America's Pacific Century

America’s Pacific Century

America’s Pacific Century By Hillary Clinton
(Foreign Policy, November 2011) The future of politics will be decided in Asia, not Afghanistan or Iraq, and the United States will be right at the center of the action.

[ News ] [ Papers ]

US, Japan Mull Sending 4,700 Marines to Guam
(AP, Feb. 7, 2012) The United States and Japan, hoping to break a stalemate over the U.S. military presence on Okinawa, are discussing a plan to transfer nearly 5,000 troops to Guam.

US to Keep All 11 Aircraft Carriers As Show of Power
(AP, Jan. 23, 2012) US Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta told sailors aboard the country’s oldest aircraft carrier that the US was committed to maintaining a fleet of 11 of the formidable warships despite budget pressures, in part to project sea power against Iran.

US to Restore Full Diplomatic Ties with Myanmar
(AP, Jan. 14, 2012) The United States is restoring full diplomatic relations with Myanmar, a landmark in the Obama administration's drive to reward democratic reforms by a government the U.S. previously treated as a pariah.

China Top Military Paper Warns U.S. Aims to Contain Rise
(Reuters, Jan. 10, 2012) The commentary in the Liberation Army Daily, however, also said China's sensible response to the U.S. military re-focus on Asia should be "vigilance" and smart diplomacy, not panic.

AIT Briefs Officials on Latest Defense Strategic Guidance
(Taipei Times, Jan. 7, 2012) The American Institute in Taiwan briefed the government on the US’ latest Defense Strategic Guidance, which was released by US President Barack Obama.

US Navy Eyes Stationing Ships in Singapore
(Reuters, Dec. 17, 2011) The U.S. Navy will station several new coastal combat ships in Singapore and perhaps in the Philippines in coming years, moves likely to fuel China's fears of being encircled and pressured in the South China Sea row.

Chinese Diplomat Meets with Myanmar Dissident
(Wall Street Journal, Dec. 16, 2011) China's ambassador to Myanmar met with Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi, in a potential signal that Beijing hopes to take a greater role in the Southeast Asian nation's political transformation.

US Tries to Reassure China on Military Ties with Australia
(Reuters, Dec. 9, 2011) The US has sought to reassure China that its expansion of military ties with Australia is not aimed at containing China, a US defense official said yesterday, a day after holding talks with the Chinese army.

Dissident Leader in Myanmar Endorses U.S. Overtures
(New York Times, Dec. 3, 2011) Aung San Suu Kyi endorsed the new American engagement with Myanmar’s autocratic government and called on other countries, including China, to support Myanmar’s nascent efforts to build a freer, more open society and economy.

White House Says U.S.-China Relations “Complicated”
(Reuters, Nov. 19, 2011) The United States has been direct with China about its plans to be more active in the Asia-Pacific region as well as its interests in the South China Sea, National Security Adviser Tom Donilon said.

US-China Tension Spills into ASEAN
(Reuters, Nov. 19, 2011) Tension between the United States and China spilled over into meetings of Asia-Pacific leaders as the two countries jostled over how to handle competing claims to the South China Sea.

U.S. and Australia Seal Expanded Military Ties
(New York Times, Nov. 16, 2011) President Obama and Prime Minister Julia Gillard of Australia made it official: The United States will have an increased and constant military presence on the continent’s north side, symbolizing America’s renewed security interests in the Pacific Rim.

Clinton Reaffirms Military Ties with the Philippines
(New York Times, Nov. 16, 2011) During a high-profile visit to the Philippines, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton stood on the deck of a American warship in Manila Bay and reaffirmed the strong military relationship between the United States and the Philippines.

APEC Nations Pledge Support for TPP
(AP, Nov. 15, 2011) The plan to forge a Pacific free trade area got a big boost when leaders of Canada and Mexico joined Japan in expressing support for a deal that has received a cool reception from rising power China.

Gov’t to Work toward Joining TPP As Part of Golden Decade: Ma
(China Post, Nov. 15, 2011) President Ma Ying-jeou said that his government will work on increasing Taiwan's qualifications and joining the Trans-Pacific Partnership within 10 years, so as to increase Taiwan's share in world markets.

