Program Related Publication Feeds

Issues & Insights Vol. 16 - No. 8 - The Japanese-European security relationship during the second Abe administration

Shelley@pacforum.org — Wed, 27 Apr 2016 00:00:00 -0400

During the second administration of Shinzo Abe, Japan has shifted away from its traditional postwar policies of limited international engagement and the maintenance of a strictly defensive military posture.

Issues & Insights Vol. 16, No. 7 - The Juche factor: North Korea’s political ideology and human rights reform

Jesslyn@pacforum.org — Tue, 19 Apr 2016 00:00:00 -0400

At the United Nations’ 25th session in February 2014, the commission of inquiry on human rights in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (“the Commission”) issued two reports that documented its findings on human rights abuses in North Korea and presented recommendations to address these atrocities.

Issues & Insights Vol. 16, No. 6 - US Missile Defense in the Age of Everything: From BMDS to IAMD

Shelley@pacforum.org — Mon, 11 Apr 2016 00:00:00 -0400

Over the last 15 years, the US ballistic missile defense system (US BMDS) has developed into a cornerstone of US alliance policies in the Asia-Pacific.

Issues & Insights Vol. 16, No. 5 - 16,000 problems: recommendations for the new Myanmar

Shelley@pacforum.org — Fri, 08 Apr 2016 00:00:00 -0400

In 2007, writing for Foreign Policy on “Asia’s Forgotten Crisis,” Michael Green and Derek Mitchell reflected on the misplaced hope in the mid-1990s that Myanmar was undergoing substantive reforms.

Issues & Insights Vol. 16, No. 4 - Implementing Strategic Trade Controls in Asia Pacific

Jesslyn@pacforum.org — Tue, 23 Feb 2016 00:00:00 -0500

The Pacific Forum CSIS, National Chengchi University’s Institute for International Relations, and the Prospect Foundation, with support from the US Department of State’s Export Control and Related Border Security (EXBS) Program and the Taiwan Ministry of Foreign Affairs, held an Asia-Pacific dialogue on strategic trade controls (STC) in Taipei, Taiwan on November 5-6, 2015.

Issues and Insights Vol. 16, No. 3 - The Future of Nonproliferation Cooperation with Myanmar after the 2015 General Election

Thu, 11 Feb 2016 00:00:00 -0500

The Pacific Forum CSIS, with support from the US Department of Energy’s National Nuclear Security Administration (DOE/NNSA) and the UK’s Foreign and Commonwealth Office’s Strategic Programme Fund (FCO/SPF), held the third US/UK-Myanmar Nonproliferation Dialogue in Yangon, Myanmar on Dec. 9-10, 2015.

Issues and Insights Vol. 16, No. 2 - Next Steps for Nuclear Security Governance in the Asia Pacific

Thu, 04 Feb 2016 00:00:00 -0500

The Pacific Forum CSIS, in partnership with the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies (RSIS) and with the support of the Carnegie Corporation of New York, held a Nuclear Energy Experts Group (NEEG) meeting in Singapore, Singapore on October 15-16, 2015. It brought together 34 specialists from 15 countries in the Asia-Pacific and beyond, all attending in their private capacities.

Issues and Insights Vol. 16, No. 1 - Development Cooperation with North Korea: Expanding the Debate Beyond the Political Horizon

Wed, 27 Jan 2016 00:00:00 -0500

Policy makers in the United States, South Korea, China and other countries continuously craft plans of action for a potential future scenario when North Korea becomes more open, either by collapse or through a gradual process. This paper seeks to spark a similar discussion but about development cooperation with North Korea.

Issues and Insights Vol. 15, No. 14 - The Abe Restoration

Thu, 17 Dec 2015 00:00:00 -0500

Executive Summary

Issues & Insights, Vol. 15, No. 13 - Struggling with the Gray Zone

Jesslyn@pacforum.org — Tue, 10 Nov 2015 00:00:00 -0500

The Pacific Forum CSIS, with the Asan Institute for Policy Studies and with support from the Project on Advanced Systems and Concepts for Countering WMD (PASCC) and the Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA), held a US-ROK-Japan Extended Deterrence Trilateral Dialogue on July 19-21, 2015.

