
~1998
1999: Jan. - June, July - Dec.
2000: Jan. - Mar. , Apr. - June , July -
Sept. , Oct. - Dec.
2001: Jan. - Mar. , Apr.-July
China Jump: No Looking Back Now By Mary Kwang
(Straits Times, Dec. 30, 2001) It was The Year Of China. That was how the
Liberation Army Daily summed up 2001 for the Chinese. That simple declaration
was not mere chest-thumping on the part of the Chinese military newspaper -
it was a succinct overview of the country's victories on various fronts in
the past 12 months.
Will the New World Order
Rest Solely on American Might? By William Pfaff
(International Herald Tribune, Dec.29, 2001) The world begins 2002 in a situation without
precedent in human history. A single nation, the United States, enjoys unrivaled
military and economic power, and can impose itself virtually anywhere it wants.
The fundamental issue of the next two to three decades will inevitably be how
the United States employs the amazing power it now exercises.
US ABM Treaty
Withdrawal a Mixed Blessing By Ralph A. Cossa
(Taipei Times, Dec. 26, 2001) It looks like the Anti-Ballistic
Missile (ABM) Treaty is destined to end with a whimper not with a bang.
Earlier doomsday predictions notwithstanding, Washington's
unilateral withdrawal from the treaty (the required six month's notice was
given on Dec 13) is not expected to usher in a new Cold War between the US and Russia.
The New
Trilateral Strategic Calculus By Brad Glosserman
(PacNet Newsletter, Pacific Forum, CSIS, Dec. 2001) U.S.-Japan relations have
solidified in the wake of the terrorist attacks. China was equally quick to
support the U.S.-led coalition. Yet it is clear that Tokyo's
relations with Washington are considerably
warmer than those the U.S.
has with Beijing.
Cooperation is complicated by suspicions.
Two Elections
(Editorial, Washington Post,
Dec. 23, 2001) Beijing is not prepared to tolerate the genuine popular
democracy of Taiwan, at least in Hong Kong. Which, in
turn, explains why Taiwan's
voters would ignore their economic troubles and choose the party of Mr. Chen,
which advocates Taiwanese independence from China.
China's Calculated Compromise By Denny Roy
(Straits Times, Dec. 21, 2001) Emerging suddenly in the wake of a serious
downturn in US-China relations, America's
war against terrorism forced China
to declare a position on an issue of great importance to the United States.
The Chinese response was consistent with some of Beijing's goals but compromised others.
China Brief
(Jamestown Foundation, Dec. 20, 2001) Willy Wo-Lap Lam: Factional dynamics in
Beijing; Gordon Chang: Xu
Kuangdi--"missing in action"; Wen Yu: Jiang fights the Party tiger;
John Tkacik: September 11, a disaster for Beijing?
Is China Losing Its High
Moral Ground? By Willy Wo-Lap Lam
(CNN.com, Dec. 19, 2001) For Beijing, the latest warnings about the revival
of American "unilateralism" have come from unexpected quarters: North Korea.
Diplomatic sources in Beijing said Pyongyang had asked the administration of President
Jiang Zemin for urgent assistance if the U.S. were to launch air strikes
to wipe out its arsenal.
As China Rises, Some Ask:
Will It Stumble? By Thomas Crampton
(International Herald Tribune, Dec. 18, 2001) China's Communist government finally bet on stability by capitalist
means. One result may be a flood of foreign investment, but it would be
accompanied by the government's loss of traditional levers of support and
control for restive sectors of society. The Communist Party of China
recognizes that it will lose ground.
DPP: Moving
Towards the Mainstream By Goh Sui Noi
(Straits Times, Dec. 16, 2001) Commentators have said the DPP's success was a
reflection of its prowess as an election machine rather than of its ability
to govern. The party has continued to exploit ethnic issues in the latest
polls, partly to draw attention away from economic issues. Some observers
believe it should be able to broaden its base after it has been in government
for more than a term.
China Brief
(Jamestown Foundation, Dec. 10, 2001) John Copper: The winners and losers of Taiwan's election; Harvey Feldman: Taiwan's election the cross-straits policy;
Willy Wo-Lap Lam: Zemin faces threats on two fronts; and Richard Fisher: China's
air force goes aggressive.
