In The News

The Great Wall of Sand

Jonathan Fenby May 20, 2016
The United States challenges China’s broad claims to the South China Sea and the buildup of small islands claimed by other nations. Each country dispatches military vessels to the area, and exchanges between crews could be cast as friendly or taunting. “The friendly conversation obscured a chilling fact: that these were crews of ships from two nations which, in some scenarios, are heading for an...

Japan Trains Others to Enforce Law in East, South China Seas

Yoichi Funabashi May 19, 2016
China has emphasized a bilateral approach on disputed claims in the East and South China Seas and fragmented the opposition. A united regional front could uphold the rules-based order and reduce the potential for conflict, argues journalist and author Yoichi Funabashi. “Mindful of its own tensions with Beijing in the East China Sea, and the importance of avoiding a split between Asia and the...

American Apathy: Voters’ Aversion to Foreign Entanglements Bodes Ill for Stability in Asia

Nayan Chanda May 18, 2016
During the US presidential primary season, voters have signaled a preference for candidates who will refrain from costly military interventions and instead focus on domestic policies to improve the employment outlook and lift stagnant wages. “The political churning during the primaries will do more than just force the next administration to reconsider established policies,” notes Nayan Chanda,...

Can Assad Keep Crossing the “Red Line”?

David Ignatius May 17, 2016
Major international powers have intervened in Syria’s civil war with the hopes of ending atrocities, extremism and a flow of refugees. But countries disagree about a role for Syria’s Bashar al-Assad. Unconfirmed reports allege that Syria did not eliminate all its stockpiles of chemical weapons, as agreed in 2013, and Assad’s troops have since used nerve gas against Islamic State fighters. “...

Of Two Minds on China

Terry Lautz May 12, 2016
A multitude of internal and external economic and social forces push and pull at China, and author Terry Lautz, a Moynihan Research Fellow at Syracuse University, compares China to a fictional animal with two heads and minds facing opposite ways. “One looks toward openness and reform – freedom of expression, unfettered access to the internet and an independent legal system,” Lautz explains. “The...

Philippines’ Next President: Implications for ASEAN

Mely Caballero-Anthony May 11, 2016
Voters in the Philippines fell in line with global trends of frustration over bureaucratic processes, by selecting a maverick leader who promises to shake up government, end corruption and bring rapid improvement. Rodrigo Duterte was elected president. “Standing on a platform of eradicating crime and corruption that have plagued the country, Duterte has shocked his countrymen’s sensibilities with...

The United States: Divided in More Ways Than One

Bruce Stokes May 5, 2016
The United States is polarized and so are members of its major political parties, especially on foreign policy. Results of a Pew Research Study released today suggest that isolationist tendencies are tempered by recognition for the practical need for international engagement. “Wariness of international engagement coexists with unilateralist assertiveness on some issues and a belief that the...