Thursday, October 13, 2011

Connecting to Japan


HOW DOES JAPANESE RAILROAD TECHNOLOGY CONTRIBUTE TO THE LOW-CARBON SOCIETY? 10/17, 1:00-2:00pm, Washington, DC. Sponsor: US-Japan Research Institute (USJI). Speaker: Mr. Masaki Ogata, Vice Chairman of East Railway Company (JR East). 

WHAT COMES AFTER THE GREAT EASTERN JAPAN EARTHQUAKE? IMPLICATIONS ON THE JAPANESEAND EAST ASIAN ECONOMY, AS WELL AS GLOBAL ENERGY SECURITY AND NUCLEAR POLICY. 10/18, 10:30am-Noon, Washington, DC.  Sponsor: U.S.-Japan Research Institute (USJI). Speakers: Hironori Kawauchi, Senior Economist, East Asia and Pacific Region, World Bank; Jane Nakano, Fellow, Energy and National Security Program, CSIS; Stratos Tavoulareas, Energy Adviser, Energy Technologies Enterprise Corporation; Yosihaki Abe, Operating Adviser, USJI. 

NOW AND MORE THAN EVER BEFORE: PROMOTING INTELLECTUAL EXCHANGES BETWEEN THE U.S. AND JAPAN. 10/25, 12:00-2:00pm, Washington, DC. Sponsor: Japan Commerce Association of Washington. Speaker: Dr. L. Gordon Flake, Executive Director, Maureen and Mike Mansfield Foundation; Dr. Kent Calder, Director, Edwin O. Reischauer Center for East Asian Studies, SAIS, Johns Hopkins University. 

Republican Presidential Hopefuls Views of Asia


This week, both Mitt Romney and Jon Huntsman released their views on foreign policy and gave speeches focused on America’s world obligations. Both seem to acknowledge that maritime security in the Pacific will be a focus of their Administrations. Both believe that Americans must lead. Most interesting, there is nearly no mention of Japan or Korea in their statements. Huntsman even suggests that India, not Japan, should become a permanent member of the the UN Security Council.

Below are links to their statements and papers as well as quotes. Neither Herman Cain nor Rick Perry have yet outlined their foreign policy views. Mr. Cain, however, says he is prepared for those "gotcha" questions by reporters covering his campaign for president. He told a reporter that he plans to simply answer "I don't know" if he is asked, Cain said. "And when they ask me who is the president of Ubeki-beki-beki-beki-stan-stan, I'm going to say you know, I don't know. Do you know?"


MITT ROMNEY
Speech

US as #1
God did not create this country to be a nation of followers. America is not destined to be one of several equally balanced global powers. America must lead the world, or someone else will. Without American leadership, without clarity of American purpose and resolve, the world becomes a far more dangerous place, and liberty and prosperity would surely be among the first casualties.

China
China has made it clear that it intends to be a military and economic superpower. Will her rulers lead their people to a new era of freedom and prosperity or will they go down a darker path, intimidating their neighbors, brushing aside an inferior American Navy in the Pacific, and building a global alliance of authoritarian states?

No mention of Japan or Korean Alliances
And I will bolster and repair our alliances. Our friends should never fear that we will not stand by them in an hour of need. I will reaffirm as a vital national interest Israel’s existence as a Jewish state. I will count as dear our Special Relationship with the United Kingdom. And I will begin talks with Mexico, to strengthen our cooperation on our shared problems of drugs and security.

Military buildup

Among these actions will be to restore America’s national defense. I will reverse the hollowing of our Navy and announce an initiative to increase the shipbuilding rate from 9 per year to 15. I will begin reversing Obama-era cuts to national missile defense and prioritize the full deployment of a multilayered national ballistic missile defense system. I will order the formulation of a national cybersecurity strategy, to deter and defend against the growing threats of militarized cyber-attacks, cyber-terrorism, and cyber-espionage.

White Paper
Advisers


JON HUNTSMAN
Speech and Video
Advisers

The world needs American leadership now more than ever. Yet we are struggling to provide it.

President Obama’s policies have weakened America, and thus diminished America’s presence on the global stage.We must correct our course.

Only Pakistan can save Pakistan. Only Afghanistan can save Afghanistan. And right now we should focus on America saving America. Our future is not in the Hindu Kush Mountains of Afghanistan.

I have come to believe that we are embarking on a Pacific Century…in which America must and will play a dominant role....Embracing this reality may bring a dramatic change to the look of our military. The Asia Pacific is a maritime theater whereas Europe was mostly a land theater.

Our relationship with China has been a transactional one for 40 years. We buy their products. They buy our bonds. But for a truly healthy relationship, we need to infuse the relationship with shared values.

And recognizing India’s emerging role, I will also support our ally’s bid to become a permanent member of the U.N. Security Council, as is fitting a country representing one-sixth of humanity.

