Regional Issues

~ 2001 ; 2002

Putin to Sign Key Deals That Will Strengthen China Ties
(Straits Times, Dec. 1, 2002) Russian President Putin arrives in Beijing for a three-day visit during which both sides are expected to give mutual assurances on their respective warming of relations with Washington.

Beijing Courts Putin with Defense Links
(CNN.com, Nov. 26, 2002) Chinese President Jiang Zemin hopes talks with Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin early next week will consolidate bilateral partnership in areas including fighting terrorism and defense cooperation.

ASEAN and China Make Political Breakthrough on South China Seas
(AFP, Nov. 2, 2002) The 10 members of ASEAN and China have made a major political breakthrough to prevent an escalation of tensions in the disputed South China Seas.

Singapore's Military Training Facilities to Go to China
(AFP, Sep. 23, 2002) Singapore has decided to move at least part of the military training facilities it has had in Taiwan for more than two decades to China.

Jiang Hails China-Russia Relations
(CNN.com, Aug. 24, 2002) Chinese President Jiang Zemin has celebrated an improvement in relations with Russia during a meeting in Beijing with visiting Premier Mikhail Kasyanov.

China Seeking Warmer Ties in SE Asia
(Reuters, July 29, 2002) China, wary about US influence in Southeast Asia, will seek in Brunei this week to strengthen ties with its southern neighbors while fending off US accusations it exports weapons of mass destruction.

ASEAN Agrees on Spratly Islands Code of Conduct
(AP, July 27, 2002) Southeast Asian officials adopted a joint position Friday on a possible treaty with mainland China to prevent military conflicts over disputed regions in the South China Sea.

China Building Up Claims
(AP, July 16, 2002) China is building up its strength in the potentially oil-rich South China Sea to reinforce its claims there, even while talking with rival nations about peacefully resolving disputes in the region.

Asian Security Group Holds Summit
(AP, June 7, 2002) The leaders of Russia, China and four Central Asian nations converged on Russia's imperial capital Friday for a summit intended to bolster the status of their security group and tighten efforts to fight terrorism.

Jiang Pushes to Boost 'Shanghai 6'
(CNN.com, June 5, 2002) Chinese President Jiang Zemin is hopeful that maintaining peace in South Asia and fighting terrorism will restore momentum to the lackluster Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO).

China, ASEAN Officials Discuss Free Trade Area
(People’s Daily, May 14, 2002) Senior economic officials from China and ASEAN (the Association of Southeast Asian Nations) met in Beijing to discuss the establishment of a China-ASEAN Free Trade Area.

After 30 years, Russia to Hold Drills with China
(Straits Times, April 28, 2002) China and Russia are planning to hold joint military exercises for the first time in more than 30 years. The drills, which will take place sometime in August, will involve all three branches of the armed forces from both countries.

Southeast Asia Sees China as Export Boon
(International Herald Tribune, April 27, 2002)
As China undertakes reforms following its entry into the World Trade Organization, and edges past Japan as a regional economic powerhouse, expectations of gain are now starting to outweigh the fear of losses.

India, China Sign Accord to Fight Terror, Boost Trade
(AP, Jan. 16, 2002) Joint working group set up to settle 40-year-old boundary dispute. India and China agreed to cooperate in fight against terrorism and declared that their relationship does not rely on their vastly different views of Pakistan -- a rival to India and a friend to China.

Watch for Shifts in Alliance Patterns in East Asia By Robyn Lim
(International Herald Tribune, Dec. 24, 2002) Even though South Korea's president-elect, Roh Moo Hyun, has now softened his stance on relations with Washington, last Thursday's election result is likely to provoke a crisis in the U.S.-South Korean alliance.

Last Chance for East Asian Integration By Tang Shiping
(Straits Times, Nov. 18, 2002) As a region still plagued by age-old distrust and rivalries, East Asia only caught up with the idea of regional economic integration after the Asian financial crisis. What is missing most in the picture is leadership.

FTA with Asean a Safety Cushion for China By Sheng Lijun
(Straits Times, Nov. 8, 2002) For China, the process of working for an FTA with its South-east Asian neighbours is just as important as the outcome itself.

China-Asean Trade Pact - A Landmark Agreement? By Chua Lee Hoong
(Straits Times, Nov. 4, 2002) It sets out how the two parties will cooperate in trade liberalisation, and has a list of some 600 products, mostly agricultural, targeted for 'early harvest' in tariff reduction by next year.

Slow and Not-So-Easygoing ASEAN Talks with China
(Straits Times, Oct. 9, 2002) Leaders from China and the 10-member Asean will make a formal move to create a free-trade area at their summit meeting in Cambodia next month. But will it be more than mere symbolism?

