Council on Foreign Relations

The Asia and the World roundtable series examines the global implications of the rise of Asian power. For a thousand years, Asia was the engine of the global economy, a locus of science and innovation, a center of ideas and intellectual ferment, and the nexus of global power. After a long hiatus, Asia's major powers have now reemerged on the global stage, but their interaction with one another, and with the United States, on important issues and challenges is unsettled and evolving. Speakers and participants analyze the reemergence of China and India as global players, the changing role of Japan on the international stage, and efforts to reshape the international architecture to accommodate the rise of China and India, in particular. Sessions also consider the ways in which greater involvement in the world, not just their immediate neighborhood, is changing the strategic, economic, and political calculations of major countries in East, Central, and South Asia. Meetings look at the tensions, opportunities, and constraints that will determine whether and how the United States can forge partnerships with major Asian powers on issues of global scope. Other sessions may examine timely issues that arise in Central Asia, such as connections to the international oil and gas market, international institutions, and the global economy.

This symposium was cosponsored by Council on Foreign Relations and the Asahi-Shimbun.

Widely acclaimed as the most respected and credible source of news in Japan and the Asia-Pacific region, the Asahi Shimbun is one of Japan's oldest and largest national newspapers, with a daily circulation of over eight million. Based in Tokyo, its overseas network includes five general bureaus covering America from Washington DC, Europe from London, the Middle East from Cairo, Asia from Bangkok, and China from Beijing, with an additional bureau newly opened in Havana, Cuba, in 2007. It has a presence in about 30 locations worldwide with 53 correspondents. The company also broadcasts nationwide in Japan via TV Asahi and has a news website, Asahi.com.

This event has also been made possible by the generosity of the following corporate sponsors of CFR's Japan program: Canon USA, Mitsui & Company, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries America, Mitsubishi International Corporation, Sony Corporation of America, and Toyota Motor North America.

Symposium Summary Report (PDF, 148K)

The U.S.-Asia Update Roundtable Series is an ongoing series that provides a forum for the discussion of the major issues that shape Chinese domestic policies and that have an impact on the U.S. relationship with China and the rest of the region. The Roundtable cosponsors events with the Council’s General Meetings and Corporate programs. Recent sessions have included speakers such as Michael Green, Special Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs; Major General Karl Eikenberry; and Randall Schriver, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs. Approximately six sessions are held each program year.

This series is made possible through generous support from the Starr Foundation.

The South Asia Roundtable Series examines the major issues facing South Asia today. On Afghanistan, speakers and participants analyze stability, reconstruction, and counterinsurgency efforts. For sessions on Pakistan, they consider many aspects of the nature of the U.S.-Pakistan partnership, ranging from counterterrorism cooperation to issues of governance. Meetings on India look at the U.S.-India relationship and the tensions, limits, and opportunities that will define the American relationship with India moving forward. Other sessions may also examine timely issues that arise in Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, or Nepal.

This series assesses innovation and technological entrepreneurship in Asia, evaluates the impact of emerging technological capabilities on American economic, political, and military power, and recommends policies designed to ensure continued U.S. technological superiority.

This project will lead to a book explorning how China is moving to reshape the political, economic, and security landscape of Asia and what steps the United States must take to ensure that its interests continue to be addressed in this changing environment.

This ongoing roundtable series examines the many meanings of the "rule of law" and the role of law and legal culture in the economic growth, institution building, and protection of human rights in Asian countries. Participants discuss the relevance of the rule of law to U.S. foreign policy and what measures the public and private sectors in this country might adopt to foster desired developments. Sessions of this series focus on the extent to which China adheres to a broad range of international agreements. The roundtable seeks an overview of the situation, building on what is known about PRC treaty behavior in political, military, diplomatic, commercial and cultural areas. The roundtable also invites government, NGO, and academic experts to analyze the record in each field. The goal is to formulate not only more reliable generalizations about PRC treaty conduct but also better recommendations useful to U.S. negotiators as well as to the Congress, the media and the public.

