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Tag Archives: security
Reflections on Japan (Video Interview with Sir David Warren)
Recent territorial disputes point to tensions in the relationship between Japan and China. Competition extends beyond issues of history and territorial assertions to competition for resources and influence. Yet it is increasingly recognized that Japan and China are crucial to each other. Continue reading
Posted in Japan
Tagged Ambassador, China, cyber security, economics, security, soft power, trade
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Mongolia Remains Key To US Strategy in Asia
Memo #173 – Mongolia continues its rapid ascent in the strategic playbook of the United States and the West. The US views Mongolia through an integrated lens balancing its economic interests with strategic concerns. As the world’s fastest growing economy (GDP growth at 17.3 per cent in 2011), Mongolia is an appealing target for foreign investors in sectors such as mining, nuclear power, and technology. For Washington though, security still trumps in Mongolia. The US continues to view Mongolia as a credible partner in an uncertain area filled with truculent neighbours. Continue reading
Posted in Mongolia, United States
Tagged foreign policy, international relations, military, regional security, security
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Global Security – the Shifting Axis, Kepler-16b, and Two Suns
Memo #171 – Star Wars fans worldwide remember the iconic scene of Luke Skywalker peering into a sky at dusk with not one but two suns sinking over the horizon of his home planet of Tatooine. Continue reading
Posted in Asia, Australia, China, United States
Tagged military, political science, security, trade
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China and the SCO – Influence and ‘Soft Power’
Memo #169 – The 12th annual meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) which includes China, Russia, and four Central Asian states, concluded in Beijing on June 7th. Growing Chinese influence and “soft power,” emphasizing persuasion over force, were much on display. Continue reading
Posted in Central Asia, China, Russia
Tagged international relations, security, Shanghai Cooperation Organization, soft power
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Hindu Nationalism is the Biggest Security Threat to India
Memo #160 – India portrays Islamic radicalism, ethnic separatism, and the left-wing Naxalite guerrilla movement as security threats. But it is Hindu nationalism (Hindutva) that generates most hatred and violent conflicts amongst Indian citizens; it is not able to support India as a multi-religious and multi-ethnic state. Continue reading
Asia in the Governance of Outer Space
Memo #154 – In 2011, the United States Secretary of Defense and the Director of National Intelligence called global attention to the congested, contested, and competitive nature of outer space activities. All space powers, including in Asia, continue to struggle with the safety and security of assets that undergird their modern economies, militaries, and societies. The practical issue is how to achieve national objectives, some of which are only possible in collaboration with others. Continue reading
Posted in Asia, China, Europe, India, Japan, United States
Tagged law, military, outer space, political science, security
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East Asia’s Population Crisis: Solutions
Memo #61 – Japan reported missing 230,000 centenarians in September 2010. This dramatic news highlighted among other things, the rapid aging of Japan’s population and its low total fertility rates. For the past decade, demographers have called attention to the impending population crisis in East Asia. Several countries saw fertility rates plummet to well below 2.1 births per woman – the rate required to sustain a population, assuming all other factors remain relatively constant. The problem has been compounded by increased life expectancy and the lack of immigration flows to compensate for birth and death rates. Continue reading
Posted in Asia, Japan, Singapore, South Korea, Southeast Asia, Taiwan
Tagged aging population, demography, security, total fertility rates
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The Privatization of Security in Indonesia
Memo #20 – Violence is becoming more frequent in Indonesia and is taking on new forms. There have been attacks by the Islamic Defenders Front (FPI) against Christian churches in greater Jakarta over the past two years. This has raised concerns about the future of democracy and religious tolerance in Indonesia. Large Islamic organizations, especially Muhammadiyah and Nahdlatul Ulama, have deplored these acts of violence conducted in the name of religion. Major metropolitan newspapers are reporting that many Jakarta residents have called for the FPI to be banned even while recognizing that this could further radicalize members of the organization. Continue reading
Posted in Indonesia, Southeast Asia
Tagged FPI, Islamic Defenders Front, paramilitary, privatization, security, urban politics
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Analysis of the Cross-Strait Economic Cooperation Framework Agreement between Taiwan and China
Memo #19 – On August 17th, 2010, the Taiwanese legislature passed the “Economic Cooperation Framework Agreement” (ECFA). This is an agreement between Taipei and Beijing, signed on June 29th, 2010, towards creating a cross-Strait free trade agreement. Some see economic integration as the precursor to political integration. But even after the ECFA’s successful ratification, the electoral strategies of Taiwanese political parties make cross-Strait normalization far from a forgone conclusion. Continue reading
Posted in China, Taiwan
Tagged cross-Strait free trade, cross-Strait normalization, ECFA, Economic Cooperation Framework Agreement, economic integration, political science, security, trade
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