Oh, to be the "grand strategist" author of best-selling books — and to be the peddler of a strategic concept that purports to explain everything.Clearly, that's the ticket to being able to get away with writing blog posts like this one by Tom Barnett: "Japan will and must un-pacify." In a single thirty-word post, Dr. …
Tag: Sino-Japan relations
Asia’s shifting balance
The past week has brought a host of stories pointing to how the balance of power — both globally and in Asia — is shifting, suggesting that the assumptions made by each major regional power will have to change accordingly.First, Taiwan's place as the most likely cause of war between China and the US (with …
The China enigma
After an afternoon of walking around in slums located within blocks of Tiananmen Square — festooned with flags for the national holiday — I am ever more convinced that the only way to think about China in the early twenty-first century is by drawing upon the Jain parable of the blind men and the elephant.For …
Towards a trilateral mechanism
Robert Zoellick, former deputy secretary of state and architect of the Bush administration's "responsible stakeholder" approach to Sino-US relations, has an op-ed in the FT -- subscription required -- in which he calls for a new "Shanghai Communiqué."He wrote:Chinese leaders place value on determining the principles that should guide policy. That is sound logic. Yet …
The first day of a new Sino-Japanese relationship?
So after years of the Sino-Japanese leg being the weakest in the US-Japan-China strategic triangle, it seems that Premier Wen's visit will go a long way towards strengthening the Sino-Japanese relationship to a level similar to the Sino-American relationship.Similar to the US Military's links with the PLA, Japanese Defense Minister Kyuma announced before Wen's arrival …
Continue reading The first day of a new Sino-Japanese relationship?
Waiting for Wen
It seems that today is a China kind of day, as Chinese Premier Wen begins his three-day visit to Japan today.The much-quoted purpose of this trip is to "melt the ice" between Japan and China.Call me a skeptic, but I think I'm with the Carnegie Endowment's Minxin Pei, who wrote in an op-ed in the …
Asia’s shifting geometry
Last week, on the occasion of Hu Jintao's visit to Moscow, I wrote this post, suggesting that while China and Russia may appear to be moving ever closer together, there are good reasons to think that both Russia and China will be seeking greater flexibility in the Asia-Pacific region.Two recent articles develop this idea further.First, …
My little survey
Over the past several days, I have given my students essay topics -- explained here -- that have asked for their views on US-Japan and Japan-China relations. My prompts weren't explicitly political; they could address any and all aspects of these relationships, including culture, economics, cuisine, language, and politics.I'm not going to say that I …
Tobias S. Harris 