Issues and Insights Vol. 15, No. 11 - Nonproliferation and Nuclear Security Cooperation in Northeast Asia

Jesslyn@pacforum.org — Mon, 09 Nov 2015 00:00:00 -0500

The Pacific Forum CSIS, with support from the US Department of Energy’s National Nuclear Security Administration (DOE/NNSA), held a quadrilateral US-ROK-Japan-China nonproliferation and nuclear security cooperation dialogue in Seoul, Republic of Korea on August 5-7, 2015.

Issues & Insights, Vol. 15, No. 12 - Implementing Strategic Trade Controls in Continental Southeast Asia

Jesslyn@pacforum.org — Mon, 09 Nov 2015 00:00:00 -0500

The Pacific Forum CSIS, with support from the US Department of State’s Export Control and Related Border Security Program and in collaboration with the Cambodian Institute for Cooperation and Peace, held a workshop on strategic trade controls in continental Southeast Asia in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, on Sept. 24-25, 2015.

Issues and Insights Vol. 15, No. 10 - Politicization of the Liancourt Rocks Dispute

Tue, 27 Oct 2015 00:00:00 -0400

Northeast Asia is the site of the 21st century’s greatest geopolitical challenges. Cold War legacies, including the unresolved Korean War and the ambiguous status of Taiwan, and the return of China as a great power will test the durability of the existing international order.

Issues and Insights Vol. 15, No. 9 - Maritime Fulcrum: A New U.S. Opportunity to Engage Indonesia

Tue, 06 Oct 2015 00:00:00 -0400

Following decades of U.S. under-engagement with Indonesia, President Joko Widodo’s Global Maritime Fulcrum Doctrine provides Washington with new opportunity to prioritize its strategic relationship with Jakarta. Markets and geopolitics of the 21st century will revolve around the maritime domain, and Indonesia is uniquely positioned to play a leading role in the Indo-Asia-Pacific Rim.

Issues and Insights Vol. 15, No. 8 - Making an Island in the South China Sea: Sansha and Chinese Foreign Policy

Jesslyn@pacforum.org — Tue, 15 Sep 2015 00:00:00 -0400

The South China Sea has moved to the center of debates about China‟s increasingly assertive foreign policy. Most policy analyses of the situation have focused on either the implications for international law or China‟s proposed military plans to create a South China Sea version of the “East China Sea Air Defense Identification Zone” (ADIZ).

Issues and Insights Vol. 15, No. 7 - US-China Strategic Nuclear Relations: Time to Move to Track-1 Dialogue

Tue, 01 Sep 2015 00:00:00 -0400

The China Foundation for International and Strategic Studies and the Pacific Forum CSIS, with support from the Naval Postgraduate School’s Project on Advanced Systems and Concepts for Combating Weapons of Mass Destruction (NPS-PASCC) and the Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA), held the 9th China-US Strategic Nuclear Dynamics Dialogue on Feb. 9-10, 2015.

Issues and Insights Vol. 15, No. 6 - Seeking and Forging Common Ground

Tue, 14 Apr 2015 00:00:00 -0400

Pacific Forum CSIS and the Korea Foundation co-hosted an ROK-US Security Seminar, with the Republic of Korea Consulate General in Honolulu as a co-organizer, on Nov. 7, 2014 in Honolulu.

Issues and Insights Vol. 15, No. 5 - A Legacy of Peace: The US-Japan Partnership after 70 years

Thu, 09 Apr 2015 00:00:00 -0400

The event that elicited the enclosed recommendations was made possible by the generous contribution of the Japan-US Friendship Commission. Its support for Pacific Forum CSIS and the Young Leaders Program allows us to continue to forge bonds across the Pacific and to bring more voices to these important discussions on Japan-US relations.

Issues & Insights Vol. 15 - No. 4 - Cooperation among BRICS: What Implications for Global Governance?

joni — Mon, 06 Apr 2015 00:00:00 -0400

The acronym BRICS, which stands for Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa, was first introduced in a Goldman Sachs paper in 2001 (the acronym then was BRICs since South Africa was not included), but hasn‟t institutionalized until eight years later when the first four countries met for the first time to identify areas of common interest and concern.

