Previous Events at the East-West Center in Washington

May 7 Event: India's Maritime Security Challenges

India’s maritime security challenges cover the entire range from low intensity conflict and piracy, all the way to major-power strategic contests. Given its distinctive geography and the recent shift of global maritime focus from the Atlantic-Pacific combine to the Indo-Pacific continuum, the importance of the Indian Ocean Region in India’s national security calculus has greatly increased in the post-Cold War/post 9-11 era. As Ret. Commodore C. Uday Bhaskar explained in his seminar, there is a growing awareness at the national level that over the next two decades, India’s future aspirations and anxieties will be increasingly shaped by its ability to address the challenges and opportunities of the maritime domain Read more...

April 24 Event: Civil Society in China Through the Ages: What Impact Does the Past Have on Developments Today?

In accord with the slogan “small government-big society,” China’s government today seeks to downsize the role of the state sector in civil society. Professor Karla W. Simon explained that up until 5 years ago, it was difficult in China to set up a non-governmental organization due to the requirement of "Dual Management"- in essence requiring permission from a relevant government agency. Recently announced revisions will make it easier to establish certain types of NGOs ushering a period of transformation for China's civil society. However, this community would not be starting at square-one, but building off of a rich history civic engagement in China. Read more...

April 4 Event: Democracy in ASEAN: Foundation for Regional Security

The unstated assumption behind Indonesia's push for democracy in ASEAN in 2003 had been the belief that regional security would be better ensured when member states adhere to democratic developments. Indonesia, as the proponent of the idea, expected that democracy would serve as the foundation of regional security. Now, ten years after ASEAN agreed to include democracy in its regional cooperation agenda, it is time to reflect on the extent to which democracy has or has not served as the foundation of regional security in Southeast Asia. Read more...

March25 Event: Okinawa Reversion and the “Secret Pacts”: New Evidence from South Korean Archives

The U.S. returned Okinawa to Japan in 1972, after 27 years of occupation. Since Okinawa’s reversion, the existence of so-called “secret pacts” negotiated between Japan and the US concerning not only national security but also economic issues have been widely discussed. After the Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) was elected in 2009, the Japanese government began to investigate the “secret pacts,” focusing on four potential tacit agreements... Read more...

March 20 Event: Japan’s Disaster Diplomacy: Fostering Military to Military Cooperation in the Asia-Pacific Region

One Japanese strategy to contribute to a more stable and peaceful international order in the Asia Pacific is to utilize so-called disaster diplomacy to engage a wide range of actors in Southeast Asia. Alongside principal humanitarian objectives, disaster relief operations that utilize military assets have the potential to institutionalize a framework for military-to-military engagement in the Asia Pacific region, where there is little tradition of multilateral security cooperation. Read more...

March 11 Event: Rising Violence in Pakistan: A Complex Challenge

The story of violence and extremism in Pakistan is extremely complex, with many varying actors and motivations at play. Solutions are equally complicated and will not just involve combating militants in the frontier regions and Federally Administered Tribal Areas. In an evening program at the East-West Center in Washington, veteran members of Pakistan’s media provided unique insight and nuanced perspectives on the reports of increasing violence... Read more...

February 13 Event: Power Struggle and Diplomatic Crisis: Past, Present and Prospects of Sino-Japanese Relations over the Senkaku Conundrum

In 2012, the latent dispute over the Senkaku/Diaoyu Islands developed into a serious contaminant of Sino-Japan relations. Why did this “Senkaku Conundrum” breakout? Does there appear to be a correlation between both countries' leadership changes and the Senkaku issue? Dr. Yasuhiro Matsuda made an effort to offer some answers to this string of questions surrounding the pressing territorial issue in the East China Sea. Read more...

February 11 Event: Japan’s Standards Strategy in Electric Vehicles

The government of Japan, as well as governments and auto manufacturers in Europe and elsewhere are also promoting the electrification of transport. Yet while the cross-national harmonization of standards promotes the faster deployment of electric vehicle (EV) technologies and infrastructure, Japan is proposing the CHAdeMO standard, while US, European, and Chinese manufacturers are developing incompatible alternatives. "International standards have emerged as an important source of non-market competition in EVs" Dr. Llewelyn Hughes explained in his seminar at the East-West Center in Washington. Read more...

February 11 Event: US-Australia Security Roundtable

In this invitation-only and off-the-record roundtable, John Quinn, Australia’s Assistant Secretary for Strategic Issues and Intelligence Branch at the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, discussed his work on the Asian Century White Paper (which sets out the Australian Government's blueprint for engagement with Asia) and discussed with members of the Washington policy and security community topics relating to Austrlia’s views of the US reblanacing to Asia. Read more...