Obama Launches TPP in Asia Push
(AFP, Nov. 14, 2011) US President Barack Obama announced the framework for a vast free-trade agreement spanning the Pacific as he sought a new era of US leadership in a fast-growing region.

China Will Play by Rules It Negotiates: Official
(Reuters, Nov. 14, 2011) China will play by the rules of international agreements that it has been party to negotiating, a Chinese official said.

Clinton Issues Call for US ‘Pacific Century’
(Reuters, Nov. 12, 2011) With the US facing a multipronged challenge from China, US Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton declared that the 21st century would be “America’s Pacific century” and said the region’s problems required US leadership.

U.S. to Build Up Military in Australia
(Wall Street Journal, Nov. 10, 2011) President Barack Obama will announce an accord for a new and permanent U.S. military presence in Australia when he visits next week, a step aimed at countering China's influence and reasserting U.S. interest in the region, said people familiar with his plans.

US Pursues Ways to Raise Level of Meetings with ROC: Official
(CNA, Oct. 6, 2011) The United States has maintained regular consultations with Taiwan at senior levels and is actively exploring ways to raise the level of such engagements, the U.S. assistant secretary of state for East Asian and Pacific affairs said.

The End of American Intervention By James Traub
(New York Times, Feb. 19, 2012) America is not about to go to war with China, or with anyone else in Asia. The very complicated relationship with China is much less a clash of worldviews than of interests.

What the US and China Need to Do By Elizabeth Economy
(China Daily, Feb. 15, 2012) The simple truth is that the US and China have had few reasons to celebrate their relationship since China's accession to the World Trade Organization in 2001. There is a path forward, but it will necessitate a reorientation in the perspectives of leaders in both countries.

Xi’s Tour Won’t Fix the U.S.-Chinese ‘Trust Deficit’ By Elizabeth Economy (Foreign Affairs, Feb. 15, 2012) In any relationship, trust is built over time. It requires clarity of intention, predictability of action, shared sensibilities, a willingness to give before one takes, and mutual respect.

The Response of China’s Neighbors to the U.S. “Pivot” to Asia By Richard C. Bush III (Brookings, Jan. 31, 2012) Asian countries may not want to get crushed in the nutcracker of U.S.-China competition, but they do want a balanced competition to continue. The last thing they want is for Washington to take itself out of the game. At the same time, they want us to be smart in the way we serve our counterweight function.

Singapore Straddles the Fence with U.S. and China By Shibani Mahtani (Southeast Asia Real Time Report, Feb. 10, 2012) Analysts have joined Singapore’s foreign minister in promoting a broader engagement between the U.S. and Southeast Asia rather than just a military one, arguing the U.S. can only maintain a powerful position in the region by showing it is interested in other issues, as well.

We’re All State Capitalists Now By Niall Ferguson
(Foreign Policy, Feb. 9, 2012) The debate about whether America or China will ultimately triumph is a red herring that distracts us from the real contest of our time.

Tomorrow’s Pax Pacifica By Kevin Rudd
(Project Syndicate, Feb. 7, 2012) Although the relationship between China and the United States is critical to Asia’s future, this does not mean that the region will become a Sino-American duopoly. The concept of a “G-2” is never going to fly in Asia.

Have Chinese Had Enough? By Jonathan Holslag
(The Diplomat, Feb. 2, 2012) History shows that rising powers typically become pugnacious when they get trapped with domestic and diplomatic problems, not when they make it to the top. Rising powers become dangerous when they falter.

Return to Asia: It’s Not (All) about China By Ralph Cossa and Brad Glosserman (PacNet #7, Pacific Forum, CSIS, Jan. 30, 2012) America’s return to Asia is overblown; we never left. It’s not all about China and would be less about China than it is today if China would become more transparent about its claims and intentions and military modernization plans in the future.

US-India Relations: Pivot Problems By David Karl
(PacNet #7A, Pacific Forum, CSIS, Jan. 31, 2012) There is a conundrum at the heart of the Obama administration’s “pivot” toward Asia, at least as it relates to India.

