March 9– The U.S.-Japan Alliance will continue as an important element of Asia Pacific stability due to a commitment on both sides to continue dialogue and find new solutions to pressing challenges. In a conference sponsored by the East-West Center in Washington, the Sasakawa Peace Foundation USA, and Hokkaido University’s Global COE Program, distinguished scholars from the United States and Japan discussed two key concerns for the U.S.-Japan Alliance: regional security and U.S. military bases in Okinawa. Read more...

March 2– For human rights efforts in Southeast Asia to continue to develop, support from regional leaders, civil society organizations, and international actors such as the United States will remain crucial. In an East-West Center in Washington Asia Pacific Democracy & Human Rights Seminar, Professor David Cohen, director of the University of California Berkeley War Crimes Studies Center and director of the Asian International Justice Initiative at the East-West Center; Mr. Henry Jardine, director of the Office of Regional and Security Policy Affairs in the Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs at the U.S. Department of State; Dr. Daniel B. O’Connor, MLGA Officer Responsible for East Asia and Asylum Issues in the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor at the U.S. Department of State; and Mr. James Wallar, Senior Vice President at Nathan Associates, Inc., discussed the many ways in which the United States is supporting human rights in Southeast Asia, focusing on U.S. projects with the members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and the development of civil society mechanisms in the region. Read more...

January 21– Integrating former insurgents into national militaries does not necessarily lead to the reduction of communal barriers between ethnic minorities and the majority population of a country. In an East-West Center in Washington Asia Pacific Security Seminar, Dr. Rosalie Arcala Hall, associate professor of political science at the University of the Philippines Visayas and Fulbright visiting scholar in the Department of Political Science at Loyola University, and discussant Mr. G. Eugene Martin, former executive director of the Philippine Facilitation Project at the U.S. Institute of Peace and former U.S. Foreign Service Office, discussed the integration of former insurgents into the militaries of the Philippines and East Timor, examining the role that such military integrations play in promoting peace and reducing ethnic boundaries among the population. Read more...

December 17– Though a U.S. policy review has led to new engagement between the United States and Burma, there are still many issues to tackle if relations between the two countries are to improve. In an East-West Center in Washington Asia Pacific Security Seminar co-hosted by the Sasakawa Peace Foundation USA, Dr. David I. Steinberg, distinguished professor of Asian Studies in the School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University, introduced his new book, Burma/Myanmar: What Everyone Needs to Know, and discussed the current state of U.S.-Burma relations and the prospects for the future. Read more...

December 16– Japan has become increasingly interested in trilateral cooperation in Asia due to disappointment in the progress of multilateral institutions in the region. In an East-West Center in Washington Asia Pacific Security Seminar, Dr. Kuniko Ashizawa, visiting fellow at the East-West Center in Washington, and Ambassador Rust Deming, adjunct professor at The Johns Hopkins University SAIS, discussed Japan’s participation in the Trilateral Security Dialogue (TSD) with Australia and the United States, explaining Japan’s motivations in pursuing trilateral cooperation in Asia and the prospects for the future of TSD. Read more...

November 9– The insurgency in Pakistan’s Northwest Frontier Province is not a new phenomenon but the most recent in a long history of resistance movements among the Pashtun people. In an East-West Center in Washington Asia Pacific Security Seminar, Mr. Mohammad Ayaz, visiting fellow at the East-West Center in Washington, and discussant Mr. Shuja Nawaz, director of the South Asia Center at The Atlantic Council, detailed the history of Pakistan’s Northwest Frontier Province (NWFP), discussing the evolution of resistance movements and fundamentalist activity in the region. Read more...

November 4– The Indian perception of the global non-proliferation regime is that it perpetuates a system of nuclear ‘haves’ and ‘have-nots,’ limiting the ability of ‘have-not’ countries to protect themselves from outside aggression. In an East-West Center in Washington Asia Pacific Security Seminar, Mr. Bharat Karnad, research professor in national security studies at the Center for Policy Research in New Delhi, discussed India’s perceptions of nuclear proliferation and the future of the global Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT). Read more...