Issues and Insights Vol. 15, No. 3 - The US-Japan Alliance in Transformation

Fri, 06 Feb 2015 00:00:00 -0500

Executive Summary

This report explores ways to strengthen the US-Japan alliance, with a particular emphasis on the Special Action Committee on Okinawa (SACO) recommendation to relocate the USMC Futenma Airfield to a sea-based facility, also known as the FRF (Futenma Relocation Facility).

Issues and Insights Vol. 15, No. 2 - Institutionalizing Nonproliferation Cooperation with Myanmar

Fri, 30 Jan 2015 00:00:00 -0500

The Pacific Forum CSIS, in partnership with the Myanmar Institute of Strategic and International Studies (M-ISIS), and with support from the US Department of Energy’s National Nuclear Security Administration (DOE/NNSA) and the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office’s Strategic Programme Fund (FCO/SPF), held the 2nd Myanmar-US/UK Nonproliferation Dialogue in Yangon, Myanmar on December 4

Issues and Insights Vol. 15, No. 1 - Trilateral Cooperation in Northeast Asia: Expectations and Limitations

Tue, 20 Jan 2015 00:00:00 -0500

Korean version of report is now available here

Issues and Insights Vol. 14, No. 17 - Enhancing Nuclear Governance in the Asia Pacific

Wed, 17 Dec 2014 00:00:00 -0500

The Pacific Forum CSIS, in partnership with Chulalongkorn University’s Department of Nuclear Engineering, and with the support of the Carnegie Corporation of New York and the Nuclear Threat Initiative, held a Nuclear Energy Experts Group (NEEG) meeting in Bangkok, Thailand, on October 29-30, 2014.

Issues and Insights Vol. 14, No. 16 - Respond and Restrain: Deterrence and Reassurance in Northeast Asia

Thu, 04 Dec 2014 00:00:00 -0500

The US extended deterrent in Northeast Asia is strong. US alliances with Japan and South Korea are each arguably in the best shape in years, with alliance modernization efforts proceeding in tandem with domestic adjustments to security policy that strengthen the foundation for cooperative action.

Issues and Insights Vol. 14, No. 15 - Closing the Nonproliferation Gap

Mon, 10 Nov 2014 00:00:00 -0500

The Pacific Forum CSIS, in partnership with National Chengchi University’s Institute of International Relations, and with support from the US Department of State’s Export Control and Related Border Security (EXBS) program, held a workshop on strategic trade controls in Taipei, Taiwan, on September 2-3, 2014.

Issues and Insights Vol. 14, No. 14 - Changes in Japan Push the Alliance Forward

Wed, 01 Oct 2014 00:00:00 -0400

Japanese version of report available here

The Pacific Forum CSIS with support from the Project on Advanced Systems and Concepts for Countering WMD (PASCC) and the Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA), held a US-Japan Strategic Dialogue on July 25, 2014. Twenty-nine US and Japanese experts, officials, military officers, observers, and 10 Pacific Forum Young Leaders attended, all in their private capacities.

Issues and Insights Vol. 14 - No. 13 - Building Trust on the Korean Peninsula:

joni — Mon, 15 Sep 2014 00:00:00 -0400

Amidst increasing tensions on the Korean Peninsula following a series of North Korean military provocations and a third nuclear test, the Park Geun-hye administration entered office in 2013 on a political platform aimed at building trust with the South Korean public, between the two Koreas, and among regional neighbors.

Issues & Insights Vol. 14 - No. 12 - Substantial progress, but still further to go

Tue, 02 Sep 2014 00:00:00 -0400

Issues and Insights Vol. 14, No. 11 - Strengthening US-China Nonproliferation & Nuclear Security Cooperation in the Asia Pacific

Tue, 12 Aug 2014 00:00:00 -0400

Nonproliferation and nuclear security are vital areas for US-China cooperation.

Issues and Insights Vol. 14 - No. 10 - Japan-Korea: Working Together in East Asia and Beyond Japan

joni — Wed, 16 Jul 2014 00:00:00 -0400

Issues & Insights Vol. 14 - No. 8 - China and the Japan-US Alliance

joni — Wed, 25 Jun 2014 00:00:00 -0400

The following remarks were delivered at the Japan-US Security Seminar: Public Panel Session at CSIS in Washington, DC on March 21, 2014. China needs to be approached in a holistic, comprehensive way. When we look into its diplomacy, security, politics, and/or economics, we find that they are closely linked to each other.

