pacific forum History of Pacific Forum

PacNet #47 – The WTO at a crossroads

Failure to reach substantive agreements on agricultural and service liberalization will prevent the conclusion of the Doha round of trade negotiations at the Hong Kong World Trade Organization (WTO) ministerial meeting in December. East Asia’s rush toward preferential trading arrangements will continue, risking the sidelining of the WTO, as the WTO’s foremost supporters seek a […]

PacNet #46 – Koizumi’s dangerous determination to keep a promise

This week, Japanese Prime Minister Koizumi Junichiro made his fifth visit to Yasukuni Shrine. There was the predictable response from other Asian nations, but it is clear that those protests fall on deaf ears. If the prime minister’s determination is plain, so too are the consequences, and they have become the real issue in the […]

PacNet #45 – Comparative Connections Summary

The October 2005 Issue of Comparative Connections is now available online: Regional Overview: Six-Party Progress Helps Give Peace a Chance U.S.-Korea Relations: A Breakthrough at the Six-Party Talks U.S.-Japan Relations: Be Careful What You Wish For U.S.-Southeast Asia Relations: Misses and Hits China-Southeast Asia Relations: Buidling Integration?  Japan-China Relations: Summer Calm China-Taiwan Relations: Beijing Prefer […]

Issues & Insights Vol. 05 – No. 12

There is a growing burden on the next generation in the United States, Japan, and China. The three countries are world leaders in every dimension of national power, and will play critical roles in the solution – or the aggravation – of regional and global problems. This younger generation will eventually wield power in each […]

PacNet #42A – Mongolia: model for transition merits international support

President N. Enkhbayar of Mongolia visited the United States for the United Nations summit last week. His visit should help Mongolia receive more international support. Mongolia is following a peaceful process democratic consolidation that involves the rule of law and its effective development as a regional player.

PacNet #42 – New Zealand election: no change or fundamental change?

Fluctuating polls before New Zealand’s election (Sept. 17, 2005, foreshadowed in PacNet #36B, Aug. 26, 2005), suggested a race that was too close to call. And so it was with the Labor Party (led by Prime Minister Helen Clark) securing 40.74 percent, closely followed by National (led by Don Brash) with 39.63 percent.  Media reports […]

PacNet #41 – Six-party statement of principles: one small step for man

The agreement on denuclearizing the Korean Peninsula reached on Sept 19 in Beijing was “one small step for man.” It is, however, premature to call it a “giant leap for mankind.” The agreement provides a template for working toward a solution to the denuclearization problem; it is not yet a roadmap, however, and leaves many […]

PacNet #40 – Japan goes boldly – backward?

No one predicted the size of Japanese Prime Minister Koizumi Junichiro’s election victory last weekend. The landslide win has transformed the landscape of Japanese politics. Oddly, the new picture looks a lot like the old Japan: dominated by a single party – the familiar Liberal Democratic Party (LPD) – without a credible opposition. The election […]

Issues & Insights Vol. 05 – No. 11

The United States-China relationship continues to evolve. Both countries are debating the nature of relations with the other, but no firm conclusions are possible as they try to assess and manage highly dynamic and potentially unstable change, both internally and externally. The sixth round of the annual U.S.-China workshop that was sponsored this year by […]