November 4– Though there is still a long way to go before the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) can become a reality, the potential gains will be felt by the entire region. In an East-West Center in Washington Asia Pacific Political Economy seminar, Dr. Michael Plummer, professor of international economics at Johns Hopkins University’s SAIS-Bologna program and non-resident senior fellow at the East-West Center, discussed the findings of his recent report, Assessing the Economics of the ASEAN Economic Community, examining the liabilities and advantages to implementing the ASEAN Economic Community and describing the challenges that remain in realizing this goal. Read more...

October 29– The new Japanese administration will stress U.S.-Japan Alliance management issues and regional cooperation in its foreign policy priorities. In an East-West Center in Washington Asia Pacific Security Seminar co-sponsored by the Sasakawa Peace Foundation USA and Hokkaido University’s Global COE Program, Professor Akihiro Iwashita, director of the Slavic Research Center at Hokkaido University, and Professor Nobumasa Akiyama, associate professor at Hitotsubashi University and adjunct research fellow for the Center for the Promotion of Disarmament and Non-Proliferation at the Japan Institute of International Affairs (JIIA), discussed the policies of the Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) administration and the changing regional environment that will shape Japan’s foreign policies. Read more...

October 8– Asian nations do not passively adopt foreign concepts of regionalism but instead adapt them to serve the unique needs of the region. In an East-West Center in Washington Asia Pacific Security Seminar, Dr. Amitav Acharya, professor of international relations in the School of International Service at American University, introduced his new book Whose Ideas Matter? Agency and Power in Asian Regionalism in which he examines Asian regionalism from the viewpoint of Asian actors. Read more...

September 22– Despite the global economic downturn, the trade and financial relationship between the United States and China is still strong and opportunities are growing on both sides of the Pacific. In an East-West Center in Washington Asia Pacific Political Economy seminar, Mr. J. Nor Coquillard, chairman and president of Cargill Investments (China) Ltd.; Mr. Benjamin Kinnas, managing director, general manager, and Asia trade finance manager at Wachovia Bank (Shanghai); Mr. Charles McElwee, counsel at Squire, Sanders and Dempsey LLP (Shanghai Office); and Mr. Jeffrey Bernstein, founder and managing director at Emerge Logistics (Shanghai) Co., Ltd, discussed the U.S.-China economic relationship from a business perspective, highlighting the general business climate in China and the opportunities for the development of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and Greentech industries in China. Ms. Brenda L. Foster, president of the American Chamber of Commerce in Shanghai, and Mr. Jeremie Waterman, senior director, greater China, at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, hosted the seminar. Read more...

September 21– Though many have argued that the growing proliferation of bilateral free trade agreements (FTAs) in Asia is a force for regional integration, new research indicates that these FTAs may actually cause division in the region. In an East-West Center in Washington Asia Pacific Political Economy seminar, Dr. Mireya Solis, Associate Professor at American University, Dr. Barbara Stallings, William R. Rhodes Professor at Brown University, and Dr. Saori Katada, Associate Professor at the University of Southern California, released their new book Competitive Regionalism: FTA Diffusion in the Pacific Rim in which they discuss the rise of free trade agreements in Asia, analyze the reasons that governments become involved in such arrangements, and examine the impact of bilateral trade agreements on regionalism in the Asia Pacific. Mr. Jeffrey Schott, Senior Fellow at the Peterson Institute for International Economics hosted this seminar, while Dr. Ellen Frost of the Peterson Institute for International Economics and the National Defense University, and Dr. Antoni Estevadeordal of the Inter-American Development Bank served as discussants. Read more...

September 15– Earlier this year, the Australian Department of Defense released its newest Defense White Paper. This document, last released in 2000, illustrates the current Australian strategic plan and also projects the nation’s strategy for regional and national security up to the year 2030. In an East-West Center in Washington Asia Pacific Security Seminar, Dr. Rod Lyon, Program Director of the Strategy and International Program at Australian Strategic Policy Institute, shared his analysis of the white paper, illuminating the subtleties of the Australian perception of security in the Asia Pacific as well as the implications for future Australian interaction with its neighbors and allies. Read more...