ASEM: A Forum to Balance US Power By Eric Teo
(Straits Times, Oct. 2, 2002) Asians have recognised the rise of European power, and have begun studying the European integration process, even though they will apply the lessons learnt in its own way within the Asian context.

ASEAN Wins Friends as China Attraction Grows By Patrick Chalmers
(Reuters, Sep. 16, 2002) The two sides agreed a fast-track, partial introduction of ASEAN's China free trade area from 2004, with full implementation in 2011.

Are Japanese Businesses Leaving for China? By Linda Collins
(Straits Times, Sep. 15, 2002) Will Japanese investments that used to head South-East Asia's way move north to China now that the dragon has awakened? New official Japanese figures show however that these fears are groundless - for the moment.

Which Path for East Asia? By Hilton L. Root
(Washington Post, August 16, 2002) East Asia will find most comfort if the United States sits down with China and Japan to work out the basis for trilateral cooperation that will provide the bedrock for future security and growth in the region.

ARF Comes Back to Life
(Editorial, Japan Times, Aug. 6, 2002) The Association of Southeast Asian Nations has signed up in the war against terrorism. That is the key development from the annual meeting of the ASEAN Regional Forum.

A Regional Forum That Could Do Better By John Brandon
(International Herald Tribune, July 31, 2002) Asia lacks the kind of regional security framework that exists in Europe. Still, the ASEAN Regional Forum provides an opportunity to bring together, under a single security umbrella.

Asian Multilateralism By Ralph Cossa
(Japan Times, July 30, 2002) Multilateral dialogue seems to be taking on new energy in Asia. Four new high-level Asian multilateral forums have been established in the last few months, even as existing organizations continue to thrive.

Powell's Visit to S-E Asia Comes at Crucial Time By Marvin Ott
(Straits Times, July 23, 2002) United States Secretary of State Colin Powell will be visiting South-east Asia at the end of the month at a time of flux for American policy.

Japan, South Korea Wary of Following U.S. By Doug Struck
(Washington Post, July 22, 2002) Corporate scandals and the Bush administration's go-it-alone decisions have helped make Japan and South Korea, the staunchest U.S. allies in Asia, increasingly uneasy about following the American lead.

Can Asian Think-Tanks Think? By Shefali Rekhi
(Straits Times, July 21, 2002) Yes, Asian think-tanks certainly can think. Some have done sterling, ground-breaking research while others have succeeded in influencing changes in government policy.

A Problem for China to Solve By Philip Bowring
(International Herald Tribune, July 11, 2002) North Korea is now a bigger a problem for its last remaining friend, China, than for its foes. What can China do about this prickly and recalcitrant?

Sino-Russian Ties a Dilemma for America
(Taiwan News, July 10, 2002) Russia's arms sales and military cooperation with China is presently the focus of much attention. Given the fact that Russia is a key confederate of the United States in its worldwide war on terrorism.

No Reason to Bury 'Sunshine' By Tom Plate
(Japan Times, July 5, 2002) Last Saturday's fierce 21-minute naval gun battle between the two Koreas was unfortunate and tragic for several reasons. The deadly duel splashed cold water on South Korea's sudden place in the sun.

ASEAN Must Continue to Drive ARF By Felix Soh
(Straits Times, July 3, 2002) A critical view of the 23-member Asean Regional Forum, which will convene in Brunei early next month, is that the business of the region's security has become too complex and too challenging for the Asean countries to handle.

ASEAN Members Rule Out Military Cooperation By David R. Sands
(Washington Times, June 28, 2002) The Association of Southeast Asian Nations has boosted counterterrorism and intelligence links since the September 11 attacks, but the 10-nation bloc has no plans to transform itself into a military alliance.

A Path to East Asian Stability By Mitchell B. Reiss
(International Herald Tribune, June 22, 2002) By embedding Japan's growing military might in a multinational structure, the United States can help provide greater security in East Asia.

Peace Looks Fragile in Asia By Paul Dibb
(International Herald Tribune, June 19, 2002) Asia is one of the most heavily armed parts of the globe. There are almost 10 million men in the region's armed forces. Real defense spending has increased by almost 30 percent since 1985.

War on Terror to Have Asian Side Effects By Michael J. Momtesano and Quek Ser Hwee
(Japan Times, June 17, 2002) The years between the end of the Cold War and the attacks of last September saw the United States groping for an organizing vision of world affairs and of its role in shaping those affairs.

Asem Fatigue: Was Madrid a Symptom or Cure? By Grace Sung
(Straits Times, June 11, 2002) The Asia-Europe Meeting (Asem) is not quite in limbo, as some of its critics claim. Only four of the 15 European Union countries were represented by full ministers. And out of the 10 Asian members of the grouping, three sent lower-level officials.

