In The News

China and the US: To Hedge or Engage

David Shambaugh April 11, 2007
Despite extensive cooperation between China and the US, both countries remain suspicious of each other’s intent. The result has been, from the US side, a policy of hedging all the while engaging with China. This arms-length approach may not be good for either country’s interest or the interest of stability in Asia. David Shambaugh and Karl Inderfurth, China and South Asia analysts, respectively,...

Saudi Balancing Act

Karen Elliot House April 11, 2007
Saudi Arabia, which holds the world’s largest reserves of oil, must confront some complicated challenges: civil war in neighboring Iraq; resentment for a leading ally, the US; discontent among Saudi youth who cannot find jobs; widespread corruption; and rising religious extremism. King Abdullah, in his post for 18 months, is undertaking what are new steps for the kingdom, with “active and open...

Big Powers Jockey for Oil in Central Asia

Fred Weir April 9, 2007
The US, the European Union, India, China and Russia compete for influence in Central Asia – a place crucial because of its oil and natural gas reserves, with vital pipelines crisscrossing the region. Currently, Central Asian states largely rely on Russian infrastructure to deliver and sell their oil. Analysts in the West question reliability of Russian oil supplies because of the monopolistic...

Peaceful Resolution of the Iran-UK Crisis: Could It Be a Precedent?

Dilip Hiro April 9, 2007
The UK and Iran scored a mutual diplomatic victory, after negotiating the release of 15 British naval personnel from detention in Tehran. Although the precise details of the negotiations between Britain and Iran remain unclear, the peaceful conclusion to the crisis suggests that direct talks between disputing countries is the best way to resolve contentious issues. To avoid escalation, the Blair...

How Serious a Challenge?

Robert O. Freedman April 5, 2007
Russian President Vladimir Putin has long hoped to restore prestige for Russia at levels once enjoyed by the Soviet Union. But a weak economy, the Beslan school massacre and Ukraine’s “October Revolution” have weakened Russia’s stance, even among former Soviet republics. As a result, Putin has sought out a new arena for projecting power: the Middle East. America’s interminable conflicts in the...

Time for Détente With Iran

Ray Takeyh April 3, 2007
After decades of pursuing a policy of containment and preaching virulent anti-communism, Richard Nixon traveled to China in 1972, marking a new era of negotiation, compromise and cooperation that became known as “détente.” China, a rising East Asian power, assisted the US in exiting the unpopular Vietnam War, tackling more serious threats and bringing stability to the region; the US could gain...

The Trouble with Japanese Nationalism

Francis Fukuyama March 30, 2007
The US has supported the rearmament of Japan since the end of the Cold War, but Washington is becoming trapped in an increasingly difficult position behind the overt nationalism of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and his predecessor, Junichiro Koizumi. Throughout his five years in office, Koizumi sparked fierce antagonism in China and South Korea with annual visits to the Yasukuni Shrine, where some...