Asia

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton kept her promise and showed up at the first ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) Ministerial Meeting to take place on her watch and, also as promised, signed ASEAN’s Treaty of Amity and Cooperation (TAC) on behalf of the United States.

Images of Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao’s warm embrace of North Korean leader Kim Jong-il during this week’s visit to Pyongyang to celebrate the 60th anniversary of PRC-DPRK diplomatic relations may have surprised observers of the North Korea nuclear issue. After all, the conventional wisdom in U.S.

Observers of cross-strait relations between Taiwan and mainland China are getting past their skepticism that a breakthrough in the pair’s economic relationship is afoot, and starting to examine the significance for the two and – directly and indirectly – for the United States. This is tricky analysis for a couple of reasons.

In 1949, Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru donated an Indian elephant named Indira to the Ueno Zoo in Tokyo. He hoped that Indira would bring joy into the lives of Japanese children, still suffering from the aftermath of World War II. That gesture is typical of the exchanges between these two Asian nations.

As the nuclear renaissance comes to Southeast Asia, the countries of the region face an important turning point. Decisions taken today will help determine whether nuclear energy will play a positive role in their economic development or whether a shadow of nuclear danger will accompany the benefits of this energy source.

Supporters of the U.S.-ROK alliance celebrated the June 16, 2009 summit between Presidents Barack Obama and Lee Myung Bak as a pointed affirmation of the two countries’ strengthened ties and a continuing commitment to their bilateral security alliance.

The ninth dialogue on Sino-U.S. relations and regional security was held at Fudan University’s Center for American Studies in Shanghai on May 8-9, 2009.

Bankers and economists in Beijing are saying that the Washington Consensus is dead. U.S. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner awoke to this during his recent China trip.