pacific forum History of Pacific Forum

Issues & Insights Vol. 05 – No. 07

The significance of generational change in Asia and the United States has become too obvious and too important to ignore. At virtually every conference, discussions of key issues turn on changing perspectives produced by the coming of age of a new generation in these societies. Yet all too often, those views are not presented by […]

PacNet #26A – America the fearful

BEIRUT — Do Americans traveling in more or less Muslim countries have nothing to fear but fear itself? Not quite, but almost. Should their government and their media be doing more to help Americans overcome irrational fears of the post-9/11 world?  

PacNet #26 – A target of opportunity for Northeast Asia

The most important outcome of last week’s meeting between Japanese Prime Minister Koizumi Junichiro and South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun is that it occurred at all. The two men frankly acknowledged deep differences over historical issues and Koizumi’s repeated visits to Yasukuni Shrine. By agreeing to disagree, they demonstrated the mutual respect that is the […]

PacNet #25 – Assessing the Sino-Indonesian strategic partnership

The visit of Chinese President Hu Jintao to Jakarta and Bandung for the Golden Jubilee Commemoration of the 1955 Bandung Conference was significant. Not only was his role and China’s place at the conference highlighted by Indonesian organizers, but Hu stayed an extra day, for an official visit to sign a Strategic Partnership Agreement between […]

PacNet #24 – Effective U.S. diplomacy insures stability in Taiwan

Overshadowed by the difficulties facing U.S. policy in the Korean Peninsula is the success of relatively quiet but effective U.S. diplomacy in East Asia’s other major hotspot, the Taiwan Strait. Interviews with officials in Washington, Taipei, and Beijing in May-June 2005 make clear that the U.S. diplomatic interventions in late 2004 were critically important in […]

PacNet #23 – North Korea: Cost-Benefit Analysis

ROK President Roh Moo-hyun meets later this week in Washington with U.S. President George W. Bush to attempt, once again, to carve out a common position in dealing with North Korea’s nuclear weapons aspirations. Roh will be urging “sweeter carrots,” while Bush will be calling for “stronger sticks.” They are both right!

Issues & Insights Vol. 05 – No. 06

The U.S.-ROK alliance is under unprecedented strain. Generational change, an evolving international security landscape, and the transformation of the U.S. defense posture and priorities have produced frictions in the alliance. These have been magnified by difficulties in relations with North Korea, in particular, the problems created by the latest nuclear crisis. The ninth round of […]