Issues & Insights Vol. 14 - No. 9 - Paving the Way for a "New Type of Major Country Relations"

galmeida — Wed, 25 Jun 2014 00:00:00 -0400

The commitment made by US President Barack Obama and Chinese leader Xi Jinping at the June 2013 Sunnylands Summit in California to forge a “new type of major country relations” between the United States and China has set a highly positive tone for the bilateral relationship.

Issues & Insights Vol. 14 - No. 7 - Revisiting China's 'String of Pearls' Strategy

joni — Tue, 24 Jun 2014 00:00:00 -0400

Proposed in the early 2000s by US researchers in response to Chinese investment in ports along the Indian Ocean littoral, the ‘string of pearls’ theory argued that China may be planning to develop overseas naval bases in South Asia to support extended naval deployments.

Issues & Insights Vol. 14 - No. 6 - Forging Cooperation over Competition

joni — Thu, 19 Jun 2014 00:00:00 -0400

Prioritizing mutual trust and win-win cooperation was the topic of the 9th Council for Security Cooperation in the Asia Pacific (CSCAP) General Conference held in Beijing and the subject under consideration by attending CSIS Pacific Forum Young Leaders.

Issues & Insights Vol. 14 - No. 5 - Kim Jong-Un-Prepared: Allied Contingency Plans for Korean Peninsula Unification

joni — Tue, 03 Jun 2014 00:00:00 -0400

This Issues and Insights presents ideas on the three allies’ areas of cooperation in a North Korean contingency, from the question of political integration of the two Koreas and the establishment of governance and rule of law on the Korean Peninsula, as well as cooperation on humanitarian assistance and weapons of mass destruction (WMD) operations, determining the complexities and legal p

Issues & Insights Vol. 14 - No. 4 - Rare Earth Elements: A Critical Strategic Resource in Asia

joni — Tue, 13 May 2014 00:00:00 -0400

Rare Earth Elements (REE) are increasingly a critical strategic resource in Asia. These 17 elements are used in the production of most high-tech products from advanced military technology to mobile phones. China currently holds claim to over 90 percent of the world’s production.

Issues & Insights Vol. 14 - No. 3 - Myanmar and the Nonproliferation Regime: Sharing Perspectives

joni — Wed, 07 May 2014 00:00:00 -0400

The Pacific Forum CSIS, in partnership with the Myanmar Institute of Strategic and International Studies (MISIS), and with support from the US Department of Energy’s National Nuclear Security Administration (DOE/NNSA) and the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office’s Strategic Programme Fund (FCO/SPF), held the 1st Myanmar-US/UK Nonproliferation Dialogue in Yangon, Myanmar on Feb.

Issues & Insights Vol. 14 - No. 2 - Thinking the Unthinkable on the Korean Peninsula: Nuclear North Korea & Reunification

joni — Tue, 29 Apr 2014 00:00:00 -0400

Last year marked the 60th anniversary of the ROK-US alliance as well as the Korean War armistice. Next year will mark 70 years of Korean independence, but at the same time, national division. The division of the Korean Peninsula was the result of a reckless compromise between great powers based on short-term tactical expediency rather than long-term strategic vision.

Issues & Insights Vol. 14 - No. 1 - 8th China-US Dialogue on Strategic Nuclear Dynamics

galmeida — Thu, 17 Apr 2014 00:00:00 -0400

The China-US Dialogue on Strategic Nuclear Dynamics started as a joint effort in 2004 by the China Foundation for International Strategic Studies (CFISS) and the Center for Strategic and International Studies. It aims to facilitate exchange and deepen understanding on nuclear policy related issues. The RAND Corporation and Center for Defense Analysis also co-sponsored a few sessions.

Issues & Insights Vol. 13 - No. 16 - Institutionalizing Nuclear Governance in the Asia Pacific

galmeida — Mon, 09 Dec 2013 00:00:00 -0500

The Nuclear Energy Experts Group (NEEG) of the Council for Security Cooperation in the Asia Pacific (CSCAP) met at the Saigon Da Lat Hotel in Da Lat, Vietnam on November 11-12, 2013, under the auspices of the CSCAP Study Group on Countering the Proliferation of Weapons of Mass Destruction in the Asia Pacific (the WMD Study Group).

