The Case for a Less Activist Foreign Policy

Despite a decade of costly and indecisive warfare and mounting fiscal pressures, the long-standing consensus among American policymakers about U.S. grand strategy has remained remarkably intact. As the presidential campaign made clear, Republicans and Democrats may quibble over foreign policy at the margins, but they agree on the big picture: that the United States should […]

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China’s New Leader Needs Grip on Wacko Next Door

Few news items over the past year had more entertainment value than one concerning the Onion and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. It was funny enough that the faux-news website named the double-chinned Kim the sexiest man of 2012. More entertaining still was that the People’s Daily, the stern mouthpiece of China’s Communist Party, fell for it. Read Here […]

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China’s Military Hawks Go On The Offensive

When China’s Lieutenant-General Ren Haiquan took the podium in front of an audience filled with representatives from various Asian militaries in Melbourne, Australia, last month, he attacked “some people” who were threatening to repeat the mistakes of WWII. ”Flames of the war ignited by fascist countries engulfed the whole region, and many places, including Darwin in Australia, were bombed,” […]

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Phoney Currency Wars

OFFICIALS from the world’s biggest economies meet on February 15th-16th in Moscow on a mission to avert war. Not one with bombs and bullets, but a “currency war”. Finance ministers and central bankers worry that their peers in the G20 will devalue their currencies to boost exports and grow their economies at their neighbours’ expense. […]

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Sometimes a Test is Just a Test

In his State of the Union address, U.S. President Barack Obama described North Korea‘s recent nuclear test as a provocation that required a firm response. The intended audience for that provocation, though, is up for debate. Some commentators have posited that the test was a signal aimed at China, designed to demonstrate North Korea’s independence […]

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Nuke Test Gives US ‘Excuse To Boost Its Military’

China urges caution and opposes moves that increase tension. The United States and its allies may boost their military presence in the Asia-Pacific region, citing Pyongyang’s nuclear test, analysts said. The comments came as China engaged in a flurry of diplomacy on Wednesday to ease regional tension. “More drills by the US and its allies […]

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Beijing’s North Korea Problem

A few months ago, the eminent Chinese scholar Wang Jisi noted that China had achieved “first class power status” and “should be treated as such.” The current situation with North Korea suggests two responses: There is scarcely a more opportune moment for Beijing to step up to the plate; and be careful what you wish for. Read […]

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U.S. Shale Gas Revolution Hits Asia

Asia’s energy-hungry economies are turning to a new, politically stable and potentially cheaper source of gas: the United States. While the domestic debate continues over U.S. energy exports, major gas importers such as Japan, South Korea and China are scrambling to invest in the new energy superpower’s gas projects. Should major exporters of liquefied natural gas […]

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Mutual Rise Of China And India Will Benefit The World

China and India announced they will resume joint military exercises at the conclusion of the Annual Defense Dialogue on January 14. It suggested a sign of growing engagement. The People’s Daily applauded India’s decision to go ahead with the exercises in the face of pressure from the US and Japan. “The future generations are assured […]

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