Program Related Publication Feeds

PacNet #9 - Protecting Chinese Citizens Abroad: What next?

ellise — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -0500

The dramatic rise in overseas travel and expatriate work by Chinese was punctuated by the recent kidnappings of Chinese workers in Sudan and Egypt. "Overseas Chinese protection" (haiwai gongmin baohu) has been a critical priority since deadly attacks killed 14 Chinese workers in Afghanistan and Pakistan in 2004.

PacNet #8 - A Moment for Action for the Life Sciences

ellise — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -0500

An important research finding in the life sciences has galvanized and divided the international scientific and security communities.

PacNet #7A - US-India Relations: Pivot Problems

ellise — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0500

There is a conundrum at the heart of the Obama administration's "pivot" toward Asia, at least as it relates to India.

PacNet #7 - Return to Asia: It's Not (All) About China

ellise — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0500

"All right China, come out with your hands up; we've got you surrounded!" When one reads about the US "pivot" to Asia, it is almost always cast in terms of countering China's rise, as if it - and everything else that Washington does in Asia - is always all about China. Of course, Beijing thinks it's all about China . . .

PacNet #6A - All Roads to Myanmar

ellise — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0500

One after another, Western dignitaries are traveling to Myanmar. A standard interpretation of the change in attitude is that Myanmar is finally demonstrating the courage and means to break away from China. But was Myanmar in the Chinese "geopolitical grip" in the first place?

PacNet #6 - Myanmar's Reforms: The Challenges Ahead

ellise — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0500

The recent release of many high-profile political prisoners by the Myanmar government has been hailed as a firm step on the country's path toward democracy. While the effects of many reforms have not yet trickled down tangibly to the masses and remain largely confined to major cities and Bamar-majority areas, noticeable changes have undeniably occurred.

PacNet #5 - Congress and Obama's China Policy, More Bark than Bite

ellise — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0500

The 112th Congress will complete its term in 2012 marked by strong opposition to policies of President Barack Obama on government debt, budget cuts, health care, and other issues.

Responses to PacNet #1R – North Korea: What Not to Do

ellise — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0500

I defer to the experts who are debating the likely and/or desirable near-term direction of North Korea's transition from the second to the third generation of the glorious Kim family. Victor Cha calls the stability prediction "optimistic" but worries that it won't happen because someone will do something untoward.

PacNet #4 - South Korea's Policy Toward China After President Lee's Visit

ellise — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0500

Last week, President Lee Myung-bak visited China as a state guest and held a summit with President Hu Jintao. They addressed the Sino-South Korean strategic cooperative partnership and how to strengthen the relationship between their countries' foreign and defense ministries.

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.

PacNet #2 - The Time Has Come for Economic Reform in Myanmar

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

On the eve of a critically important IMF Article IV Consultation Mission to Myanmar, the basic question is: where's the beef on economic reform? After over a year of post-election policy debate, meaningful economic reform initiatives have been meager.

PacNet #1R - North Korea: What Not to Do

ellise — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0500

Victor’s analysis is intriguing but I would offer another perspective. Every veteran analyst of North Korea I’ve spoken to (including several inside the US and ROK governments) sees the transition as carefully planned and well executed, not "rushed" and "sudden." I am curious what he bases his assessment on.

PacNet #1 - North Korea: What Not to Do

ellise — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0500

The announcement of Kim Jong Un as Supreme Commander of the Korean People’s Army is one more step in the process of Pyongyang’s efforts to consolidate power as quickly as possible after the sudden death of Kim Jong Il. It is fairly certain that the proliferation of pronouncements and titles given to the young Kim are manifestations of a terribly rushed succession process.

PacNet #71 - 2011 PacNet Index

bMizuno — Sat, 31 Dec 2011 00:00:00 -0500

Season’s Greetings and Happy New Year from all of us at PACIFIC FORUM CSIS.

PacNet #71A - Issues & Insights Index

bMizuno — Sat, 31 Dec 2011 00:00:00 -0500

Season’s Greetings and Happy New Year from all of us at PACIFIC FORUM CSIS.

PacNet #70A - Dealing with North Korea’s New Leader: Getting it Right

bMizuno — Tue, 27 Dec 2011 00:00:00 -0500

The sudden death of North Korean leader Kim Jong-il has introduced an element of uncertainty into a diplomatic process that appeared to be close to bringing about the resumption of six-party denuclearization talks.

