Program Related Publication Feeds

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.

Japan Chair Platform: Time to Acknowledge the Realignment Impasse

sherry — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0500

Japanese foreign minister Koichiro Gemba and U.S. secretary of state Hillary Clinton recently reaffirmed their countries’ commitment to an agreement to build a Futenma Replacement Facility (FRF) in northern Okinawa and relocate over 8,000 Marines to Guam. Despite this high-level reaffirmation, the agreement is no longer workable.

Japan Chair Platform: Operation Tomodachi in Miyagi Prefecture: Success and Homework

ecurran — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 00:00:00 -0500

On March 11, 2011, at 2:46 p.m., a 9.0-magnitude earthquake struck off the east coast of Miyagi Prefecture and generated a tsunami that advanced more than three miles inland from the seashore.

Japan Chair Platform: Reflections on Health Reconstruction in Japan after 3-11

ecurran — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 00:00:00 -0500

On November 3, 2011, CSIS released a report, Partnership for Recovery and a Stronger Future: Standing with Japan after 3-11, summarizing the findings of a task force established to examine ways the United States can partner with Japan in the process of recovery from the tragedies of March 11, 2011 (http://csis.

Japan Chair Platform: Can Noda Survive?

ian — Tue, 22 Nov 2011 00:00:00 -0500

Two months have passed since Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda’s inauguration. Despite his initial obscurity among Japanese voters, Noda has skillfully built up popular support by emphasizing his humble stance and honest personality and has managed to launch his cabinet safely. However, the real test awaits him ahead.

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.

Japan Chair Platform: Funding Japan's Recovery: The Centrality of Recovery Bonds

sherry — Wed, 07 Sep 2011 00:00:00 -0400

Four months after the Tohoku region in Japan was struck by the triple disasters (earthquake, tsunami, and radiation leakage) of March 11, the Japanese government finally disclosed the overall reconstruction plan to the public on July 29. Total reconstruction costs were estimated at ¥23 trillion ($288 billion ) including ¥10 trillion ($125 billion) for issuing recovery bonds.

Japan's New Prime Minister

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

Q1: Who is Japan’s new prime minister?

U.S.-Japan-India Strategic Dialogue 2011

sherry — Thu, 25 Aug 2011 00:00:00 -0400

Recognizing the strategic potential for expanding cooperation on regional and global challenges and the shared values among the United States, Japan, and India, the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), in collaboration with Aspen Institute India, and the Japan Institute of International Affairs (JIIA) initiated the U.S.-Japan-India S

Japan Chair Platform: How Kan Will Step Down: Naoto Kan’s Resignation and New Developments in Japanese Politics

sherry — Mon, 25 Jul 2011 00:00:00 -0400

The vague resignation announcement of Prime Minister Naoto Kan on June 2—in which he signaled his intention to step down but offered no timeline—was unlikely a surprise for many in Japan and the United States.

Japan Chair Platform: Turning Disaster into Opportunity

sherry — Thu, 07 Jul 2011 00:00:00 -0400

Japan is struggling in the face of a tough and complex crisis involving an earthquake, tsunami, and nuclear plant accident.

Capacity and Resolve

jdunton — Tue, 28 Jun 2011 00:00:00 -0400

The last decade has seen the United States involved in two wars, an ongoing worldwide struggle against terrorism, and more recently a severe economic recession. This period has exposed two great structural challenges facing the United States. First, in a globalized world, vectors of prosperity quickly become vectors of insecurity. And second, the center of gravity in world affairs is shifting to Asia.

Japan Chair Platform: Questioning the Senators' Proposal on U.S. Force Realignment in Japan

sherry — Tue, 21 Jun 2011 00:00:00 -0400

Prime Minister Naoto Kan of Japan may have survived a recent no-confidence vote, but his long-term survival as premier remains tenuous. Focused on domestic politics and the country’s reconstruction efforts, it is increasingly likely that Kan will not visit the United States for a summit meeting scheduled for September.

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.

Global Forecast 2011

jdunton — Wed, 15 Jun 2011 00:00:00 -0400

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.

Japan Chair Platform: Response to Japan’s March 11 Disaster: When the Going Gets Tough

mentman — Fri, 25 Mar 2011 00:00:00 -0400

Though thankful for our safety, Japanese residents outside of the Tohoku region are unequivocally saddened by the endless stories of tragedy that have ensued since March 11.

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?

Japan Chair Platform: With a Left Like This, Who Needs the Right?

ian — Fri, 11 Feb 2011 00:00:00 -0500

Are Japan’s left-of-center parties bad for its national security and the U.S.-Japan alliance? Given their advocacy of various levels of pacifism, anticapitalism, and anti-Americanism, it is easy to believe these would translate into a fundamental shift in Japan’s security policies if given the chance to govern.

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: Kan's Way Forward on Futenma

sherry — Thu, 23 Dec 2010 00:00:00 -0500

The reelection of Governor Hirokazu Nakaima in the Okinawa gubernatorial election has intensified the myopic focus on the relocation of the U.S. Marine Corps Air Station Futenma as the measure by which to gauge the health of U.S.-Japan relations.

