EAST ASIA
September 2008
"Industrialized-Country Mitigation Policy and Resource Transfers to Developing Countries: Improving and Expanding Greenhouse Gas Offsets"
Discussion Paper
By Andrew G. Keeler and Alexander Thompson
"The role of developing country commitments and actions to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions is central to worldwide progress in reducing the risks of anthropogenic climate change. Industrialized-country governments and publics are increasingly concerned that their emissions reduction commitments are unrequited by action in some of the world's largest emitters, especially India and China. Developing countries respond by pointing to the historical responsibility of the global North and stressing their desire to avoid measures that could undermine economic development. This paper offers a proposal for partially resolving this impasse by enhancing existing mechanisms for greenhouse gas offsets, which allow rich countries to finance developing country actions and thereby transfer resources to poorer ones...."
AP Photo
September 2, 2008
"The Neocons vs. The Realists"
Magazine or Newspaper Article, The National Interest
By Joshua Muravchik and Stephen M. Walt, Robert and Renée Belfer Professor of International Affairs; Faculty Chair, International Security Program
"A must-read debate about our foreign-policy future. Does realism offer the best solutions to today’s threats? Or will neoconservatism be responsible for our policy triumphs? The choice is clear after eight years of failed Bush policies, says Walt, but Muravchik thinks the House of Kristol may well be vindicated." — National Interest
AP Photo
September 2, 2008
"Guns and Gold of August"
Op-Ed, The Korea Times
By Joseph S. Nye, Sultan of Oman Professor of International Relations
"...Military force is obviously a source of hard power, but the same resource can sometimes contribute to soft power behavior. The impressive job by the American military in providing humanitarian relief after the Indian Ocean tsunami in 2004 and the South Asian earthquake in 2005 helped restore America's attractiveness....By bombing, blockading, and occupying many parts of Georgia, delaying its withdrawal, parading blindfolded Georgian soldiers, and failing to protect Georgian citizens, Russia lost its claims to legitimacy and sowed fear and mistrust in much of the world...."
AP Photo
September 1, 2008
"China's Winning Olympic Spirit"
Op-Ed, The Boston Globe
By Xiaohui (Anne) Wu, Associate, International Security Program/Project on Managing the Atom and Jason Qian
"...The "one world, one dream" ideal even transcended Chinese nationalism when some globetrotting Chinese coaches led foreign teams in the Games. Indeed, many Chinese felt proud of the Chinese gymnastics coach of US gold medalist Shawn Johnson and the Chinese coach of the US silver-winning women's volleyball team. One dream for the world's celebration of sports does not sound like such an empty slogan in such cases...."
AP Photo
August 24, 2008
"Soft Power and Beijing Olympics"
Op-Ed, Real Clear World
By Joseph S. Nye, Sultan of Oman Professor of International Relations
"The enrollment of foreign students in China has tripled from 36,000 to 110,000 over the past decade, and the number of foreign tourists has also increased dramatically to 17 million per year even before the Olympics. In addition, China has created some 200 Confucius Institutes around the world to teach its language and culture, and while the Voice of America was cutting its Chinese broadcasts from 19 to 14 hours a day, China Radio International was increasing its broadcasts in English to 24 hours a day.
But just as China’s economic and military power does not yet match that of the United States', China’s soft power still has a long way to go...."
August 13, 2008
"Climate of Security"
Op-Ed, The Korea Times
By Joseph S. Nye, Sultan of Oman Professor of International Relations
"...Climate change will put stress on weak governments in poor countries and may lead to an increase in the number of failed states and become an indirect source of international conflict. United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon argued in 2007 that the Darfur conflict 'began as an ecological crisis, arising in part from climate change.'
Such direct and indirect effects from human activity, while not malevolent in intention like terrorism, argue for a broadening of our concept of security and the adoption of new policies...."
AP Photo
August 11, 2008
"China's Quick Fall, Slow Return to Glory"
Op-Ed, The Boston Globe
By Philip Auerswald, Associate, Science, Technology, and Public Policy Program
"...China's resurgence extends to a domain in which the country has historically been weak: science and technology. Twenty years ago, China was not on the list of the top 10 exporters of high-tech products; today it is number one. The United States remains the world leader with regard to research and development investments, but in China such spending has for over a decade been growing at a remarkable 19 percent per year — more than six times the US rate...."
AP Photo
August 10, 2008
"Rare Opportunity to Know China"
Op-Ed, The Korea Times
By Shacheng Wang, Former Research Fellow, International Security Program, 2007-2008
"...'the habit of secrecy' has been one of the central elements of Chinese political activities in the past. But now, China is trying to offer the world a crystal-clear picture of itself, a phenomenon clearly proven by its rigorous and open coverage of the May 12 earthquake in Sichuan. China's improvements regarding information disclosure should be viewed in light of its 30-year reform and opening-up program, which began in 1978...."
AP Photo
August 9, 2008
"Chinese, Russian Stall Tactics on Iran"
Op-Ed, The Boston Globe
By Joshua Gleis, Associate, International Security Program
"...The Chinese and Russians say they do not support stronger sanctions because they don't believe in their effectiveness. Off the record, however, both countries recognize that any form of sanctions that restrict their own business ventures is not going to stop the Iranians from pursuing their end goal of acquiring nuclear weapons.Thus in the meantime, the Russians and Chinese are angling themselves to maximize the economic benefits of such a precarious state of affairs in the Middle East...."
July 2008
"Denuclearization of the DPRK—A Role for the United Nations?"
Paper, volume 3
By Xiaohui (Anne) Wu, Associate, International Security Program/Project on Managing the Atom
"The denuclearization of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) continues to be a source of considerable international concern. Yet, no coherent international framework has emerged to deal with this challenge in parallel with the regional mechanism of the six-party talks. With the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) Review Conference set for 2010, appropriately addressing the DPRK nuclear issue is being identified as essential to maintaining the strength of the NPT. Can the United Nations (UN) afford to take a back seat in attempts at resolution?This article examines the potential of, and prospects for, an active UN role in facilitating Pyongyang's denuclearization process. Anne Wu's paper examines the potential of, and prospects for, an active UN role in facilitating Pyongyang's denuclearization process."