Issues & Insights Vol. 13 - No. 14 - Building Toward Trilateral Cooperation on Extended Deterrence in Northeast Asia

galmeida — Fri, 22 Nov 2013 00:00:00 -0500

The Pacific Forum CSIS, with the ASAN Institute for Policy Studies, and with support from the Project on Advanced Systems and Concepts for Countering WMD (PASCC) and the Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA), held a US-ROK-Japan Extended Deterrence Trilateral Dialogue on Sept. 2-3, 2013.

Issues & Insights Vol. 13 - No. 15 - Time for Fresh Air: Young Leaders' Responses to a World in Transition

Fri, 22 Nov 2013 00:00:00 -0500

Missing the good old days? When there were only two large powers having a global ideological war? Recent events in Egypt, Libya, and Syria, among others, make clear that it has become harder to predict the driving force of international politics and security.

Issues & Insights Vol. 13 - No. 13 - Regional Security Trends: Next Generation Perspectives on Cooperation

galmeida — Tue, 29 Oct 2013 00:00:00 -0400

On 2-3 June 2013, the Pacific Forum CSIS Young Leaders met in Manila, Philippines in conjunction with CSCAP.

Issues & Insights Vol. 13 - No. 12 - Workshop on Strategic Trade Controls

Thu, 03 Oct 2013 00:00:00 -0400

On Aug. 27-29, 2013, the Pacific Forum CSIS and National Chengchi University’s Institute of International Relations, with support from the US Department of State and National Chengchi University, held a workshop on strategic trade controls in Taipei, Taiwan. The group included approximately 50 participants and observers from 16 countries. All attended in their private capacity.

Issues & Insights Vol. 13 - No. 11 - New Governments, Renewed Purpose

Fri, 23 Aug 2013 00:00:00 -0400

The Japan Institute of International Affairs (JIIA) and the Pacific Forum CSIS were pleased and honored to again co-host the 19th annual Japan-US Security Seminar on March 15-16, 2013.

Issues & Insights Vol. 13 - No. 10 - ASEAN's Nuclear Landscape - Part 1

Wed, 31 Jul 2013 00:00:00 -0400

Although there is currently no operational nuclear power plant in the ten countries comprising the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), regional governments have begun investing seriously in such programs.

Issues & Insights Vol. 13 - No. 9 - Rowing Together: A Chinese Perspective

Fri, 19 Jul 2013 00:00:00 -0400

The most conspicuous phenomenon that characterizes Northeast Asia today is the entanglement of geo-politics and geo-economics, or, put another way, the interactions between security and economics. On the one hand, the region can by no means resist the dynamic forces of the twin trends of globalization and regionalization and detach itself from the rest of the world.

Issues & Insights Vol. 13 - No. 8 - Innovate or Enervate: The future of US-Japan alliance collaboration

Wed, 17 Jul 2013 00:00:00 -0400

Post-war Japan has made good international citizenry its raison d'être. Whether by design or concordance, it has aligned its interests (almost) seamlessly with those of the United States. It serves the US well to have an effective, well-resourced ally acting as a rules promoter, guardian of the global commons, and partner to likeminded and emerging democracies.

Issues & Insights Vol. 13 - No. 7 - Hanging Together: Improving Deterrence Through ROK-Japan Cooperation

Wed, 26 Jun 2013 00:00:00 -0400

On Feb. 4-10, 2013, in a period characterized by US difficulties to articulate exactly what the US rebalance to Asia means, rising concerns among Asian allies regarding the impact of US budget challenges on its defense commitments; recent domestic elections in the US, Japan, and the ROK; and worsening relations between Japan and the ROK, 15 Pacific Forum CSIS Young Leaders (YLs) joined senior experts in Maui for the US-Japan and US-ROK Strategic Dialogues sponsored by the US Defense Threat Reduction Agency.

Issues & Insights Vol. 13 - No. 6 - Progress Continues, but Disagreements Remain

Thu, 23 May 2013 00:00:00 -0400

The Pacific Forum CSIS, with the China Foundation for International and Strategic Studies, and with support from NPS PASCC and DTRA, held the 7th China-US Strategic Nuclear Dynamics Dialogue on Jan. 28-29, 2013. Some 80 Chinese and US experts, officials, military officers, and observers along with eight Pacific Forum Young Leaders attended, all in their private capacity.