Wider Military Ties With India Offer U.S. Diplomatic Leverage
(New York Times, June 10, 2002) From the start of President Bush's term, some influential officials in his administration saw India as a potential counterweight to that other Asian behemoth, China, whose growing power was seen as a potential strategic threat.

Nuclear Arms Taboo Is Challenged in Japan By Howard W. French
(New York Times, June 9, 2002) Alarmed by the rising power of China and anxious about the effectiveness of security guarantees from the United States, some of Japan's most powerful politicians have begun to consider breaking with a half-century-old policy of pacifism by acquiring nuclear weapons.

Asians Need a Regional Security Net By James Goodby and Kenneth Weisbrode
(International Herald Tribune, June 5, 2002) Where are the gentlemen's agreements between China and the United States, Japan and China, Russia and Japan? The region's laissez-faire approach to security, in marked contrast to the way of Europe, has made all of China's neighbors nervous.

Beijing Must Walk a Fine Line on Asylum By Frank Ching
(Japan Times, June 1, 2002) It is extremely awkward for China to be in the position of having to choose between Pyongyang and Seoul. But last week, once again, it chose to let asylum seekers in highly publicized cases go to South Korea rather than send them back to North Korea.

US-Russia Summit Worries China By Ching Cheong
(Straits Times, May 31, 2002) China will be affected adversely by the recent United States-Russia summit that has, according to the Chinese, resulted in a complete assimilation of Russia into the American orbit.

East Asia Has Cause for Confidence By Philip Bowring
(International Herald Tribune, May 29, 2002) Clouds from the Asian crisis linger, Japan's stagnation remains intractable, China's success is flawed, Indonesia wears its ailments on its sleeve. But, all things considered, East Asia is again looking to be the most promising place on the planet.

Russian Stance Troubles China By Willy Lam
(CNN.com, May 23, 2002) While relations with the U.S. will likely remain difficult for the foreseeable future, Beijing has a new headache on the geopolitical front: Russia. Moscow has given successive indications of its leanings towards the U.S. and the West rather than China.

On Hong Kong's Self-Censorship By Jasper Becker
(Taipei Times, May 21, 2002) No jackboots are to be seen marching through Hong Kong's sleek shopping malls, but a distinct whiff of totalitarianism is in the air.

ASEAN's Military Buildup Threatens Detente with China By Alan Boyd
(Asia Times, May 8, 2002) Resurgent arms spending in Southeast Asia threatens to derail detente efforts with China as US pressure forces a strategic polarization with the shrinking communist bloc.

Brookings Northeast Asia Survey
(Brookings Institution, April 2002) In 2001, security relationships in Northeast Asia shifted in striking and important ways. Japan expanded its security role without recourse to constitutional revision, while the optimism of 2000 on the Korean peninsula gave way to a sense of lost opportunity.

Assessing the Bush Administration's Policy for Northeast Asia
(Brookings Institution, April 3, 2002) Peter Brookes: “One only has to look at the PRC's continuing deployment of military forces across the Taiwan Strait to see that regrettably peaceful resolution cannot be taken for granted.”

A New Korean Nuclear Crisis? By Bates Gill
(Newsweek Korea, April 3, 2002) The past two months have witnessed a number of dramatic shifts in the U.S.-North Korean nuclear dynamic. And at the moment, these events are shaping up in a way that suggests a new nuclear crisis on the not-too-distant horizon for the Peninsula.

China, US and Japan should Seek Common Ground: Analysis
(People’s Daily, April 1, 2002) The three major Asia-Pacific powers - China, the United States, and Japan - should seek a common ground to serve the needs for peace and security in the region and the world at large. All countries should embrace the notion of "self-restraint," realizing that their free actions are confined by other countries.

Southeast Asia Needs More Attention By Catharin Dalpino and Bridget Welsh
(International Herald Tribune, Feb. 14, 2002) Southeast Asia remains an inherently moderate region, but the arrests are a reminder that such a situation cannot be taken for granted. These developments are also a wake-up call that U.S. relations with Southeast Asia are in serious disrepair. The region is a policy backwater in Washington.

China Seeks to Stem India's Budding Military Ties With U.S. By Brahma Chellaney
(International Herald Tribune, Jan. 19, 2002) After seeking to contain India through direct and surrogate means, China is signaling its intent to be more responsive to Indian concerns in an effort to dissuade New Delhi from forging a close strategic partnership with Washington.

Southeast Asia Warms to Japanese Military Role By Dan Eaton
(Reuters, Jan. 11, 2002) The sight of the first Japanese warships steaming into Asian waters since World War Two sent a shudder through China. But for nations in Southeast Asia, fearful of China's growing influence, that alone was one reason to welcome Japan's new military role -- albeit cautiously.