Foreign Policy Outline

It’s all about the economy
To be good abroad, we must be great at home. America's competitive advantages are impermanent and can be squandered if we are not wise in the management of our resources and in choosing when and where to exercise our power. Through dramatic overhaul of our tax system and aggressive regulatory reform, we can once again unleash our creative class and give the American entrepreneur the chance to succeed.

Alliances but no mention of Japan or Korea
The international environment is rapidly changing, and the foundation for United States foreign policy should remain rooted in our traditional alliances. But we must also craft wise policies with respect to the new great powers. India can be a more valued strategic partner to the United States, and a better and more effective approach to the China relationship is also needed.

Asia
No distinct sidebar link to Asia but one to “Central Asia” (bet he knows the president of Uzbekistan) and a mention of Asian countries, but not China in “Trade.”

The United States should immediately initiate bilateral negotiations with Japan, India, Taiwan and Brazil, with the goal of concluding new free trade agreements with each.

Addresses Chinese Expansionism


The Sasakawa Peace Foundation USA and Asia Policy Point Cordially Invite You To

Addressing Chinese Expansionism
Maritime Security in East Asia

Wednesday, October 26, 2011
4:00-5:30 PM

Dr. Yoichiro Sato
Director of International Strategic Studies
Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University

Dr. Yoichiro Sato is Professor and Director of International Strategic Studies at Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University. Previously, he taught diplomats and military officers at the Asia-Pacific Center for Security Studies of the U.S. Department of Defense.  He is a co-editor with G. John Ikenberry and Takashi Inoguchi of the new book, The U.S.-Japan Security Alliance: Regional Multilateralism.  His other major works include Japan in a Dynamic Asia (co-edited with Satu Limaye, 2006), Norms, Interests, and Power in Japanese Foreign Policy (co-edited with Keiko Hirata, 2008), and The Rise of China and International Security (co-edited with Kevin Cooney, 2008). Dr. Sato received his BA in Law from Keio University, MA in International Studies from University of South Carolina and PhD in Political Science from University of Hawaii.

Sasakawa Peace Foundation USA
1819 L Street, NW, Suite 300
Washington, DC

Reservations Necessary
Contact Mr. Jonathan Bender, apprsvp@gmail.com, with your name, affiliation, and contact information by Tuesday, October 25th or call Asia Policy Point at (202) 822-6040. 

Space is limited

The Intellectual Korean Wave

After Kimchi and Winter Sonata: The Intellectual Korean Wave

APP member Emanuel Pastreich published the following critique of the "Korean Wave" in the Korea IT Times on August 16, 2011.

The Korean Wave (hallyu) has swept the world. Korea's romantic songs, thrilling movies and compelling television dramas have captured the imagination of a new generation-and quite a few from the previous generation. Although the mystique of Korean popular culture first took root in Japan and China, it has crept through Southeast and Central Asia and is now rolling into the Middle East and South America. Moreover, the Korean wave has extended to fashion and cosmetics, food and sports.

Nevertheless, although the Korean Wave has vastly enhanced Korea's visibility, we find that further up in the food chain the Korean Wave has not started in earnest. The truth is that most intellectuals in the United States, Europe or even Japan cannot name any Korean writers, have not read the essays of Korea's major intellectuals, and have little sense of the depth of Korea's history. We do not see English translations of articles by major Korean journalists appearing in the New York Times, and although President Obama may praise Korean education, he does not cite Korean experts.

But as someone living in Korea, someone who reads Korean books and journals, visits Korean galleries and talks with Korean intellectuals, I can affirm that there is plenty over here that deserves to be introduced to the world in a big way.

The highest priority is for us to introduce Korea's cultural past. There is an incredible wealth of writings by Koreans on Buddhism, Confucianism, self, and society produced over the last two millennia that has barely been touched. In most cases, those translations of the Korean classics that do exist were part of rushed projects to get out large amounts of text in short periods of time. We need scholars like Arthur Waley whose loving translation of Japan's Tale of Genji made it an essential part of literature classes around the world, or David Hawkes whose remarkable translation of China's Dream of the Red Chamber has made the novel a favorite. When the translations are of the highest caliber, international politicians and pundits will start to quote the great Koreans of the past. Only then will it no longer appear as if Korea suddenly stepped out onto the global stage in the 1980s.

Korean traditional medicine is a growth field. Korean scholarship on acupuncture and herbs is in many respects more comprehensive than what is available in China and Japan. And yet even as scholars at Harvard Medical School are taking a deeper interest in oriental medicine, little is available about Korea's great medical tradition in English. Kyung Hee University's Kim Nam-il's translation of "Donguibogam" (Principles and Practice of Eastern Medicine) into English is a critical first step, but more steps are needed.