Jerome A. Cohen says, "China can boost its 'soft power' with some Confucian-style compassion towards jailed dissidents."

Sheila A. Smith says that Japan must go beyond its commitment to reduce its own nuclear weapons and play a more active global role in persuading others to abandon their use.

Jerome A. Cohen and Yu-Jie Chen argue that the Rio Tinto case in China put the spotlight on China's domestic legal system while also raising doubts about its international legal commitments.

Jerome A. Cohen and Yu-Jie Chen argue, "The Rio Tinto case shows how China steamrollers its international legal commitments."

Joshua Kurlantzick reviews Tearing Apart the Land, by Duncan McCargo.

Scott A. Snyder examines South Korea's desire to increase its role in the international community.

Jerome A. Cohen and Beth Schwanke say that Beijing should provide concrete information about the health and whereabouts of China's leading human rights lawyer.

Jerome A. Cohen discusses the repercussions of the sudden resignation of Taiwan's minister of justice.

Joshua Kurlantzick says, "A global decline in political freedom is partly the fault of the middle class."

Jerome A. Cohen argues, "The [Chinese] mainland will only establish genuine rule of law by limiting political and personal interference."

Joshua Kurlantzick says the West now ignores human rights.

The impact of the standoff between Google and China, argue Adam Segal and Robert K. Knake, may have less to do with censorship and more to do with the nature of technological development.

Jerome A. Cohen argues that as China rises, foreigners need to keep protesting against cases of injustice on the mainland.

Kim Barker discusses a reality show in Afghanistan.

Joshua Kurlantzik argues, "the age of global human-rights advocacy has collapsed."

Joshua Kurlantzick argues that America will not be giving way to Asia as the global hegemon anytime soon.

Joshua Kurlantick draws lessons for Haiti from the tsunami in Indonesia.

Jerome A. Cohen and Oliver Zhong discuss how during a recent murder trial in China, public sentiment played a role in the judicial process.

Adam Segal argues that while, "China's cyberaggression doesn't mean that the United States should stop all attempts at engagement," the goal of an open and transparent Web may not be realistic.

Scott A. Snyder discusses the transition to North Korea's next generation of leadership.

Scott A. Snyder says President Obama's speech in Oslo reveals the president's views regarding North Korea-related issues.

In Comparative Connections, Scott A. Snyder and See-Won Byun detail how China takes two different approaches to North and South Korea.

Joshua Kurlantzick discusses rising nationalist sentiment among Asian nations.

Scott A. Snyder and Brad Glosserman state, "With President Barack Obama making his first trip to China, it is vital that the two countries have a clear understanding of what they expect from each other."

"As U.S. president Barack Obama makes his way through Asia he will find a dynamic region in ferment," writes Evan Feigenbaum. And, as the region continues to grow, the United States needs to assert itself through trade agreements or risk becoming marginalized in a region that will constitute about half the global economy.

In Comparative Connections, Scott A. Snyder and See-won Byun review recent developments toward North Korea's denuclearization.

Scott A. Snyder discusses Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao's visit to Pyongyang on the sixtieth anniversary of Sino-DPRK ties.

Joshua Kurlantzick comments that the recent reelection of President Yudhoyono was "only the capstone of a triumphant decade for Indonesia."

Scott A. Snyder advocates the need for more effective regional coordination on contingency planning for North Korean instability.

Sheila A. Smith argues that Japan's foreign policy stance under the new Democratic Party of Japan leadership now tops the list of concerns in the United States and elsewhere.

Sheila A. Smith says that arguments portraying the new, leading Democratic Party of Japan as inexperienced are overstatements.

Jerome A. Cohen comments, "In China, bail is not an individual right designed to minimize restraints on freedom but an alternative pre-trial coercive measure."

Jerome A. Cohen states, "Imposing artificial 'stability' at the expense of justice can no longer work for a changing China."

