The FT has reported on a significant break-in to Pentagon systems in June, with a recent DoD investigation finding that the incursion most likely originated from China's People's Liberation Army. This follows recent reports of break-ins to German government systems.The Chinese defense ministry said nothing; the foreign ministry, meanwhile, said, "We have explicit laws and …
Author: Tobias S. Harris
Tobias Harris is Japan analyst at Teneo Intelligence. He is the author of a forthcoming biography of Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.
North Korea to be removed from terror list?
The BBC is reporting that North Korea has announced that in exchange for its accounting for all of its nuclear activities and disabling its nuclear facilities, the US will remove North Korea from the list of terror-supporting nations and lift related sanctions.Given that the story originated with the DPRK foreign ministry — and that no …
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Groundhog day
I've said it before and I'll say it again (and again): there is not an "agriculture expert" in the LDP who has clean hands.With the resignation of Endo Takehiko as minister of agriculture, forestry, and fisheries one week into Prime Minister Abe's "re-challenge" cabinet, we're once again given a look at the reality of LDP …
The US plays the game
With this week devoted to meetings running up to the weekend's APEC summit (I'm curious about what leaders will wear for the Australian "national costume" photo), there is lots of talk about the shape of US Asia policy as the Bush administration comes to a close.Kim Beazley, a former leader of Australia's Labor Party, writes …
The LDP, somewhere between a rock and a hard place
US officials — including the president — continue to voice their desire that Japan renew the anti-terror special measures law (the latest contributor is National Security Adviser Stephen Hadley), and the new Abe Cabinet continues to signal its willingness to compromise with the DPJ in getting the law passed.It's not entirely clear to me how …
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Bush talks sense on China
This week is the 2007 APEC summit in Sydney, and in advance of the week-long summitry, President Bush has been talking Asia — and saying the right things.In a round table discussion with foreign journalists (hat tip: The Swamp), Mr. Bush spoke of the "complex relationship" between the US and China, but also noted, "...I …
Abe’s new role
Mr. Abe commented about constitution revision in an answer at a press conference at the Kantei on Thursday."For these three years, my thinking is unchanged that we must, together with the people, have a wide and deep debate about the new constitution."This was reported in a minute article on pg. 4 of Yomiuri, together with …
Tantrums in Washington will have consequences in Tokyo
The ongoing tantrum being thrown by the US government and Japan experts in Washington's think tanks in response to the DPJ's decision to oppose the extension of the anti-terror special measures law continues unabated.Geoff Morrell, a Pentagon spokesman, voiced the Pentagon's strong desire that Japan continue to contribute to the multinational coalition working to rebuild …
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In Asia’s future, flexibility first
In the week since Prime Minister Abe called for an organization of democracies that would implicitly encircle China, his proposal has been met with deafening silence from the capitals of the countries that would be involved, illustrating just how out of touch with new realities the prime minister's foreign policy thinking is.As I've argued before, …
Who’s in charge here?
MTC asks an extremely pertinent question about which I have been wondering all week.While pleasantly surprised by the new cabinet, MTC wonders who exactly was responsible for picking the new lineup. Mr. Abe no doubt has many people whispering in his ear — perhaps he would think more clearly if that wasn't the case — …
Tobias S. Harris 