Regional relationships
Should the US retrench from South Korea? Part 2: No
A couple of days ago I laid out the arguments for a US withdrawal from South Korea. Today, I lay out the arguments for staying.
This topic is rarely discussed. In the US, the…
China-Japan competition: Hugh White responds
The four excellent responses to my post on China-Japan relations all present important points about Japan's situation and its options in the face of China's growing power. Just…
Should the US retrench from South Korea? Yes
Over at War on the Rocks, Christopher Lee (a former officer in the US Forces Korea [USFK]) and Tom Nichols (of the US Naval War College) have gotten into a useful debate on…
MH17: Could a re-energised Europe rescue the Obama Doctrine?
It is always morbid to talk of what ground nations might gain from disasters such as the downing of Malaysian Airlines Flight 17, but international politics has never been a…
Abe's Canberra speech: Dispelling doubts
Prime Minister Abe's carefully crafted speech to the Australian parliament gave credence to Prime Minister Abbott's much tut-tutted claim that Japan is Australia's best friend in…
Middle powers in Asia: The limits of realism
In the world of international relations theory, the realist paradigm reigns supreme. In large part, this is because it has core features that exert strong appeal beyond the…
Japan-ROK relations: History debate a dangerous indulgence
The Korea-Japan dispute over history is back yet again, with the Japanese Government this week releasing a 'review' of the drafting of the 'Kono Statement.'
That statement is the…
The US and the international power structure: Reviewing 'Still Ours to Lead'
The rapidly escalating situation in Iraq is a major test for US foreign policy. President Obama, who outlined in his West Point address a policy of selective US engagement and…
Allure of normalcy: America's first-order foreign policy issues
Last week saw the publishing of Robert Kagan's latest essay for New Republic magazine: 'Allure of Normalcy: what America still owes the world'. It is a magisterial contribution…
West Point speech neglects East Asian security
Amid tensions in the South China Sea and new alarm about a China-Russia alignment, President Obama's speech at West Point sends some confusing signals to the countries of Indo…