Japan Chair Platform: The Kan Government Is Stable

sherry — Wed, 10 Nov 2010 00:00:00 -0500

Japan will host the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit later this week. Japan has been represented by a different leader at this kind of international event every year since 2006.

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.

Japan Chair Platform: The Untapped Potential of Japanese Civil Society

ian — Mon, 08 Nov 2010 00:00:00 -0500

Civil society in Japan is far more vibrant than it was 20 years ago as Non-Profit Organizations (NPOs) and Non-Government Organizations (NGOs) have grown significantly in number and expanded their range of activities.

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.

Japan Chair Platform: Delhi and Tokyo Need to Get Serious

ian — Fri, 29 Oct 2010 00:00:00 -0400

Indian prime minister Manmohan Singh’s visit to Japan as part of his three-nation tour of East Asia this week is intended to underline India’s growing role in East Asia and acknowledge that Japan has a crucial role in the emerging security environment of the Asia-Pacific region.

Last Stop: Yokohama

mentman — Thu, 28 Oct 2010 00:00:00 -0400

President Barack Obama embarks on a trip to Asia next week with a message, previewed today in an address by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in Hawaii, about U.S. leadership in the Asia-Pacific region.

Japan Chair Platform: China's Pyrrhic Victory

sherry — Wed, 20 Oct 2010 00:00:00 -0400

The recent maritime row between Japan and China over the seizure of a Chinese fishing boat captain continues to cast a pall over bilateral relations. While Tokyo is facing domestic criticism for blinking in the face of Chinese pressure, Beijing is being criticized by Western and Japanese media as being aggressive in its efforts to expand its control of adjacent maritime areas.

U.S.-Japan-India Strategic Dialogue

sherry — Wed, 22 Sep 2010 00:00:00 -0400

Recognizing the strategic potential for expanding cooperation on regional and global challenges and the shared values among the United States, Japan and India, the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), the Confederation of Indian Industries (CII), and the Japan Institute of International Affairs (JIIA) initiated the U.S.-Japan-India Strategic Dialogue in June 2006.

Japan Chair Platform: Japan's Other Spending Problem

mentman — Wed, 04 Aug 2010 00:00:00 -0400

Since the collapse of the bubble economy in the early 1990s, a combination of declining revenue growth, fiscal stimulus, and growing budget commitments have made Japan the most indebted country of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD).

Japan Chair Platform: Yes, We Still Kan?

sherry — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 00:00:00 -0400

Prime Minister Naoto Kan did not enjoy a high approval rating long enough to win the upper house election held on July 11, as the ruling coalition lost its overall majority in the 242-seat chamber.

Will a Rudderless Japan Drift into Crisis?

ian — Fri, 23 Jul 2010 00:00:00 -0400

The upper house election in Japan on July 11 dealt a huge blow to the ruling Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ), leaving the country with a "twisted" parliament and no clear path forward. In contrast to the previous decades of nearly uninterrupted single-party rule, the new, messier political environment is a positive sign for Japanese democracy.

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.

Japan’s Upper House Election

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

Q1: What was at stake in this election?

Kan He Do It?

ian — Thu, 08 Jul 2010 00:00:00 -0400

Despite a recent decline, approval for Naoto Kan’s government and the Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) has increased substantially since Yukio Hatoyama resigned on June 2. This is good news for the DPJ given this Sunday’s House of Councillors 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

Political Turmoil in Japan

ian — Wed, 02 Jun 2010 00:00:00 -0400

Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama and Ichiro Ozawa, the secretary general of the ruling Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ), resigned today just nine months after ousting the once dominant Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) from power in a landslide election victory last summer.

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.

The Unheard Giant

mentman — Tue, 20 Apr 2010 00:00:00 -0400

Japan’s voice in the official development assistance (ODA) debates regarding aid effectiveness and quality is proportionally minute relative to the preponderant importance of Japan’s aid in terms of size, impact, and future consequences for developing countries.

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,

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.

U.S.-Japan-India Strategic Dialogue

ian — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 00:00:00 -0500

Afghanistan & Pakistan: Time for the Hatoyama Administration to Show Japan's Latent Power

ehirano — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0500

Leaders in both Washington and Tokyo confront a range of imperatives, from restoring economic growth to reforming the role of government in education, health care, and other sectors of society. But more than domestic renewal, matters of war and peace historically form the crucible in which leaders are judged.

Asian Regional Cooperation and Global Reform after the Financial Crisis

ehirano — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 00:00:00 -0400

The world economy is entering a period of instability unseen since the 1930s, with important consequences for
international peace and security. Banking crises increase in frequency with global capital flows, and such flows

Japan’s August 30 Election

ian — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 00:00:00 -0400

Q1: What is this election?

Japan Chair Platform: China: Japan’s Rising Power Conundrum

ian — Fri, 14 Aug 2009 00:00:00 -0400

China’s reemergence as the preeminent power in East Asia poses a seminal challenge to Japan. In navigating this challenge, Tokyo has pursued two complementary strategies: binding—enmeshing Beijing in international institutions—and hedging—consolidating alliance ties with the United States and developing new indigenous military capabilities.

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.

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.

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.