In The News

China's Rise Need Not Bring Conflict

Martin Wolf September 19, 2005
China's global influence is not yet equal to that of the United States, but it has the potential to far surpass America in this century. And, as Martin Wolf writes, it does not have to do so violently. While the cultural differences between these two great 21st century powers and the examples of their 20th century counterparts provide ample cause for pessimism, according to Wolf, three...

Koizumi Landslide: The China Factor

Yoichi Funabashi September 15, 2005
Japan's Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi won a huge mandate in last Sunday's elections, but for reasons that differ from many commentators' suggestions. By calling the elections following the rejection of his post-office privatization bill, Koizumi artfully framed the debate as between the pro-reform Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and his anti-reform opponents. But while domestic...

U.S. Probes Banks’ North Korea Ties

Glenn R. Simpson September 9, 2005
The US has launched a large-scale operation aimed at cracking down on the North Korean government’s criminal fundraising activities. The North Korean government is suspected of working with crime syndicates to counterfeit US currency and distribute mass quantities of fake cigarettes and methamphetamines. Observers believe this may be a major source of funding for North Korea’s nuclear weapons...

You Are Judged by the Company You Keep

Ralph A. Cossa September 6, 2005
Chinese officials perceived the postponement of President Hu Jintao's planned US visit as a diplomatic snub on the part of the Bush administration. According to Ralph A. Cossa, however, the fundamental issue may be China's relations with other countries. Hosting leaders including Zimbabwean dictator Robert Mugabe, Beijing has publicly supported many of the world's oppressive...

Sensiblement, le rapprochement russo-chinois se precise

Yu Bin September 6, 2005

Russia and China Together Again, Gingerly

Yu Bin September 6, 2005
Beginning August 18, China and Russia embarked on an unprecedented military collaboration: an eight-day joint war game, named "Peace Mission 2005." Though officials of the two countries claimed the drills were for "anti-terrorist" goals, writes scholar Yu Bin, the exercises were "certainly oversized and of overkill capacity for any anti-terrorist operation."...

Democracy in Burma: Does Anybody Really Care?

Amitav Acharya September 1, 2005
Upon its 1967 founding, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) stated its collective goals, wherein members, "through joint efforts and sacrifices, secure for their peoples and for posterity the blessings of peace, freedom, and prosperity." Unfortunately, in Burma – one of the 10 member states – the ruling junta has provided none of the aforementioned "blessings"...