pacific forum History of Pacific Forum

PacNet #36B – New Zealand goes to the polls

New Zealand’s triennial general election, the fourth held under the Mixed Member Proportional Representation (MMP) system first introduced in 1996, will be held Sept. 17. Whereas Helen Clark’s Labor-led coalition (in office since 1999) easily won re-election in 2002, this time the center-right National Party (led by former Central Bank Gov. Don Brash) is mounting […]

PacNet #36 – Koizumi declares war

“We have met the enemy and he is us.” Japan must genuinely appreciate Pogo’s famous warning now that Prime Minister Koizumi Junichiro appears to have declared war on his own party.

PacNet #36A – Koizumi’s gamble and its impact on the U.S.-Japan alliance

As many predicted, Prime Minister Koizumi Junichiro dissolved Japan’s House of Representatives after the House of Councillors defeated the postal reform bill by 17 votes. A general election is now scheduled for Sept. 11. While it is risky to predict the outcome of the vote, the dissolution of the Lower House has profound implications for […]

PacNet #34A – Japan should apologize again to South Korea

On Aug. 15, 2005, the 60th anniversary of the end of World War II, Japanese Prime Minister Koizumi Junichiro issued a statement, part of which included yet another apology to China and Korea. On the same day, South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun celebrated his country’s liberation from Japanese rule and refrained from making explicit reference […]

PacNet #34 – Yasukuni: an American view

The Yasukuni Shrine in Tokyo has been a source of controversy within Japan and between Japan and its Asian neighbors. According to the shrine’s website, “The Kami (deities) enshrined in Yasukuni Jinja are noble gods who offered their lives for the sake of Japan with the sincere hope for eternal peace in the same manner […]

PacNet #33 – A Path to Progress for the Six-Party Talks

The fourth round of Six-Party Talks, scheduled to resume in late August after a three-week recess, have raised hopes that progress may finally be possible in resolving the North Korea nuclear weapons standoff. Increased U.S. flexibility and a greater attempt to listen to the concerns of all the involved parties have contributed to an improved […]

Issues & Insights Vol. 05 – No. 09

In the post-Cold War and post-Sept. 11, 2001 world, a great deal of attention has been paid to multilateral cooperation in East Asia and to the formation of economic and political cooperation and dialogue mechanisms aimed at creating a sense of East Asian and broader Asia-Pacific community. The United States has been an active partner […]

PacNet #31A – A new relationship for the U.S. and China?

This week, the United States and China commence a Senior Dialogue on global issues in Beijing. The two countries have long engaged each other on important issues, but this new discussion is different from its predecessors on two counts: the timing and the significance. This dialogue has the potential to transform the U.S.-China relationship.