President Obama’s visit to Southeast Asia this week will take him to Cambodia, Burma, and Thailand. The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) leaders’ meetings in Phnom Penh is the occasion for the transpacific flight, and Burma will generate the most news. It is Thailand, however, that is the most strategically important part of the trip. The political…
Abstract: The recent standoff at Scarborough Shoal between the Philippines and China demonstrates how Beijing is targeting Manila in its strategy of maritime brinkmanship. Manila’s weakness stems from the Philippine Air Force’s (PAF) lack of air-defense system and air-surveillance capabilities to patrol and protect Philippine airspace and maritime territory. The…
Testimony before the Committee on Foreign Affairs United States House of Representatives September 12, 2012 My name is Peter Brookes. I am a Senior Fellow at The Heritage Foundation. The views I express in this testimony are my own, and should not be construed as representing any official position of The Heritage…
America’s Enduring Leadership in Asia America has been engaged in Asia since a few decades after securing its independence. Its early interest is documented in the 1833 Treaty on Amity and Commerce between the U.S. and the Kingdom of Siam Thailand), and later in the market-opening 1854 Treaty of Kanagawa with Japan. The U.S. has, in fact, been a “resident…
Executive Summary In 2010, President Benigno S. (“Noynoy”) Aquino III made a pledge to voters: If elected, he would reduce long-standing and endemic corruption in the Philippines. While such reform is indeed underway, as the 2012 Index of Economic Freedom makes clear, there is still much work to be done. The Philippines is a diverse country. Its population…
Abstract: The United States and Thailand have a long history of close relations. After 9/11, the U.S. renewed its attention to the relationship, identifying shared interests and values. The military coup in 2006 weakened the relationship, but the return of a newly elected civilian government may present an opening for the U.S. to reinvigorate economic, political, and…
Abstract: Events in the South China Sea this year illustrate once again the urgent need for the Philippines to shift its focus from internal security to maritime defense. The U.S.–Philippines Mutual Defense Treaty, the Visiting Forces Agreement, deeply embedded consultation mechanisms, and a century of friendship, cooperation, and mutual sacrifice provide the framework…
For weeks now, commentary has been flying about the “progress” made on the South China Sea dispute at the Association of Southeast Asian Nations’ (ASEAN) annual foreign minister consultations in Bali. Because America’s approach to Southeast Asia, and to some extent East Asia broadly, is increasingly carried out in the ASEAN context, it is important to look at exactly what…
The security situation in the South China Sea is deteriorating in a way unseen since the mid-1990s. And given the growth in China’s military power and global influence since then, it is a much bigger problem for the United States. China’s challenge in the South China Sea—its expansive extralegal claims to maritime territory—demands a strong, clear, interest-based…
The global financial crisis has had a major impact on perceptions of American power and its relationships in Asia. Many of the perceptions are not founded on facts. Among the facts often overlooked: American companies invest far more abroad than does all of Asia combined. For every dollar the U.S. has invested in China it has invested two in Australia…
The U.S.-South Korean 2007 decision to transfer wartime operational control, or OPCON of South Korea forces to Seoul in April 2012 continues to be a lightning rod of controversy. The decision has obvious military ramifications, since it alters a fundamental precept of the bilateral alliance between Washington and Seoul. It also strikes a serious security nerve…
In the face of growing pressure from leftist parties, Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh announced on October 12 his decision to slow negotiations with the United States on a civil nuclear deal. His decision surprised and disappointed U.S. Administration officials who had spent more than two years negotiating the deal and convincing a skeptical U.S. Congress to…
The liberal left is shocked to discover that the Asian tsunami didn't wrest sovereignty of Aceh from Indonesia and turn it over to the United Nations, foreign aid workers, NGOs, and other self-appointed do-gooders. Depending on what reports you read, the various aid organizations have been "dismayed," "concerned," and "skeptical" of a sovereign country with a…
The signs of creeping "Talibanization" in northwest Pakistan and calls for Shariah (Islamic) rule in the heart of the country's capital have heightened the urgency for free, fair, and transparent elections later this year. President Pervez Musharraf's best chance for dealing successfully with threats from radical Islamists lies in enforcing the rule of law against…
Abstract: The Chinese are competing very effectively for influence in Southeast Asia. To continue leading in Asia, the United States must demonstrate that its concerns about security and geopolitical competition with China are not going to upset ASEAN's economic applecart. Concerns in the region about China's defense capabilities are rooted so distantly in the future that…
Following protracted negotiations over the past six months, Washington and New Delhi have finally reached agreement on the text of the so-called 123 Agreement enabling civil nuclear cooperation between the two countries for the first time in 30 years. Two years in the making, this deal has tested the strength of the bond between India and the United States as well as…
Abstract: Bangladesh , the world's third largest Muslim-majority nation, is facing challenges from violent Islamist groups. The government is cracking down on radical groups and emphasizing the democratic principles of the country's founding, but radical Islamism still threatens to undermine stability in Bangladesh. Radicalization and terrorism…
Drug wars have plagued Asia for decades, and the drug problem continues to stem the tide of economic growth and...…
North Korea has been making headlines for its threats of preemptive nuclear attacks on the United States. In addition...…
As the Chinese National People’s Congress reveals various governmental restructurings (not to be mistaken for...…
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is in the midst of a 10-day tour of the Asia-Pacific. Certainly there are many things...…
With economic issues dominating the domestic political agenda and much of our foreign policy focused on combating...…
Director, Asian Studies Center