Lecture posted May 1, 2013 by Honorable Ed Royce
The Enduring Legacy of America’s Commitment to Asia
EDWIN J. FEULNER: I’m Ed Feulner. For the next 13 days, I am the president of The Heritage Foundation. I’m delighted to have with us this morning my successor as the new president of The Heritage Foundation, Senator Jim DeMint. Senator, we are very happy that you are able to join us this morning for our 16th annual B.C. Lee Lecture.
It’s good to see so many friends here,…
Special Report posted April 26, 2013 by Sunjoy Joshi, C. Raja Mohan, Vikram Sood, Rajeswari Pillai Rajagopalan, Ph.D., James Jay Carafano, Ph.D., Walter Lohman, Lisa Curtis, Derek Scissors, Ph.D.
Beyond the Plateau in U.S. – India Relations
IntroductionIn real terms, there is no denying the extraordinary progress in the engagement between India and the United States over the past two decades. Throughout, and even after, the Cold War, the world's two largest democracies remained estranged. In the first decade after the end of the Cold War, the two countries quarreled over nuclear nonproliferation; the U.S.…
Issue Brief posted April 9, 2013 by Dean Cheng
Kerry’s First Visit to Asia: Where Is the Pivot?
While testifying before Congress regarding his nomination to be Secretary of State, then-Senator John Kerry indicated that he was uncomfortable with the Administration’s “pivot to Asia” and indicated that, in his view, this was neither necessary nor wise.
Whether then-Senator Kerry was enunciating a new position is unclear, as Deputy Secretary of Defense Ashton Carter…
Issue Brief posted April 8, 2013 by Bruce Klingner
North Korean Threats: What Washington Should Do
North Korea is easy to ridicule. The country is an anachronistic hangover from the Cold War, replete with cartoonish propaganda and over-the-top threats. Its leader could well play the villain in a James Bond or Austin Powers movie. Self-appointed ambassador Dennis Rodman’s visit affirmed the image of the reclusive regime as the ultimate reality show. As such, the…
Lecture posted April 1, 2013 by Franklin L. Lavin
Four Issues Facing China
It’s a delight to be here. I enjoy coming by and seeing friends, making new friends, and sharing ideas and insight. I have a terrific job—not just the job itself, which is interesting, but the fact that it’s a China-oriented job, and that it allows me, every time I visit China, to learn and to see and to chat with people. It was certainly interesting to do that in a…
Issue Brief posted March 27, 2013 by Bruce Klingner
Increasing Risk of North Korean Tactical Attack on South Korea: What U.S. Needs to Do
North Korea routinely threatens to annihilate South Korea, the United States, and Japan. After its recent successful long-range missile and nuclear tests, Pyongyang now claims it already has the capability to target U.S. bases in the Pacific and the American homeland with nuclear weapons.
As frightening as these warnings are, North Korea would more likely conduct…
Backgrounder posted March 21, 2013 by Jack Spencer
U.S.–South Korea Nuclear Cooperation: Agreeing on Commercial and Nonproliferation Goals
The agreement between the United States government and the Republic of Korea (ROK) that allows commercial nuclear trade between the countries, referred to as a “123 agreement” since it is required by Section 123 of the Atomic Energy Act[1] expires in March 2014.[2] To avoid any lapses, the Obama Administration must conclude negotiations by spring 2013. This will allow the…
Testimony posted March 13, 2013 by Walter Lohman
The Importance of Reality in US-India East Asia Cooperation
Testimony before the
Subcommittee on Asia and the Pacific
Committee on Foreign Affairs
United States House of Representatives
March 13, 2013
Walter Lohman
My name is Walter Lohman. I am Director of the Asian Studies Center 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…
Issue Brief posted February 21, 2013 by Bruce Klingner
U.S. Should Prioritize Alliance Support with Visiting Japanese PM
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe will meet with President Obama on February 22 to affirm the bilateral alliance and align policies responding to recent North Korean and Chinese aggression. Since Abe has been in office for only two months, no tangible summit achievements (“deliverables,” in diplomatic parlance) are expected. But President Obama should use the opportunity…
Issue Brief posted February 15, 2013 by Walter Lohman, Derek Scissors, Ph.D.
U.S. Should Back India’s Membership in APEC
It has been a bad half-decade for American foreign economic policy. The World Trade Organization’s (WTO) Doha round was mortally wounded in 2008. The last three bilateral trade agreements were stalled and then renegotiated. The next one is not even on the radar screen. While the 11-nation Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) and a possible agreement with the 27-nation European…
Issue Brief posted February 12, 2013 by Dean Cheng
China’s Xi Jinping’s New Hard Line and the U.S.–Japan Alliance
Two recent speeches by new Chinese leader Xi Jinping have attracted attention, providing the first insights into the views of China’s new leadership. One is focused on China’s internal political situation; the other discusses Chinese foreign policy. In combination, they could indicate the direction of Chinese policy for the next 10 years of Xi Jinping’s tenure as senior…
Issue Brief posted January 28, 2013 by Bruce Klingner
North Korea Nuclear Test: Time for U.S. and U.N. to Get Serious on Sanctions
North Korea has again openly defied the international community, first by launching a rocket in violation of United Nations resolutions and then threatening those that seek to punish—however meekly—the regime for its transgressions. Yet the United States and the U.N. remain reluctant to fully implement measures to make sanctions more effective. This policy timidity…
Issue Brief posted January 25, 2013 by Lisa Curtis
Indo–Pakistani Tension: Pakistan Should Crack Down on Militant Infiltration
Tensions between India and Pakistan are heating up along the Line of Control (LoC) that divides Kashmir. A series of border incidents in early January left three Pakistani and two Indian soldiers dead. One of the Indian soldiers was beheaded and another severely mutilated, provoking Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to say that India’s ties with Pakistan would not be…
Issue Brief posted January 18, 2013 by Derek Scissors, Ph.D.
Chinese Growth, GDP, and Other Things the U.S. Should Doubt
The first question regarding China’s newly released economic numbers is not how fast the People’s Republic of China (PRC) grew last year. Rather, it is whether stars are aligned for the State Statistical Bureau (SSB) to provide accurate information about GDP and more useful measures, such as household consumption.
Answer: to some extent. The Chinese economy is undergoing…