Reports & Papers
Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs Daniel Russel spoke at an “off-the-record” breakfast seminar at the Harvard Kennedy School on April 18. Assistant Secretary Russel reflected on his career, how Asia policy has been rethought by the Obama administration and how U.S. foreign policy impacts America’s “brand”.
Assistant Secretary Russel suggested that the US pivot to Asia is a permanent one. He noted that the Thucydides trap, which posits that rising powers and declining powers are likely to engage in conflict and has been popularized by the Belfer Center’s Graham Allison, was “not a law of physics”. Assistant Secretary Russel said that this challenge could be overcome by smart and thoughtful diplomacy in order to maintain peace in East Asia.
