March – April 2024

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National Commentaries

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April 26, 2017 National Commentaries
Japan-Russia-US Triangle

With the advent of the Trump administration, would not, first, Russo-US relations improve, allowing Japan to make progress in negotiations on the Northern Territories with Russia? Until early […]

Omae Hitoshi*

1956 Japan-Soviet Union Joint Declaration, Crimea, Economic sanctions, Japan-US Security Treaty, joint economic activity, Northern Territories, Peace Treaty, Syria
February 2, 2017 National Commentaries
A Japanese Perspective

On February 11, 2017, after having played golf with Prime Minister Abe Shinzo, President Donald Trump tweeted; "Having a great time hosting Prime Minister Abe in the United […]

Hosoya Yuichi*

Abe Shinzo, cost sharing, Diaoyu islands, liberal internationalism, NATO, Obama, pivot to Asia, rebalance, Senkaku Islands, Territorial Disputes, Trump, US-Japan alliance
February 2, 2017 National Commentaries
A Chinese Perspective

Since Donald Trump took office last month, people everywhere have been concerned that US foreign policy could experience far-reaching change; the regional strategic situation in the Asia Pacific […]

Guan Guihai

Abe Shinzo, AIIB, Arms trade, ASEAN, Diaoyu islands, East Asia Summit, East China Sea, freedom of navigation, GSOMIA, military buildup, Obama, One Belt One Road, pivot to Asia, protectionism, RCEP, rebalance to Asia, Scarborough Shoal, Senkaku Islands, South China Sea, Taiwan, THAAD, TPP, trade liberalization, trade wars, Trump, Tsai Ing-wen, US alliances, Xi Jinping
February 2, 2017 National Commentaries
A US Perspective

At the end of the first month of his presidency, how should we anticipate Trump’s post “pivot to Asia” policy toward East Asia? What matters: his personnel picks, […]

Gilbert Rozman

Abe Shinzo, ASEAN, Australia, Denuclearization, East China Sea, freedom of navigation operations, GSOMIA, India, Kim Jong-nam, military buildup, missile defense, missile tests, Obama, pivot to Asia, rebalance, sanctions, Six-Party Talks, South China Sea, Taiwan, THAAD, TPP, trilateralism, Trump, Tsai Ing-wen, US alliances, Xi Jinping
December 12, 2016 National Commentaries
A View from Vietnam

President Duterte sparked a media frenzy on his recent visit to China when he declared that the Philippines would "separate" from the United States and align itself with […]

Vu Truong-Minh*

accommodation, ASEAN, Balance of power, Duterte, France, freedom of navigation, hedging, Hollande, India, Modi, Philippines, rise of China, security partnership, South China Sea, Territorial Disputes, Vietnam
December 12, 2016 National Commentaries
A View from Australia

The year 2016 marked the seventieth anniversary of formal diplomatic relations between Australia and the Philippines. It also heralded the election of Rodrigo Duterte as the Philippines’ 16th […]

Darren J. Lim

Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, Australia, Australia-Philippines Comprehensive Partnership, Davao hostage crisis, Duterte, East China Sea, mutual defense treaty, One Belt One Road, Philippines, rise of China, South China Sea, Territorial Disputes, Trump administration, war on drugs
December 12, 2016 National Commentaries
A View from Malaysia

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte and Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak made high-profile visits to China from October 18-21 and from October 31 to November 5, 2016, respectively. It […]

Kuik Cheng-Chwee*

1MDB, Aman Youyi, ASEAN, CARAT, Comprehensive strategic partnership, corruption, Duterte, enhanced defense cooperation agreement, Infrastructure, Najib Razak, One Belt One Road, Pacific Partnership, Philippines, RCEP, South China Sea, TPP, Trump administration, Tsai Ing-wen, war on drugs
October 6, 2016 National Commentaries
Seoul’s THAAD decision and its implications for China-ROK relations

On the heels of China’s approval of tougher sanctions on North Korea—following Pyongyang’s fourth nuclear test—there was, for a moment, a sense that China’s policy on Korea was […]

Eun A Jo

Ballistic Missiles, China-South Korea relations, Nuclear Test, sanctions, Six-Party Talks, SLBM, THAAD, US-South Korean relations
October 6, 2016 National Commentaries
ASEAN’s Divided Approach to China’s Rise

In a speech marking the 25th anniversary of the establishment of ASEAN-China dialogue relations earlier this month, Chinese premier Li Keqiang offered an unsurprisingly positive view of the […]

Prashanth Parameswaran

1Malaysia Development Berhad, ASEAN-China relations, Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, One Belt One Road, South China Sea
October 6, 2016 National Commentaries
Can Australia Say “No”?

Growing trade and investment between their highly complementary economies ensures that Australia and China have a common interest in maintaining healthy bilateral relations. To be sure, Canberra and […]

John Fitzgerald

China-Australia relations, Foreign donations, Foreign Investment, Political Institutions, South China Sea