The East-West Center in Washington enhances US engagement and dialogue with the Asia-Pacific region through access to the programs and expertise of the Center and policy relevant research, publications and outreach activities, including those of the US Asia-Pacific Council.
1/14 Upcoming Event: Politics and Sport in Asia
January 14, 12:30-2:00 pm: Dr. Victor Cha of Georgetown University will discuss the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games in the context of sport in Asia by examining the convergence of sport with national identity, nationalism, political intent, and globalization. Please RSVP to RSVPDC@EastWestCenter.org.
Launch: New Website Offers Graphical Data on U.S.-Asia Connections
Nov. 10 – It’s well known that Asia has key relationships with the United States, but less widely understood is the importance these relationships hold for individual U.S. states and even congressional districts. Now this information is readily available in user-friendly graphic formats at AsiaMattersforAmerica.org, a new, interactive website that provides an online hub for viewers to explore the importance of Asia to specific U.S. areas. Read more...
Event: A Japanese Perspective on Cross-Strait Relations
December 16 - Though Japan’s engagement with cross-strait disputes is limited compared to the United States, Japan’s presence in the region causes it to observe the relations between China and Taiwan very closely. In an East-West Center Asia-Pacific Security Seminar, Dr. Yasuhiro Matsuda of the University of Tokyo described recent developments in cross-strait relations, the attempts of the Japanese government to balance its relationship with both Taiwan and China, and current Japanese perceptions of the precarious peace across the Taiwan Strait. Read more...
APB: China and the Global Financial Crisis
The impacts of the global financial crisis are now rippling across the globe, diminishing the demand for a broad range of goods and services and therefore raising the prospect of hard landings in emerging economies dependent on exports. The case of China is illustrative of how the broader economic downturn created by the global financial crisis is reverberating in Asia. Read more...
December 11– Though relations between South and North Korea have soured in recent months, new policies being pursued by the new South Korean government of President Lee Myung-bak may build a framework towards a more harmonious Korean Peninsula. In an East-West Center in Washington Democracy & Human Rights Seminar, Ambassador Jhe Seong-Ho, the Republic of Korea’s ambassador at large for human rights, described the shortcomings in South Korea’s past policies towards North Korea and described the measures being taken by South Korea’s new president to attempt to improve relations between the two countries. Read more...
Please note that the audio link on this page features the entire event, including Korean remarks and English translation. If you wish to listen to only the English discussion from this event, please proceed to the event page here.
Event: Beyond Militant Resistance: The Non-Armed Members of Ethno-National Groups in Burma/Myanmar
December 5 - Though most analyses of minority groups in Burma/Myanmar concentrate on violent resistance movements, there is a segment of the minority population that is trying to pursue its private and collective interests in non-violent ways within the boundaries set by the state. In this East-West Center in Washington seminar, Dr. Ardeth Thawnghmung, an East-West Center in Washington visiting fellow funded by the Luce Foundation, detailed the activities of non-violent members of the ethno-national minority groups Karen, Shan, Mon, and Kachin, and described how their activities are affecting their communities, their co-ethnic members in the armed movement, and the Burmese military state. Read more...
December 2 - Despite a history of violence and instability, the small island nation of Timor-Leste has experienced a promising ten months of stability. In an East-West Center in Washington event, U.S. Ambassador to Timor-Leste Hans G. Klemm described the current state of Timor-Leste’s national development and discussed the future prospects of this poorest nation in Asia. He explained that though there are many challenges to overcome, the recent period of peace provides an opportunity for the nation to concentrate on its long-term development. Read more...
Event: U.S. Engagement in the Asia Pacific: The Decision to Join the Trans-Pacific Strategic Economic Partnership
October 30 - The Asia Pacific region is one of growing economic importance to the United States. Recent trade and economic developments in the region have created new opportunities and challenges for the United States as it seeks to deepen its engagement with this commercially and strategically significant area of the world. In an East-West Center event, Barbara Weisel, Assistant U.S. Trade Representative for Southeast Asia and the Pacific at the Office of the United States Trade Representative, focused on these developments and the decision by the United States to launch negotiations to join the Trans-Pacific Strategic Economic Partnership Agreement with Singapore, Brunei, New Zealand, and Chile. Read more...
Previous featured events and publications...
EWC in Washington Activities Include:
- The United States Asia Pacific Council, comprising American citizens who have made outstanding contributions to US-Asia Pacific relations. The Council serves as a vehicle for enhanced US engagement with the region through multilateral organizations, conferences, and policy related initiatives.
- Publications that analyze key contemporary issues and problems of regional significance to clarify debates in the scholarly and policy communities and advance new research and policy directions.
- Collaborative research on key domestic and international political and security issues and problems in and affecting the Asia Pacific with a view to reducing tension and conflict, and promoting peaceful change.
- Events including Congressional Study Groups to inform and stimulate discussion of key issues in US-Asia relations in the nation's capital and Forums for the presentation of viewpoints on significant issues in US-Asia Pacific relations
- Visiting Fellows from Asia Pacific countries and the United States who conduct research and publish on relevant issues and provide perspectives on key issues in US-Asia Pacific relations.
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