National
Researchers hurt at Ibaraki nuclear facility
Up to 30 researchers are feared to have suffered internal radiation exposure after an experiment went awry at a Japan Atomic Energy Agency facility.
Global-related Mar 14, 2013
China using Senkakus dispute to test Japan, U.S.
by Michael Richardson
Beijing faces an awkward propaganda problem in the South China Sea, as its sovereignty claims are not against an original imperial or colonial power.
Global-related Jan 31, 2013
A question of Chinese sovereignty
by Michael Richardson
China's "historic rights" claims in the South China Sea have prompted Southeast Asian nations to argue that China is flouting international law.
Commentary Mar 22, 2012
China's military buildup breeds distrust
by Michael Richardson
Since China announced another big rise in its military spending earlier this month, Chinese officials in Beijing and diplomats posted in Asia-Pacific countries have been trying to spread an orchestrated message to the region: Don’t be alarmed. China is in a bind. Its declared ...
Commentary Mar 8, 2012
Resources fuel tensions in South China Sea
by Michael Richardson
For much of 2010 and 2011, tensions over conflicting claims to disputed islands, maritime territory and energy resources rippled through the South China Sea, embroiling several Southeast Asian states and China in disputes that also involved the interests of outside powers, including Japan and ...
Commentary Feb 27, 2012
U.S. flirts with risky cold war in warm waters
by Ramzy Baroud
On two occasions in my life I found myself living close to the South China Sea. The sea became my escape from life’s pressing responsibilities. There is no escaping the fact that the serene waters are now also grounds for a nascent but real ...
Global-related Feb 17, 2012
America's pivot to Asia is not just about countering China
by Ralph A. Cossa and Brad Glosserman
“All right China, come out with your hands up; we’ve got you surrounded!” When one reads about the U.S. “pivot” to Asia, it is almost always cast in terms of countering China’s rise, as if it — and everything else that Washington does in ...