PacNet #70 - The Kim is Dead! Long Live the Kim?

bMizuno — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 00:00:00 -0500

Kim Jong-il is dead. This we pretty much know for sure. This, plus the revelation, which should have come as a surprise to no one, that the North Korean people are being called upon to “faithfully revere respectable comrade Kim Jong-un,” his third son and chosen “great successor.” Beyond this, we’re mostly guessing. Some guesses are pretty safe bets.

PacNet #69 - The Perils of a Monotone Asia

bMizuno — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 00:00:00 -0500

As 2011 draws to a close, the rise of Asia is becoming an old story. The new Asian narrative is what happens after Asia rises, and in particular, key strategic choices that consequential powers have to make over a spectrum of issues without historical parallel.

PacNet #67A - Loosening the US-China Straitjacket

bMizuno — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 00:00:00 -0500

Said the spider to the fly, ‘Will You Walk into My Parlour?’. In his recent PacNet on Australia’s positioning betwixt and between the US and China, Brad Glosserman steps into Hugh White’s sitting room and is duly impressed.

PacNet #68 - Why go to Myanmar?

bMizuno — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 00:00:00 -0500

Why should Hillary Clinton go to Myanmar? The short answer is to encourage the best chance at real political change in a country that effectively cloistered itself under harsh military rule for nearly five decades. Myanmar, or Burma, has been the virtual political ball and chain of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), which it joined in 1997.

PacNet #67 - The Australian Canary

bMizuno — Mon, 21 Nov 2011 00:00:00 -0500

“No, thanks.”

That, in summary, is the response of Hugh White to the recent announcement that the US would be sending marines on permanent rotation to Darwin, along with naval and air forces that would have increased access to facilities in northern Australia.

PacNet #66 - Taiwan’s 2012 Presidential Election and Cross-Strait Relations

bMizuno — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 00:00:00 -0500

Since Ma Ying-jeou assumed the presidency in Taiwan in May 2008, relations across the Taiwan Strait have improved dramatically. In the past three and a half years, 16 agreements have been signed on practical matters that have largely benefited the people on both sides of the strait. The presidential election in Taiwan is scheduled for Jan. 14, 2012, and the race is extremely tight.

PacNet #65 - Burma, Myanmar – Whatever We Call it, it’s Time to Move

bMizuno — Tue, 15 Nov 2011 00:00:00 -0500

Every now and then, the complex tumblers of a slot machine momentarily align, changing things forever. In the long deadlock we call ‘Burma’ (but which the ruling regime and most of the world calls ‘Myanmar’), the tumblers have aligned for the first time in decades.

PacNet #64 - The United States and the East Asia Summit: A New Beginning?

bMizuno — Mon, 14 Nov 2011 00:00:00 -0500

This week President Obama will join seventeen other Asian leaders in Bali for the Sixth East Asia Summit (EAS). With a tough economy at home and the decision of the Congressional “super-committee” on the federal budget only days away, this is hardly a good time for a US president to be out of the country.

PacNet #63 - Japan Needs the TPP

bMizuno — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 00:00:00 -0500

Prime Minister Noda Yoshihiko has chosen to confront his country’s powerful agricultural sector and the politicians that represent it and push for Japanese entrance into the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP). Given Japan’s broader economic interests, there is no question that Japan needs the TPP.

PacNet #62 - Russia's Role in EAS: Promoting Inter-regional Cooperation

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

The Asia-Pacific region has been identified as the world’s new center of gravity. The emerging new architecture revolving around Asian powers has given rise to questions about Russia’s role in the region, given that the Eurasian giant maintains a presence in the Far East.

PacNet #61 - China in the G20: a Balancer and a Responsible Contributor

bMizuno — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 00:00:00 -0400

The upcoming G20 Summit in Cannes will undoubtedly attract the world’s attention, as many look to see whether the G20 can play a positive role in the global economic recovery.

PacNet #60 - Don't Expect a Pyongyang Spring Sometime Soon

bMizuno — Fri, 28 Oct 2011 00:00:00 -0400

Walking the streets of Pyongyang after an absence of eight years it’s easy to be seduced by a superficial optimism that things have changed for the better. Apartment blocks and streets are lit at night. New shops and restaurants catering for local people are thriving.

