July 02,2018 National Commentaries

An Indian Perspective

India-China relations have undergone surprising twists and turns in the past few years. Seemingly, complicated deadlocks and dramatic reconciliation efforts mark the relationship between the two Asian giants. This trend has only grown since Narendra Modi assumed the office of the prime minister of India in 2014, and President Xi Jinping acquired the status of […]

Rahul Mishra
"Neighborhood First" , BRI , BRICS , Doklam , Quad , SCO , Shangri-La Dialogue
July 02,2018 National Commentaries

An Australian Perspective

Donald Trump’s disruptive impact on US alliance management was exemplified by two sets of public comments earlier in June 2018. The president’s public condemnation of Justin Trudeau as “very dishonest and weak” for pushing back against Washington’s imposition of tariffs on Canadian goods1 was followed by praise for North Korea’s leader Kim Jong-un as “very […]

Andrew O’Neil
AIIB , BRI , China-Australia FTA , Five Eyes , NATO , Rules-based order
July 02,2018 National Commentaries

Opening a Strategic Pandora’s Jar? US-China Uncertainties and the Three Wandering Genies in Southeast Asia

Uncertainty is nothing new in US-China relations. Indeed, it is a constant feature of all big power relationships. However, recent US-China interactions under Donald Trump and Xi Jinping have heightened uncertainties at multiple fronts, with an intensity that increasingly pushes the US allies and partners around Asia—including those in Southeast Asia—to reassess their fundamental outlooks […]

Kuik Cheng-Chwee*
BRI , Doklam , free and open Indo-Pacific , G7 , Quad , RIMPAC , SCO
May 01,2018 National Commentaries

A View from Russia, China, and Sundry Progressives

The optimism is palpable despite whiffs of concern. Many who had long been saying that North Korea only needed to be reassured to become a reliable diplomatic partner with willingness to abandon its threats and proceed to denuclearization in stages now feel vindicated. Instead of being some sort of madman, Kim Jong-un proved to be […]

Editorial Staff
inter-Korean summit , Pyeongchang Olympics , Regional security framework , US-ROK alliance
May 01,2018 National Commentaries

Moon’s Precarious Push for Peace

Kim Jong-un’s New Year’s Address, and the surge of diplomatic overtures that followed, came as a shock to many. The preceding year had been marked by the North’s heightened efforts toward completing its nuclear program, demonstrating a significant technological leap and leading it to more confidently declare itself a “nuclear state.” Combined with Donald Trump’s […]

Eun A Jo
inter-Korean summit , Kim Jong-un , Panmunjom Declaration , Pyeongchang Olympics
February 13,2018 National Commentaries

A Russian Perspective

Russia’s Gambit in the Korean Nuclear Crisis Since the late 19th century Russia has been a major stakeholder in Korean affairs, at times capable of exercising critical influence on them. The current crisis over Pyongyang’s nuclear and missile programs may once again be raising Russia’s profile on the Korean Peninsula, ending a period when, only […]

Artyom Lukin
double freeze , parallel advancement , Pyeongchang Olympics , roadmap , Six-Party Talks
February 13,2018 National Commentaries

A South Korean Perspective

On November 29, 2017, after conducting its longest-range missile test yet, North Korea declared itself a globe-spanning nuclear-weapons power and insisted that the United States acknowledge it as such. A government statement quoted its leader Kim Jong-un, who announced that his nation had “finally realized the great historic cause of completing the state nuclear force.” […]

Oh Joon*
Kim Jong-un , maximum pressure , New Year’s Day Address , Pyeongchang Olympics , Six-Party Talks , strategic patience
January 02,2018 National Commentaries

A US Perspective

During the Cold War, a polarized order prevailed in East Asia due to China’s switching sides. Some have predicted its return as China and Russia draw closer, away from the United States and Japan as they rally others behind an order that would contain these rival powers. The Obama approach, solidifying alliances and partnerships while […]

Editorial Staff
Abe Shinzo , Donald Trump , Indo-Pacific strategy , Moon Jae-in , Quad , THAAD , TPP