By Ernest Z. Bower Yesterday in Arizona, the new U.S. defense secretary Ashton Carter delivered an important speech. He talked about trade and the urgent need for the United States and its partners to seize the initiative to conclude the…
By Phuong Nguyen When Communist Party of Vietnam general secretary Nguyen Phu Trong begins his high-profile visit to China on April 7, he will face the colossal task of getting Vietnam’s relations with both China and the United States right.…
By Murray Hiebert The death of Jamaluddin Jarjis, 63, in a helicopter crash in Malaysia today, April 4, is a critical loss for U.S.-Malaysia relations. JJ, as he was known to his friends, had served as ambassador to the United…
This week we check in on the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) negotiations and then explore how China’s leaders make economic policy. CSIS Scholl Chair Scott Miller joins to assess whether Congress will grant trade promotion to the executive branch and discuss…
By Phuong Nguyen A remarkable yet little-noticed development in the U.S. rebalance to the Asia Pacific has been Washington’s overtures to Laos, a country long isolated and often overlooked by U.S. officials. Shifts in geopolitical and regional economic trends in…
By Akiko Imai — On March 19, 2015, U.S. first lady Michelle Obama and her Japanese counterpart Akie Abe announced a pledge “to strengthen bilateral cooperation in helping girls around the world receive an education, especially in developing countries.” The…
By Heigo Sato — In April 2014, the second Shinzo Abe administration announced new principles for the transfer of defense equipment and technologies. These new principles are a departure from a decades-long ban on arms trade, which prohibited virtually all…
By Satoru Nagao — Recently, Japan appears to be engaging in balancing behavior to counter China’s assertiveness. Japan’s security relations with the United States and Australia have become closer. Japan is planning to donate patrol ships to Vietnam and the…
This week we discuss the global reaction to the passing of Singapore’s Lee Kuan Yew with CSIS Sumitro Chair Senior Fellow Murray Hiebert. Hiebert describes Lee’s legacy, explains what Lee and the Singaporean people have accomplished, and assesses whether Singapore’s politics will be more…
This week we discuss the U.S. reaction to China’s new infrastructure bank, the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB). Simon Chair Deputy Director Amy Studdart describes the bank’s origins, explains why Washington’s critique of its allies for joining AIIB has proven…