All Roads to Myanmar By Zha Daojiong
(PacNet #6A, Pacific Forum, CSIS, Jan. 25, 2012) One after another, Western dignitaries are traveling to Myanmar. A standard interpretation of the change in attitude is that Myanmar is finally demonstrating the courage and means to break away from China. But was Myanmar in the Chinese “geopolitical grip” in the first place?

Philippines May Allow Greater U.S. Military Presence in Reaction to China’s Rise By Crag Whitlock (Washington Post, Jan. 26, 2012) Two decades after evicting U.S. forces from their biggest base in the Pacific, the Philippines is in talks with the Obama administration about expanding the American military presence in the island nation, the latest in a series of strategic moves aimed at China.

The End of Win-Win World By Gideon Rachman
(Foreign Policy, Jan. 24, 2012) The rise of zero-sum logic is the common thread, tying together seemingly disparate strands in international politics: the crisis inside the European Union, deteriorating U.S.-Chinese relations, and the deadlock in global governance.

Burma Ready to Play Ball with US By Bertil Lintner
(YaleGlobal, Jan. 20, 2012) Normalized relations with the US could allow Burma to secure access to international financial institutions. By shifting the regional balance and diversifying Burma’s options, the US could disrupt China’s plans to dominate the region.

Taiwan Is ‘Geopolitically Endangered’: Analyst Says By William Lowther (Taipei Times, Jan. 10, 2012) Former US national security adviser Zbigniew Brzezinski has listed Taiwan as a “geopolitically endangered species” in an article in the current edition of Foreign Policy magazine. 8 Geopolitically Endangered Species—Foreign Policy

Pentagon Tries to Counter Cheap, Potent Weapons By Thom Shanker (New York Times, Jan. 10, 2012) President Obama’s new military strategy has focused fresh attention on an increasingly important threat: the use of inexpensive weapons like mines and cyberattacks that aim not to defeat the American military in battle but to keep it at a distance.

Chinese News Agency Warns against U.S. Moves By David Barboza
(New York Times, Jan. 7, 2012) China’s state-run news media warned Washington not to “recklessly practice militarism” or engage in “war mongering,” a day after the Obama administration outlined a new military strategy with an increased focus on China.

Is China America’s New Enemy? By Amitai Etzioni
(CNN, Jan. 6, 2012) The U.S. can safely continue to seek to turn China into a partner before concluding that a course of confrontation is unavoidable.

Obama Puts His Stamp on Strategy for a Leaner Military By Elisabeth Bumiller and Thom Shanker (New York Times, Jan. 6, 2011) Mr. Obama outlined a new national defense strategy driven by three realities: the winding down of a decade of war in Iraq and Afghanistan, a fiscal crisis demanding hundreds of billions of dollars in Pentagon budget cuts and a rising threat from China and Iran.

Power Play By Patrick M. Cronin
(Foreign Policy, Jan. 5, 2012) Far from acquiescing to America's strategic pivot to Asia, China will seek to block what the Communist Party mouthpiece the People's Daily called the "U.S. 'return' to China," alleging that the United States is reverting to Cold War policies.

China Takes Aim at U.S. Naval Might By Julian E. Barnes, Nathan Hodge, and Jeremy Page (Wall Street Journal, Jan. 4, 2012) Without either nation saying so, China and the United States are quietly engaged in a tit-for-tat military-technology race. At stake is the balance of power in a corner of the seas that is growing rapidly in importance.

Nobody Keen to Answer the Big Taiwan Question By Hamish McDonald (Sydney Morning Herald, Dec. 31, 2011) Two weeks from today, the people of Taiwan vote in a presidential election. Depending on the result, a dragon that seemed to be sleeping may be stirred, and an old dilemma revived for Canberra.

An Upbeat View of America’s ‘Bad’ Year By Ian Bremmer and David F. Gordon (New York Times, Dec. 28, 2011) 2011 was not the year when the United States fell off the wagon. Instead, a look back at the past 12 months suggests that U.S. power is more resilient than the narrative of inevitable decline portrays.