Joshua Kurlantzick comments on war crimes prosecutions in Cambodia.

Jerome A Cohen and Jeremy Daum comment on China's efforts to reform its "state secrets" laws.

Joshua Kurlantzick reviews two recent works on Cambodia.

Scott A. Snyder says, "Bill Clinton's visit might turn out to be the equivalent of hitting the 'reset' button in U.S. relations with North Korea."

Jerome A. Cohen and Yu-Jie Chen argue that leading Taiwan's KMT party is an opportunity for President Ma Ying-jeou.

Daniel Markey argues, "U.S. policies in Afghanistan will be determined by trends on the ground... more than by any grand strategic, ideological, or historically informed arguments."

Scott A. Snyder discusses the retrenchment of North Korea's domestic policy.

Jerome A. Cohen argues, "Two cases involving 'state secrets' highlight the huge gap between legal procedures in China and the US."

Joshua Kurlantzick reviews Nicholas Schmidle's To Live or To Perish Forever: Two Tumultuous Years in Pakistan.

Jerome A. Cohen argues, "mainland rights lawyers are risking careers, liberty, and even their lives by taking 'sensitive' cases."

Scott A. Snyder argues, "North Korea never gave the President a chance to reach out before acting provocatively by conducting a second nuclear weapons test..."

Daniel Markey discusses the hindrances that prevent India from achieving great-power status.

Jerome A. Cohen argues, "the term 'court of public opinion' is being taken literally in some parts of the mainland."

Scott A. Snyder discusses North Korea's handling of the trial of two American journalists, and whether North Korea has fundamentally changed the terms of dealing with Pyongyang.

Jerome A. Cohen and Yu-Jie Chen discuss the incorporation of two human rights covenants into Taiwan's domestic law.

Scott A. Snyder discusses China and sanctions against North Korea.

Leslie Gelb argues, "the president's cool Korea strategy is wise."

Scott A. Snyder discusses North Korea's second nuclear test.

Scott A. Snyder remembers the idealism of Korean president Roh Moo-hyun.

David S. Law discusses the conservative nature of the Supreme Court of Japan.

Scott A. Snyder analyzes what North Korea has said about prospects for renewed diplomacy with the United States.

Micah Zenko argues that the adjustment of Predator operations in Pakistan is a "creative and unprecedented arrangement" that will benefit the battle against al-Qaeda and the Taliban.

Jerome A. Cohen discusses the one year anniversary of the Sichuan earthquake.

Scott A. Snyder argues that greater stability in relations between Taipei and Beijing have done little to improve Taiwan's long-term strategic position in the region.

Scott A. Snyder discusses the potential contradictions the Obama administration is facing as it develops its policy toward North Korea.

Jerome A. Cohen discusses the National Human Rights Act of China, and the gap between its language and its practice.

Scott A. Snyder examines why "Northeast Asia, in security terms, remains underinstitutionalized."

Scott A. Snyder discusses three developments that may indicate the administration's "policy-in-formation" toward North Korea.

Jerome A. Cohen discusses the implications of United States vs. Stevens for Taiwan's legal system.

In Comparative Connections, Scott A. Snyder and See-won Byun review recent developments in Korea-China relations.

In this report, Scott A. Snyder discusses how the U.S-South Korean relationship can evolve into a fuller partnership.

Scott A. Snyder suggests benchmarks by which to judge the response of the United Nations and the Obama administration to North Korea's rocket test.

Scott A. Snyder discusses the political targets of North Korea's missile test.

Jerome A. Cohen discusses China's Third Five-Year Reform Programme for the People's Courts.

Jerome A. Cohen discusses the disappearance of Gao Zhisheng, China's most famous human rights lawyer, and argues that if China is serious about its ratification of the UN Convention against torture twenty years ago and its other international human rights commitments, it is obligated to come clean about Gao's fate.

Elizabeth Economy asks, "Can humankind find its way to a world that is cleaner, safer, and fairer than the one we inhabit today?"