The simmering tensions in East Asia are echoes of Washington’s Cold War intrigues—and the Pentagon’s not-so-secret plans for battle with China.
Parsing the East Asian Powder Keg
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Japan
Is Japan’s Peace Constitution Dead?
Despite its peace constitution, Japan boasts one of the largest militaries in the world.
Enough Undeclared Plutonium to Make 80 Nuclear Bombs? No Problem — if You’re Not Iran
What country failed to reveal a massive amount of plutonium to the International Atomic Energy Agency?
Seeking Justice—Or at Least the Truth—for “Comfort Women”
A growing global movement is ensuring that if the Japanese government won’t hold itself to account for its crimes against women, then history will.
China: Harmony vs. Power
China’s increased military spending might not preclude its “peaceful rise,” but Beijing isn’t inspiring any confidence among its neighbors.
Obama’s Half-Pivot to Asia
If Obama thought his short pass through Pacific would boost the much-vaunted U.S. “pivot” to Asia, he soon discovered that the world is not cooperating with his best-laid plans.
Obama in Asia: Washington Extracts Rent-free Basing from the Philippines
By linking itself to Washington in its territorial disputes with China, the Philippines risks getting caught up in a superpower conflict.
World Cuts Back Military Spending, But Not Asia
Driven by a rising China and arms exports from the United States, military spending in Asia is on the increase.
In Praise of Apologies
When a government refuses to apologize for war crimes, it means it would be willing to commit them again.
Looking Backwards, Pivoting Sideways
Washington’s past and present foreign policies are sustaining the fraught security environment in East Asia.