The American Pivot to Asia By Kenneth Lieberthal
(Foreign Policy, Dec. 21, 2011) The American press portrayed the Obama trip as affirming American leadership of Asia, challenging and trumping China at every turn. But the reality is more complex, both as to what the president sought to do and as to the likely results.

China Assesses President Obama’s November 2011 Asia-Pacific Trip By Michael S. Chase (China Brief 11(23), Jamestown Foundation, Dec. 20, 2011) China’s reaction appeared to reflect not only some uncertainty about the motives underlying the most recent U.S. initiatives, but also deeper concern about the broader implications of the unfolding U.S. strategic “pivot” to Asia.

US’ Policy Shift toward Asia-Pacific Signals the Region’s Potential By Joseph Nye (Project Syndicate, Dec. 17, 2011) US policy toward China is different from Cold War containment of the Soviet bloc. Whereas the US and the Soviet Union had limited trade and social contact, the US is China’s largest overseas market.

Balancing the East, Upgrading the West By Zbigniew Brzezinski
(Foreign Affairs, Dec. 13, 2011) The United States' central challenge over the next several decades is to revitalize itself, while promoting a larger West and buttressing a complex balance in the East that can accommodate China's rising global status.

US Misses Its Cue in Pacific Theater By Yong Kwon
(Asia Times, Dec. 13, 2011) Washington acts like it is preparing for a new protracted Cold War to militarily and diplomatically contain Beijing, but its rationale is crude and the oversimplified method yields little actual changes for America's regional allies.

No, Hu Didn’t Call for War By M. Taylor Fravel
(China Power, Dec. 10, 2011) Hu’s statement didn’t reflect a change in policy or a new emphasis on preparing for war. His routine statement received more attention than it warranted.

Loosening the US-China Straitjacket By Robert Ayson
(PacNet #67A, Pacific Forum, CSIS, Dec. 6, 2011) Whether the US and China share or contest power in Asia will have a major bearing on the region’s security environment. But the regional order will also depend upon domestic political conditions in several of the larger regional countries.

The Australian Canary By Brad Glosserman
(PacNet #67, Pacific Forum, CSIS, Nov. 21, 2011) Hugh White makes a clear and plain case for strategic reorientation. Governments and publics throughout the region are facing a new world and they must understand the choices they face.

Burma in the US-China Great Game—Part II By Aung Zaw
(YaleGlobal, Dec. 7, 2011) Chinese leaders recognize that a stable Burma benefits the region. China does not want to lose influence or access to Burma’s rich natural resources, and Burma’s generals insist on maintaining strong ties.

Burma in the US-China Great Game—Part I By David I. Steinberg
(YaleGlobal, Dec. 5, 2011) Burma’s nationalistic armed forces seem intent on attempting to improve its image, while the Obama administration seeks to reaffirm US strategic interests in Southeast Asia. The long-term outlook may be uncertain, but after 50 long years, the relationship has been abruptly and amazingly transformed.

Taiwan’s 2012 Presidential Election, Evolving Sino-U.S. Relations, and the Prospect of Taiwan’s Security By Dalton Lin (Ballots & Bullets, Dec. 5, 2011) Changes in the Sino-U.S. relationship create great uncertainty for the future of cross-strait relations and Taiwan’s security, and each party will have unique challenges in navigating these shifts.

US-China Rivalry Over Burma’s Hand Intrigues Media
(BBC, Dec. 2, 2011) Southeast Asian Commentators have been picking over the bones of US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s recent visit to Burma, with some writers dubious about Washington’s motives for offering a hand to a pariah state.

Beijing Adopts Multi-Pronged Approach to Parry Washington’s Challenge By Willy Lam (China Brief 11(22), Jamestown Foundation, Nov. 30, 2011) Relations between China and the United States have taken a confrontational turn in the wake of a series of initiatives taken by President Barack Obama in his recent trip to Hawaii and Asia.

Greeted Quietly, Clinton Arrives in Myanmar By Steven Lee Myers
(New York Times, Dec. 1, 2011) An improved relationship with Myanmar could reshape American diplomacy in the region when the Obama administration is trying to shift its geopolitical focus toward Asia and the Pacific, in part to once again manage the dominance of China.