PacNet #59 - Better Japan-China Ties Depend on Beijing

bMizuno — Thu, 20 Oct 2011 00:00:00 -0400

On Sept. 2 when newly elected Japanese Prime Minister Noda Yoshihiko, stated that Japanese-Chinese relations should become “win-win” relations, he expressed his strong intention to improve the countries’ bilateral ties. Since the ugly conflicts over the Senkaku Islands in September last year, Tokyo-Beijing relations have remained strained.

PacNet #56A - Responsibility to Protect: Tensions between Sovereignty and Security

bMizuno — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 00:00:00 -0400

THE multinational intervention in Libya has been justified on the grounds that the international community needed to respond to attacks on civilians by Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi’s security forces. The justification invoked the principle of the Responsibility to Protect (RtoP) established in 2006.

PacNet #58 - We’re all Taiwanese Now

bMizuno — Fri, 07 Oct 2011 00:00:00 -0400

TAIPEI: A series of meetings in Taiwan gave me the opportunity to assess the mood on the island – and it’s much as expected. Cross-strait relations are perhaps the best they’ve ever been, but there is mounting concern about the future, with both short- and long-term worries. Short-term questions are in large part the product of approaching elections on the island.

PacNet #57 - Social Media: Building Mutual Trust Between China and Japan

bMizuno — Thu, 06 Oct 2011 00:00:00 -0400

Social media offers a powerful platform for building mutual trust and understanding; used effectively, it could help change, for the better, Japan’s image among the Chinese.

PacNet #56 - Asia and the Responsibility to Protect: What Now?

bMizuno — Tue, 27 Sep 2011 00:00:00 -0400

Most Asian states have chosen to bypass the debate on the Responsibility to Protect (RtoP), claiming that any discussion of the concept could undermine established notions of national sovereignty. This debate, though, can no longer simply be brushed aside by regional actors.

PacNet #55 - Keeping Up Appearances?: Australia’s ‘dance’ with China and implications for the Alliance

bMizuno — Thu, 22 Sep 2011 00:00:00 -0400

Australians recently remembered Sept. 11, 2001 with solemnity, respect, and reflection. Responding to this day of infamy strengthened and reaffirmed the US-Australia alliance. This year not only marks a decade since 9/11 but it also marks the 60th anniversary of the alliance since the ANZUS Treaty (Australia, New Zealand, and United States) was signed in 1951.

PacNet #54 - It Takes Two to have "Win-Win" Relations

bMizuno — Tue, 20 Sep 2011 00:00:00 -0400

Japan wants “win-win relations” with Asia, declared newly elected Prime Minister Noda Yoshihiko on Aug. 30. While he is known for his conservative views, he has toned down his hawkishness toward China and tried to bury the hatchet. Now, it is up to Beijing to decide whether it wants to dig up discontents of the past.

PacNet #53 - Burma/Myanmar: The Triangulation of Strategic Interests

bMizuno — Thu, 15 Sep 2011 00:00:00 -0400

A decade ago, in February 2001, Georgetown University sponsored in Washington a conference “Burma/Myanmar: Nexus on the Bay of Bengal.” It was designed to encourage the new Bush administration to consider the strategic importance of that country as an element of US foreign policy.

PacNet #52 - Comparative Connections Summaries

bMizuno — Wed, 14 Sep 2011 00:00:00 -0400

Regional Overview: Rays of Hope?
US-Japan Relations: Kicking the Kan down the Road
US-China Relations: Friction and Cooperation Co-exist Uneasily
US-Korea Relations: A Return to Dialogue
US-Southeast Asia Relations: Deep in South China Sea Diplomacy

PacNet #49A - Response to "What Really Happened to the Hoyas in Beijing"

bMizuno — Mon, 12 Sep 2011 00:00:00 -0400

Victor Cha, my esteemed former Georgetown and government colleague, offers his eye-witness account of the recent Bayi Rockets-Hoya basketball fracas to correct "factual errors and misinterpretations" in the reporting. [PacNet 49, “What Really Happened to the Hoyas in Beijing,” August 31, 2011]

PacNet #51 - Taking Stock of Japan Six Months After 3/11

bMizuno — Thu, 08 Sep 2011 00:00:00 -0400

As Sept. 11 nears, the US prepares to remember the tenth anniversary of the terrorist attacks on New York and Washington DC. For Japan, the date marks six months since the devastating earthquake and tsunami hit. While Japan continues to grapple with a multitude of problems unleashed by the disasters, coverage of Japan’s daily struggles has all but disappeared from global media.

