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 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…
Backgrounder posted November 14, 2012 by Bruce Klingner
U.S. Should Use Japanese Political Change to Advance the Alliance
Abstract: On December 16, the Japanese people will once again have an opportunity to reshape their nation’s political landscape. To many, such reform seemed imminent three years ago, when the Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) swept into power. Yet the DPJ was unable to turn campaign promises into concrete reforms, and as a result, the Japanese public’s desire for political…
Backgrounder posted September 24, 2012 by Bruce Klingner
Washington Should Urge Greater South Korean–Japanese Military and Diplomatic Cooperation
Abstract: Greater military and political cooperation between South Korea and Japan would protect South Korean, Japanese, and U.S. national interests in Asia. The growing North Korean and Chinese security threats to the region have motivated South Korea and Japan to cooperate more, but historical animosities and recent diplomatic missteps have constrained bilateral…
Backgrounder posted August 7, 2012 by Bruce Klingner, Dean Cheng
U.S. Asian Policy: America's Security Commitment to Asia Needs More Forces
Abstract: Since the 19th century, Asia has been—and will continue to be—a region of vital importance to the United States. And yet, even as the threats to stability in Asia multiply, there has not been a commensurate increase of U.S. capabilities. While the Obama Administration believes its “Asia Pivot” will animate U.S. policy toward Asia, the U.S. military lacks the…
White Paper posted July 17, 2012 by Walter Lohman, John Fleming, Robert Warshaw
Key Asian Indicators: A Book of Charts
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…
Special Report posted April 26, 2012 by The Heritage Foundation
One Year Later: Lessons from Recovery After the Great Eastern Japan Earthquake
Executive Summary
To assess the Japanese experience, The Heritage Foundation reassembled a team of experts to evaluate Japan’s long-term efforts to recover from the Great Eastern Japan Earthquake and to prepare for future catastrophes. Based on extensive literature and interviews with Japanese officials and experts, the team identified four critical areas that affect…
Special Report posted March 7, 2012 by Derek Scissors, Ph.D., Kumi Yokoe, Ph.D.
日本の国家財政：ケインズ主義を放棄する時 (翻訳)
デレク シザーズ 横江 公美
日本の“失われた１０年”は２０年目に突入する。そして、ここ数年は、膨大な公的負債と景気の停滞はアメリカもEUも抱える問題となっている。先にこの問題を経験する日本が解決への道を見出すことができるなら、同様の状況に悩む他国に対する青写真となったはずである。
残念ながら、そのような進展はいまだ見当たらない。他の多くの国々が現在直面しているように、日本は債務削減にあたり政治的障害に直面している。反証があるにもかかわらず、超過歳出が経済を活性化させるという確信がいまだ根強く広がっている。日本だけではなく回復を望む国々は、財政政策を施行するにあたって、この考えを払拭しなければならない。
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Special Report posted March 7, 2012 by Derek Scissors, Ph.D., Kumi Yokoe, Ph.D.
Japan's National Budget: Time to Give Up on Keynesianism
Abstract: Japan’s “lost decade” has turned into two; and Japan is not alone. Staggering amounts of public debt and stagnant economies have become a problem from the EU to the U.S. Despite twenty years of evidence to the contrary, the belief persists that deficit spending stimulates the economy. In Japan’s case, a low return on capital from massive, low-yield government…
WebMemo posted February 8, 2012 by Bruce Klingner
White House Deal with Japan Risks Military Capability in Asia
On February 8, the United States and Japan jointly announced changes to the existing bilateral accord for realigning U.S. Marines on Okinawa. While both sides affirmed commitment to relocating a Marine air unit on the island, more significantly, the Obama Administration abandoned longstanding U.S. insistence that Japan fulfill pre-conditional commitments prior to…
Backgrounder posted December 6, 2011 by Dean Cheng, Bruce Klingner
Defense Budget Cuts Will Devastate America’s Commitment to the Asia–Pacific
Abstract: The failure of the Congressional Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction (“Super
Committee”) to come to agreement on reducing the federal deficit raises the real prospect of a total of $1 trillion in
additional cuts to the defense budget over the next decade. These cuts have been put forth with little consideration for their long-term impact:…
Backgrounder posted November 7, 2011 by Jack Spencer
Japan’s Nuclear Withdrawal: Bad for Japan, Bad for the U.S., Bad for the World
This report is available in Japanese. Click here to read.
Abstract: Due to the accidents at the Fukushima nuclear plant in March 2011, the Japanese government is re-evaluating its commitment to nuclear energy. Japan’s apprehension about nuclear power is understandable, but closing nuclear plants or rejecting future construction would create substantial—and…
WebMemo posted October 18, 2011 by Derek Scissors, Ph.D., J.D. Foster, Ph.D.
Avoiding America’s Lost Decades
The warning bells were sounded in early 2009: The U.S. government had to act swiftly and forcefully to avoid repeating Japan’s painful experience of sustained economic stagnation.[1] The Obama Administration’s policies have failed to this point, and Japanese-style long-term stagnation may well ensue unless a fundamental course correction and decisive steps are taken. The…