China Sees ‘Cold War’ in U.S.’s Australia Plan By Brian Spegele
(Wall Street Journal, Dec. 1, 2011) China's Ministry of National Defense criticized U.S. plans to establish a permanent military presence in Australia, accusing Washington of acting antagonistically in the region and perpetuating a Cold War mentality.

U.S. Motives in Myanmar Are on China’s Radar By Edward Wong
(New York Times, Nov. 30, 2011) The visit by Myanmar’s top general has become a subject of conversation among scholars and journalists because it came just two days before Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton is scheduled to visit Myanmar, the first appearance there by an American diplomat of that rank in 56 years.

Asia’s Month of Milestones By Gareth Evans
(Strait Times, Nov. 28, 2011) While maintaining absolute solidarity on existential issues, America's Asian allies need to demonstrate that they have minds and interests of their own on international policymaking - not least to ensure that the US does not take them for granted.

Beijing’s Message to Asia: If You Can’t Join ‘Em, Beat ‘Em By Elizabeth C. Economy (Asia Unbound, Nov. 22, 2011) After watching the United States once again be voted most popular, the message from China seems to be twofold: first, the United States is not one of us; second, we have more money, so you should be friends with us instead (or, by the way, you’ll be sorry).

America Pivots toward ASEAN By Donald K Emmerson
(Asia Times, Nov. 23, 2011) Southeast Asians here have not written off the United States. But they have, to a modest extent, written it down - and they could, in future, depending on events, write it back up. Indeed that upward tick may already have begun here in Bali with the first-ever presence of an American president, Barack Obama, at the EAS.

Obama’s Plan for America’s Pacific Century By Stewart M. Patrick
(Foreign Affairs, Nov. 25, 2011) The past week suggested the United States has much to gain diplomatically by outlining a future for Asia-Pacific order based on adherence to common multilateral principles. Like the U.S.-European Atlantic Charter of 1941, a “Pacific Charter” could help establish the U.S. as an Eastern power.

Whose Century, the 21st? By Pierre Buhler
(New York Times, Nov. 25, 2011) While post-World War II America secured its position in Europe through what resources it could muster, credit-worthiness and cutting-edge competitiveness, the America of today is a heavily indebted country paralyzed by political gridlock and burdened by low competitiveness in the tradable sector.

Obama and Asian Leaders Confront China’s Premier By Jackie Calmes (New York Times, Nov. 20, 2011) President Obama and nearly all the leaders at an Asian summit directly confronted China for its expansive claims to the resource-rich South China Sea, putting the Chinese premier on the defensive in the long-festering dispute.

US, China Role Play for ASEAN By Donald K Emmerson
(Asia Times, Nov. 19, 2011) China and the United States are reaffirming the tendency in Southeast Asia to see both in terms of specialized roles in the region: Beijing as the economic partner bringing prosperity and Washington as guarding the peace.

Obama’s Trip Sends Message to Asian Leaders By Jackie Calmes
(New York Times, Nov. 19, 2011) President Obama’s presence on Bali island telegraphed his main message: that the United States is turning its focus to the booming Asia-Pacific region after a decade of preoccupation with wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Is America Declining? By Chu Shulong
(Brookings, November 2011) The recent G-20 gathering in Cannes, the APEC meetings in Honolulu, and the East Asia Summit in Bali are not only showcases for globalization but also opportunities for global leadership. Chu Shulong examines a question that is discussed more and more in China and other countries: Is America declining?

Buildup Down Under By Rory Medcalf
(Foreign Policy, Nov. 17, 2011) The American president insisted his historic visit to Australia was not about China. But, of course, that’s exactly what it was about.

A Marine Base for Australia Irritates China By Jackie Calmes
(New York Times, Nov. 18, 2011) While the new military commitment is relatively modest, Mr. Obama has promoted it as the cornerstone of a strategy to confront more directly the challenge posed by China’s rapid advance as an economic and military power.

