In The News

China-Japan: Cautious Steps Across the Divide

Wenran Jiang April 26, 2007
While the Japanese invasion of China more than 60 years ago continues to cloud relations between the two Asian powers, recent diplomatic interactions also signal a beginning of reconciliation. With the rise of a new prime minister in Japan, Shinzo Abe, the two sides saw an opportunity to reverse the animosity that his predecessor had engendered with annual visits to the Yasukuni Shrine, where...

Cures for the French Disease

Eric Chaney April 25, 2007
More than 80 percent of registered voters in France cast ballots – selecting “young candidates who pledged to change French political habits,” writes Eric Chaney, a former French finance ministry official for “The Wall Street Journal.” Conservative Nicolas Sarkozy and socialist Ségolène Royal will face off in the May run-off election, offering voters a clear choice between “giving more freedom to...

Agni-III Missile Test: Asia’s Latest Great Power Joins the Game

Gwynne Dyer April 24, 2007
Once a nation test fires a missile, all cities and countries within the weapon’s reach can’t help but take pause to mull all possible messages, intentions and relationships. India successfully tested a missile that could reach the Middle East or China’s major cities of Beijing and Shanghai, a capability that could insert more tension into Asian affairs. Journalist Gwynne Dyer speculates that...

A Nationalist United States of America

Terence Chong April 20, 2007
Nation states should have more power than ever before in history. But global problems, from climate change to poverty, challenge the abilities of nation-states. Groups that despise nation-state control take advantage of any vacuum. Leaders of the nation-state no longer have exclusive control of mass communication, and the internet has shifted more power to anyone who can capture mass attention....

Is France Cooling Toward Its Arab Friends?

Pascal Boniface April 18, 2007
During the Cold War, France emerged as a Western advocate for the interests of the Arab world. Although conventional wisdom ascribes this special relationship to economic and political calculations, foreign affairs specialist Pascal Boniface argues that France’s motivations are more complex. A number of strategic concerns have been at the root of the French-Arab alliance since 1967. Good...

Let Pragmatism Rule in Indonesia-Singapore Ties

Sabam Siagian April 17, 2007
Indonesia is emerging as an increasingly prominent country in international affairs, but its interests may be best met by stabilizing its relations with regional powers in Southeast Asia. In particular, as Sabam Siagian contends, Indonesia can benefit tremendously by forging strong ties with Singapore, widely recognized as a modern economic force. Although there seems to be a desire to establish...

In Washington: Gutsy New House Speaker

M.J. Rosenberg April 12, 2007
Floundering with its own Middle East policy, the Bush administration targets criticism on Nancy Pelosi, speaker of the House of Representatives and third highest ranking public official in the US, for her visit to Syria. Critics suggest that she interfered with presidential authority by meeting with Syrian President Bashar Assad. In Syria, Pelosi reiterated US support for negotiations with Israel...