By Michael J. Green & Matthew P. Goodman Barack Obama has described himself as America’s first Pacific president. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has pledged that Japan “is not now and will never be a tier-two country.” Before they meet in Tokyo this month,…
Who is he? Dr. Gyanendra Nath Singh is currently the Drug Controller General of India at the Central Drugs Standard Control Organization (CDSCO), a post similar to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Commissioner. Why is he in the…
Who is he? Awang Adek Hussin is Malaysia’s new ambassador-designate to the United States. Awang previously served as deputy finance minister from 2006 to 2008 and again from 2009 to 2013. Before that he spent nearly a decade at the…
By Donald Camp No Exit from Pakistan: America’s Tortured Relationship with Islamabad by Daniel S. Markey, Cambridge University Press, 2013, ISBN-13: 978-1107623590, 253 pp., $71.16 (Hardcover), $25.19 (Paperback), $12.49 (Kindle). There is much to ponder in this well-written and comprehensive…
By Carl Thayer Lew Stern, writing recently in the East-West Center’s Asia Pacific Bulletin, suggests that Vietnam’s leaders have adopted “an entirely new strategic vocabulary” following a decade of reforms and globalization. Stern cites, in particular, the importance attached to…
By Greg Poling Recent months have seen a steady progression of China’s long-term strategy in the South China Sea, which can be loosely divided into two parts. Beijing is building up its maritime surveillance forces in the area and strengthening…
By Kyle Springer Recent negotiations between Sam Rainsy’s opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP) and Prime Minister Hun Sen’s ruling Cambodian People’s Party (CPP) on electoral reform have not gone smoothly despite concessions from the CPP. Reform of the National…
By Bonnie Glaser & Ely Ratner With the world watching Ukraine with wary eyes, the U.S. Navy’s lead admiral in the Pacific suggested Asia could face a similar crisis if the continent’s other major power continues on its current path. Since 2009, China has…
Who is he? John Sevilla is the new Bureau of Customs (BOC) commissioner in the Philippines. He took his post on December 4, 2013, replacing Ruffy Biazon, who resigned after being indicted in a multi-million dollar corruption scandal. Sevilla had…
By Bonnie Glaser & Jacqueline Vitello Discussions between Presidents Obama and Xi on the margins of the nuclear security summit in The Hague were dominated by pressing issues such as Russia’s annexation of Crimea, persistent use of cyber by the…
Jakarta governor Joko “Jokowi” Widodo announced on March 15 that he will run for president of Indonesia this July under the banner of the Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P). The announcement followed months of waiting for party chair and former…
Paul Bloxham, HSBC chief economist, recently dubbed New Zealand the “rockstar” economy of 2014. Analysts predict New Zealand’s economy will grow more than 3 percent this year, driven by high dairy prices and the rebuilding of Christchurch following the devastating…