Obama’s More Muscular China Policy Sets Beijing on Edge
(AP, Nov. 17, 2011) While Beijing’s public response to President Barack Obama’s more muscular China policy has been muted, behind the scenes the U.S. president’s sudden moves to contest rising Chinese power are setting the capital on edge.

US, Asia Deepen Security Ties Amid China Challenge By Peter Enav
(AP, Nov. 16, 2011) The U.S. has deepened military ties with Asia in the past year, at once reassuring its partners of its commitment and capitalizing on mutual fears about China's rise.

As U.S. Looks to Asia, It Sees China Everywhere By Ian Johnson and Jackie Calmes (New York Times, Nov. 16, 2011) The United States is taking some first steps — bold in rhetoric, still mostly modest in practice — to prove to its Asian allies that it intends to remain a crucial military and economic power in the region.

Obama Seeks New Pacific Influence By Laura Meckler
(Asia Wall Street Journal, Nov. 14, 2011) "This trip is very much about extending a clear signal that the United States is going to be fully present in the economic, security and political future of the Asia-Pacific region, and it takes place in the context of a rising China," Ben Rhodes, a deputy national security adviser at the White House, said in an interview.

The United States and the East Asia Summit: A New Beginning? By David Capie and Amitav Acharya (PacNet #64, Pacific Forum, CSIS, Nov. 14, 2011) It might be tempting to assume that in shaping the expanded EAS the “ASEAN way” has triumphed over the “White House way.” However, these are early days and it remains to be seen whether US interest in the EAS is sustainable over time.

Obama Trip Stresses Ties to Economies Across Pacific By Jackie Clames (New York Times, Nov. 12, 2011) President Obama began an eight-day trip around the Pacific Rim to inaugurate what he hopes will be a new era in which engagement with the fast-growing economies of Asia is paramount.

America’s Pacific Century By Hillary Rodham Clinton
(Remarks at the East-West Center, Honolulu, Nov. 10, 2011) We remain committed to the One-China policy and the preservation of peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait. We have a strong relationship with Taiwan, an important security and economic partner, and we applaud the progress that we have seen in cross-Strait relations between China and Taiwan during the past three years and we look forward to continued improvement so there can be peaceful resolution of their differences.

Why Taiwan Matters By Kurt M. Campbell
(Testimony Before the House Foreign Affairs Committee, Oct. 4, 2011) An important part of this turn to Asia is maintaining a robust and multidimensional unofficial relationship with Taiwan and, consistent with this interest is the United States’ strong and enduring commitment to the maintenance of peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait.

The Trans-Pacific Partnership and the Rise of China By Bernard K. Gordon (Foreign Affairs, Nov. 7, 2011) Nations of the region need not succumb to the inevitability of a Pacific dominated by China. A Trans-Pacific Partnership composed of Japan, the United States, Australia, and the group’s smaller economies represents a healthier alternative—one that realists would recognize as a step toward a classic balance of power.

U.S. Pivots Eastward to Address Uneasy Allies By Elisabeth Bumiller (New York Times, Oct. 25, 2011) Mr. Panetta’s message, delivered the day before in Indonesia as well and certain to be repeated later this week when he travels to South Korea, is the new call of the Obama administration as it scrambles to project its power in Asia.

U.S. to Sustain Military Power in the Pacific, Panetta Says By Elisabeth Bumiller (New York Times, Oct. 24, 2011) Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta said that despite hundreds of billions of dollars in expected cuts to the Pentagon budget, the United States would remain a Pacific power even as China expanded its military presence in the region.

Debating the Pacific Century
(Foreign Policy, Oct. 14, 2011) In the November issue of Foreign Policy, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton argues that it’s time for the United States to move on from its costly wars in the Middle East and make a strategic “pivot” to Asia. FP asked four smart observers to take the measure of Clinton’s plans for engagement in the Far East.

Clinton Asia Article Omits Taiwan By William Lowther
(Taipei Times, Oct. 14, 2011) In a long and important commentary on Asia that will appear in the November issue of Foreign Policy journal, US Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton does not mention Taiwan once.