China’s public, or soft-power, diplomacy has traditionally consisted of “people’s diplomacy,” meaning the cultivation of people friendly to China within other countries. Under this method, China would nurture people sympathetic to its ideas within a country and use these figures to exert influence on ...

Politics (political phenomena) has become disconnected from culture (cultural phenomena) in East Asia. In 2002, a South Korean schoolgirl was run over and killed by a U.S. military armored vehicle, prompting students to take to the streets of Seoul for candlelit protests against the ...

There have been no signs of deterioration in U.S. power over the past decade, measured either militarily, economically, or in terms of “soft power”; this is true both in absolute terms and in comparison with other countries. Granted, there has been a reduction in ...

Viewed from the media coverage of the Group of Eight Summit in Heiligendamm, Germany, the gathering was dominated by three main issues: environment, missile defense and clashes between demonstrators and police. At first glance, these three issues may appear unrelated, but under the surface ...

The Japan-Russia Forum, an arena for intellectual dialogue between Japan and Russia, recently met for the first time in 2 1/2 years. This forum was originally launched for highly political reasons. The Northern Territories issue continues to cast a shadow over Japan-Russia relations, preventing ...

Taiwanese politics appears to be “boiling.” Scandals involving political leaders or their relatives have “heated” the political waters. Seen from the perspectives of democracy, freedom, human rights, the rule of law and justice — rather than from that of what effects the turmoil might ...

Prior to World War II, Japan’s position in the international community was dependent on its power and status in Asia. From the time of the Meiji Restoration in 1868, it was essential for Japan to have considerable stature within Asia so that the country ...