Comparative Connections - Related Publication

Comparative Connections v.11 n.4 - India-U.S. and India-East Asia Relations

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

India-US and India-East Asia relations saw no dramatic developments in 2009. Washington and New Delhi, both with new governments, spent much of the year adjusting to each other.

Comparative Connections v.11 n.4 - China-Russia Relations

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

The last month of 2009 was significant for petro-politics on the Eurasian continent. In mid-December, the 1,800 km Turkmenistan-Uzbekistan-Kazakhstan-China natural gas pipeline went into operation. It connects with the 4,500 km West-East trunk line inside China and has an annual capacity of 40 billion cubic meters.

Comparative Connections v.11 n.4 - Japan-Korea Relations

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

Relations between Japan and the two Koreas were relatively uneventful in the final quarter of 2009. The new Hatoyama government quickly began to show more attention to its relations with its East Asian neighbors and hinted at a small change in priorities with respect to North Korea.

Comparative Connections v.11 n.4 - Japan-Korea Relations

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

Comparative Connections v.11 n.4 - Japan-China Relations

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

A flurry of high-level political and diplomatic contacts marked the quarter. The engagement culminated in the December visit of DPJ Secretary General Ozawa Ichiro to China and his meeting with President Hu Jintao followed by the visit of Vice President Xi Jinping to Japan and his audience with Emperor Akihito.

Comparative Connections v.11 n.4 - China-Korea Relations

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

The last quarter of 2009 raised hopes for developments in China’s relations with both Koreas. Chinese Vice President Xi Jinping received head-of-state treatment during his visit to South Korea where he presented proposals to further the China-ROK strategic cooperative partnership, including pressing for a free trade agreement.

Comparative Connections v.11 n.4 - North Korea-South Korea Relations

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

During the quarter relations between the two Koreas maintained the slight improvement seen since late August. This easing is a relief compared to the first year and a half of Lee Myung-bak’s presidency, during which North-South ties went from bad to worse.

Comparative Connections v.11 n.4 - China-Taiwan Relations

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

Taipei and Beijing resumed progress on economic issues by completing the Memorandums of Understanding (MOUs) on cooperation in regulating the financial sector and signing three technical agreements at the fourth round of SEF-ARATS talks. Informal talks concerning an Economic Cooperation Framework Agreement (ECFA) continued but no date for starting formal negotiation has been announced.

Comparative Connections v.11 n.4 - China-Southeast Asia Relations

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

The last quarter of 2009 featured high-level Chinese leadership diplomacy with individual Southeast Asian countries, ASEAN, and Asian regional multilateral groups.

Comparative Connections v.11 n.4 - U.S.-Southeast Asia Relations

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

High-level US efforts to convince Burma’s military government to open its political system to the democratic opposition and release political prisoners prior to scheduled 2010 elections accelerated this quarter.