April 11,2014 Country Reports

Country Report: Japan (April 2014)

February and March 2014 saw Japan much more isolated than at any point since the US occupation, but the shallowness and myopia of Japan’s media coverage stood out beyond earlier periods. Larger-than-life international personages were caricatured in ways that, at times, only faintly resembled analysis in other countries. The most negative coverage was devoted to […]

Editorial Staff
abe shinzo , international society , park geun-hye , public opinion war , reparations , trilateral summit , ukraine
March 28,2014 Country Reports

Country Report: Russia (March 2014)

Russia’s writings on Asia over the past two months included much on Russia’s pivot toward the Asia-Pacific, its relations with Japan, and its approach toward the Korean Peninsula. Writings on China were detailed and mainly focused on China’s domestic developments, as well as some celebratory remarks about the Olympics cooperation between the two nations. China […]

Editorial Staff (with the assistance of Olga Puzanova)
debate on dprk , economic integration , priority of southeast asia , russia's pivot , russian far east development and security , southeast asia , southeast asia us world domination , ukraine
March 07,2014 Country Reports

Country Report: South Korea (March 2014)

Two themes have been in the forefront in Korean media coverage of international relations in the region: diplomacy related to reunification and ROK-Japan relations. The former was sparked by President Park’s New-Year Speech, saying “reunification is like hitting a jackpot (통일은 대박이다).” As two major powers also mentioned reunification (Secretary of State John Kerry touched […]

Editorial Staff (prepared by Han Minjeong)
dokdo/takeshima , germany , germany reunification , reunions , textbooks , two-korea policy , un commission of inquiry on human rights
February 21,2014 Country Reports

Country Report: China (February 2014)

In the shadow of the pretense that Sino-US relations were improved by the Xi-Obama summit and are now guided by an understanding to pursue a “new type of great power relations,” Chinese writings convey a darker tone about security in the region. In spite of the overtures in Susan Rice’s Georgetown remarks in November and […]

Editorial Staff (with the assistance of Dong Jiaxin*)
china dream , john kerry , new type of great power relations , russia , russian far east , taiwan
February 07,2014 Country Reports

Country Report: Japan (February 2014)

This has been one of the richest periods for Japanese media coverage in memory. In covering Biden’s early December travel through the region at a time of renewed concern about a threat from China, the establishment of Japan’s National Security Council with attendant clarification of security guidelines, delayed negotiations over TPP, the backlash from Abe’s […]

Editorial Staff
abe shinzo , collective defense , jang song-thaek , propaganda war , the china dream , yachi shotaro , yasukuni shrine
January 10,2014 Country Reports

Country Report: South Korea (January 2014)

Japan was on Korean minds in the final months of 2013, occasionally interrupted by new reasons to recall North Korea’s looming presence. The year ended with less reason for optimism in both relationships and lingering uncertainty about what that may mean for US and Chinese relations. The Korea-Japan Relationship Before Abe’s year-end visit to the […]

Editorial Staff (prepared by Han Minjeong)
jang song-thaek , military influence , multilateralism , park-abe summit , political stability , yasukuni shrine
December 20,2013 Country Reports

Country Report: China (December 2013)

The escalating tensions with Japan have featured strongly in China’s traditional and online media in the past two months, but especially in recent weeks. China’s announcement of a new Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ) to be established over the East China Sea sparked a strong response from Japan and the United States, which led to […]

Editorial Staff
adiz , diaoyu , jang song-thaek , joseph biden , non-interference in internal affairs , shinzo abe
December 06,2013 Country Reports

Country Report: Japan (December 2013)

In 2013 attitudes toward other countries did not substantially change in contrast to the tectonic changes of 2012, when Japanese awakened to a dangerous region. In the annual survey, Yoron chosa, issued in November, one reads of further improvement in relations with and friendly feelings toward the United States, already at record high levels, and […]

Editorial Staff
2+2 meetings , active pacifism , cultural arrogance , feeling friendly , historical honor , schools toward south korea , spheres of influence , status quo power
November 22,2013 Country Reports

Country Report: Russia (November 2013)

The Russian media kept its eye on areas around China’s borders, cautiously raising questions about clashing Russian and Chinese interests. In September the spotlight turned to Central Asia. In November with Lavrov and Shoigu going to Japan for the first 2+2 meetings and then Putin traveling to Vietnam and South Korea, areas on two other […]

Editorial Staff (with the assistance of Olga Puzanova)
anti-americanism , balanced diplomacy , economic regionalism , iron silk road , moscow-beijing axis , multipolarity , natural gas price , southeast asia , vietnam