Asia & the Pacific

While personality has often played a role in high-stakes diplomatic negotiations in the past—for better or worse—experts say successful negotiations depend just as much on professionals who carefully prepare the groundwork. 

Stephen Walt discusses Donald Trump's genuine insights about America's international problems. He then analyzes what went wrong.

In the aftermath of the Hanoi Summit, the Belfer Center convened aHarvard Korea Working Group Speaker Series event to assess summit outcomes.

The author analyzes the policy implications of the U.S. January 2019 Missile Defense Review.

While veteran diplomat Nick Burns calls the president's order an 'overreach,' Republican consultant Scott Jennings says he's making strides internationally.

Paul Behringer writes that Donald Trump seems unbound by establishment thinking in Washington and could strike a deal that runs counter even to John Bolton, his hawkish national security advisor.

The authors write that Vietnam will play host to a critical meeting between Donald Trump and Kim Jong Un, and it will benefit from their peace efforts regardless of the outcome.

It was finally revealed by Trump via his usual communication channel – Twitter – that Hanoi was the venue for the much-anticipated meeting. It is most likely that the choice of venue was made with consent from Kim; thus the decision also gave clues as to North Korea’s intentions in participating in, and plans for the upcoming Hanoi summit.

Joseph  Nye writes that the danger of a cosmetic "breakthrough" at the next meeting would be if the Trump administration allows it to weaken U.S. alliances with Japan and South Korea.

The release of the Missile Defense Review is important but not because of what it tells us about the Trump administration’s priorities in the next few years. Its significance lies in the openness with which its authors in the Pentagon have chosen to discuss the purpose that the system is meant to serve.