PacNet #50 - US Missile Defense and China: An Exchange

bMizuno — Tue, 06 Sep 2011 00:00:00 -0400

Missile defense has become an area of controversy in the US-China relationship.

PacNet #49 - What Really Happened to the Hoyas in Beijing

bMizuno — Wed, 31 Aug 2011 00:00:00 -0400

The Georgetown University Hoyas men’s basketball team’s trip to China gained international attention as video of the unfortunate fight between the Hoyas and the Bayi Rockets went viral around the world. There have since been a plethora of stories written about the incident, many with factual errors and misinterpretations.

PacNet #48 - 'Safe Choice' May Be the Wrong Choice

bMizuno — Tue, 30 Aug 2011 00:00:00 -0400

Former Finance Minister Noda Yoshihiko is the new prime minister of Japan. Noda is something of an anomaly: one of those self-deprecating politicians – he likens himself to a “loach,” a scavenger that is kin to the catfish – who commands respect for having a steady hand and even temperament.

PacNet #47 - Gloomy Outlook for Japan-China Relations after the DPJ Ballot

bMizuno — Fri, 26 Aug 2011 00:00:00 -0400

Japanese Prime Minister Kan Naoto has resigned. The ruling Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) will hold a presidential election Aug. 29 to replace him; the winner will become the next prime minister of Japan. The new prime minister will face many challenges; among his foreign policy priorities is getting the Japan-China relationship back on track.

PacNet #46 - Has Strategic Patience Run Its Course?

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

The well-choreographed pas de deux of ROK and DPRK nuclear negotiators in Bali and the visit of North Korea’s Senior Vice Foreign Minister Kim Kye Gwan to New York appear to have rekindled hopes for dialogue with North Korea and a resumption of Six-Party Talks. Pardon my skepticism, but haven’t we seen this movie before?

PacNet #45 - Biden Time in Mongolia

bMizuno — Mon, 22 Aug 2011 00:00:00 -0400

US Vice President Joe Biden’s stop in Mongolia is more than simply that. Though the pictures of the mini-nadam, replete with archery and wrestling, provide a cheery and exotic backdrop, the message conveyed by the visit is significant.

PacNet #44 - SDF's New Anti-Piracy Base Creates a Dilemma

bMizuno — Thu, 18 Aug 2011 00:00:00 -0400

Japan’s Self-Defense Forces (SDF) opened their first overseas air base since the end of World War II in Djibouti, in the Horn of Africa, on July 1. The base is intended to beef up Japan’s anti-piracy operations off the coast of Somalia and in the Gulf of Aden.

PacNet #43 - U.S.-Japan Joint Vision Statement

bMizuno — Wed, 17 Aug 2011 00:00:00 -0400

The following is a collaborative statement written by American and Japanese Pacific Forum Young Leaders who attended the 17th U.S.-Japan Security Seminar in San Francisco, in March 2011. An official Joint Vision statement is long overdue.

PacNet #42 - The KORUS FTA is a Strategic Imperative

bMizuno — Thu, 11 Aug 2011 00:00:00 -0400

For most of the summer, Congress has seemed dysfunctional and unable to make decisions as it debated ways to raise the debt ceiling and cut spending. The deadlock in Washington also stalled pending free trade agreements with Korea, Panama, and Colombia as Democrats and Republicans fight over how to handle the renewal of trade adjustment assistance.

PacNet #41 - Getting Foreign Policy Right

bMizuno — Thu, 04 Aug 2011 00:00:00 -0400

Political sentiment in the United States seems to be turning against the interventions and nation-building projects that have characterized US foreign policy in recent years. The revulsion at the cost and size of government, including the cost of expensive wars in the Middle East, has been amply demonstrated during the debt ceiling drama of recent weeks.

PacNet #40 - Burma/Myanmar: The Folly of Consistency

bMizuno — Mon, 01 Aug 2011 00:00:00 -0400

If US sanctions against the military government in Burma/Myanmar, the goal of which was regime change, have not worked for a decade and a half, by what logic would one suppose that additional sanctions would have a more positive effect?