Party of Japan fell by the wayside as the party settled into power.

Analysis of Secretary of State Clinton’s Asia Architecture Speech

ian — Wed, 13 Jan 2010 00:00:00 -0500

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton delivered an important speech at the East-West Center in Hawaii on Tuesday explaining the United States’ enduring interests in the Asia-Pacific region and the intention of the Obama administration to play a leading role in constructing an open and inclusive regional architecture for the future.

TWQ: Japan's Confused Revolution - Winter 2010

asnyder — Fri, 01 Jan 2010 00:00:00 -0500

Japan has a fundamentally conservative political culture—it does not do bottom-up revolutions. Even the greatest internal regime change in Japanese modern history—the 1868 Meiji Restoration—represented the return of Imperial power after a struggle of one group of elites against another, rather than a popular rebellion from below.

Comparative Connections v.11 n.3 - U.S.-Japan Relations

dfernandez — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 00:00:00 -0400

Hatoyama Yukio led the Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) to a landslide victory in the Aug. 30 Lower House election and was elected prime minister after a spirited campaign for change both in the form and substance of policymaking.

Japan’s August 30 Election

ian — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 00:00:00 -0400

Q1: What is this election?

U.S.-Japan Ties under the DPJ: Reluctant Realism Redux

ian — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 00:00:00 -0400

If the Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) wins the August 30 elections, the party’s luxury of opposing everything will be gone. Hence, it is now scrambling to decide how it would actually govern.

Comparative Connections v.11 n.2 - U.S.-Japan Relations

dfernandez — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 00:00:00 -0400

Prime Minister Aso Taro put off the election with the hope that additional economic stimulus measures would increase support for his Liberal Democratic Party. But Aso received a real boost when Ozawa Ichiro resigned as opposition leader in May due to a funding scandal. That boost quickly evaporated when Ozawa was succeeded as head of the Democratic Party of Japan by Hatoyama Yukio.

Japan Chair Platform: Despite Political Uncertainty, Japan Can Still Show the Flag

sherry — Tue, 19 May 2009 00:00:00 -0400

Gloom and doom are spreading in Washington about the reliability of Japan as an alliance partner and global security player. The dual crises of political paralysis and economic stagnation could easily be perceived as a recipe for endless strategic drift in Japan.

Comparative Connections v.11 n.1 - U.S.-Japan Relations

Tue, 14 Apr 2009 00:00:00 -0400

A new calendar year did little to change the tenor of Japanese domestic politics as the public became increasingly frustrated with parliamentary gridlock and the leadership of Prime Minister Aso Taro, whose approval rating plummeted amid a deepening recession.

Pursuing a Comprehensive Vision for the U.S.-South Korea Alliance

Tue, 14 Apr 2009 00:00:00 -0400

The scope of common interests represented by the alliance between the United States and the Republic of Korea (ROK) has expanded as a result of increasing South Korean capabilities to contribute to security and prosperity on and beyond the Korean peninsula.

U.S.-Japan-Australia Strategic Dialogue

ehirano — Wed, 08 Apr 2009 00:00:00 -0400

To examine the leadership roles the United States, Japan and Australia can assume in defining the future contours of an open, inclusive and peaceful Asia-Pacific region, the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), with the support of the Japan Foundation Center for Global Partnership (CGP), organized a trilateral strategic dialogue in Honolulu, Hawaii.

PacNet #22 March 24, 2009: It's Not Just the Economy, Stupid

Tue, 24 Mar 2009 00:00:00 -0400

Facing the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression, analysts at the World Bank and the CIA are just beginning to contemplate the ramifications for international stability if there is not a recovery in the next year. For the most part, the focus has been on fragile states such as some in Eastern Europe.

PacNet #22 - It's Not Just the Economy, Stupid: Asia's Strategic Dangers from the Financial Crisis

dfernandez — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 00:00:00 -0400

U.S.-Japan-India Strategic Dialogue

Mon, 09 Mar 2009 00:00:00 -0400

Recognizing the growing importance of India in East Asia and the enormous potential for expanding cooperation on global challenges based on shared values and interests, CSIS, in collaboration with

Strategic Views on Asian Regionalism

Tue, 17 Feb 2009 00:00:00 -0500

Will Asia’s future see increasing economic interdependence and cooperation or growing power rivalry and confrontation?

PacNet #12 - Strategic Views on Asian Regionalism: Survey Results and Analysis

Tue, 17 Feb 2009 00:00:00 -0500

This is the executive summary of a newly released CSIS study of elite opinion in Asia. The full report can be downloaded from the CSIS website www.csis.org/japan/asianarchitecture. It also draws on Asia’s New Multilateralism: Competition, Cooperation and the Search for Community, edited by Michael Green and Bates Gill (New York: Columbia University Press, 2009).

Bridging Strategic Asia

Mon, 02 Feb 2009 00:00:00 -0500

The conclusion in October 2008 of the U.S.-India Civilian Nuclear Agreement and a formal security agreement between Japan and India have been touted as turning points in respective bilateral relati

Comparative Connections v.10 n.4 - U.S.-Japan Relations

Thu, 15 Jan 2009 00:00:00 -0500

The U.S. decision to rescind the designation of North Korea as a state sponsor of terrorism tested the bilateral relationship this quarter as the Bush administration was perceived in Japan as having softened its commitment to the abductee issue in favor of a breakthrough on denuclearization in the Six-Party Talks, which ultimately proved elusive.

The U.S.-Japan Alliance

Wed, 29 Oct 2008 00:00:00 -0400

This report offers a compelling vision and a concrete work plan for a new administration in the United States and—quite possibly—a new government in Japan as well.

Comparative Connections v.10 n.3 - U.S.-Japan Relations

Wed, 15 Oct 2008 00:00:00 -0400

The quarter began with President Bush and Prime Minister Fukuda meeting on the sidelines of the G8 summit in Hokkaido, but their bilateral agenda and Fukuda’s own premiership were eclipsed by dramatic political and economic developments in both countries. Fukuda resigned suddenly on Sept.

Comparative Connections v.10 n.2 - U.S.-Japan Relations

Tue, 15 Jul 2008 00:00:00 -0400

The debate in the Japanese Diet remained contentious this quarter as opposition parties challenged the Fukuda government on several legislative issues including the gasoline tax, a new health insurance program for the elderly, and host nation support for U.S. forces.

Comparative Connections v.10 n.1 - U.S.-Japan Relations

Tue, 15 Apr 2008 00:00:00 -0400

Japanese domestic politics was in turmoil this quarter due to a divided legislature. The deadlock centered on economic issues, much to the dismay of U.S. investors.