DPP Needs to Heal Ethnic
Divisions By Wang Jenn-hwan
(Taipei Times, Dec. 8, 2001) Ethnic mobilization manifested itself in last
year's presidential election as well as Saturday's elections: the DPP-ruled
southern Taiwan against
the KMT-ruled central and northern Taiwan. During campaigns, the DPP
turned cross-strait relations into an ethnic conflict, while marginalizing
economic issues that affect people's livelihoods.
China in Post-September 11
World: Posturing Mixed Responses By Rajesh Kumar Mishra
(South Asia Analysis, Dec. 7, 2001) China’s readiness to participate with US
and particularly with the international community in fighting against the
evils of terrorism might reflect upon the urgency of its own domestic
reasons. In the aftermath of 9/11 incident China might also see this as an
opportunity to demonstrate its credentials as a rational competitor of the
sole superpower of the world.
Taiwan Targets Chinese
Business Prospects By Michael Bristow
(BBC, Dec. 7, 2001) The appetite of Taiwanese firms for investment in China
shows no sign of letting up now both have been accepted as members of the
WTO. The island is believed to have invested at least $60bn in China since
the communist state opened up to the outside world in 1978. But how much more
will be invested will also depend on political factors.
China Learns to Live with
Chen
(Economist, Nov. 29, 2001) China’s
communists seem to have learned a lesson. As Taiwan
prepared for a parliamentary election on December 1st, the leadership in Beijing refrained from its usual practice of trying to
intimidate Taiwan's
voters into supporting candidates who favoured the reunification of mainland
and island.
Taiwan (In)dependence By Allen T. Cheng
(Asiaweek, Nov. 30, 2001) Chen Shui-bian has come to accept that his party's
strident stance toward the mainland was backfiring. Will his new posture pay
off when Taiwanese go to the polls next month? Even though Chen has been forced
to seek rapprochement with the mainland, he continues to infuriate Beijing by refusing to say the island is part of
"one China."
China: The
Big Winner in Afghan War By Franz Schurmann
(Pacific News Service, Nov. 21, 2001) As America's economic slump continues
and Washington focuses on the war in Afghanistan, the countries of Southeast Asia
are increasingly turning toward an awesomely productive China for an economic engine.
China Brief
(Nov. 2001, Jamestown Foundation) The business of (mis)information; Hu
Jintao, China's probable next leader; Zeng Qinghong, a possible contender for
PRC leadership; Beijing and Taiwan's next elections.
Cracked China By Minxin
Pei
(Foreign Policy, Oct. 2001) The uncertainty surrounding China's future is increasingly
reflected in the writings of Chinese scholars and social critics. 2001 Shehui
lanpishu: zhongguo shehui xingshi fengxi yu yuce (Social Blue Book 2001:
Analysis and Forecasting of Social Conditions in China) is an apt example.
Taiwan’s Economy Faces Four
Uncertainties
(Editorial, Commercial Times, Nov. 19, 2001) The first uncertainty is the
state of the global economy in the wake of the September 11 terrorist
attacks. The second uncertainty is the impact of Taiwan's accession to the World
Trade Organization. The third uncertainty is the domestic political
situation. A fourth uncertainty is cross-strait relations.
The New Shanghai By Kate
Wheeler
(New York Times, Nov. 18, 2001) As I drove in from Shanghai's four-year-old airport, the first
sight of the city already suggested that Hayworth's motto might be ready for
revision. The towers of Pudong looked like the 3-D environs of a video game,
or a fleet of spaceships just landed on the east shore of the Huangpu River.
Beijing May Be Toying with
Taipei By Chuck DeVore
(Taipei Times, Nov. 16, 2001) China's stated policy towards Taiwan is that
there is one China and Taiwan is part of that China. China sees three paths for action to realize
this policy: negotiation, political victory for pro-unification forces in Taiwan or
military conquest. Today, China
may see near-term hope for the first two options fading.
Eurasian Maneuvers for
Japan, China, Russia and America By Bruce A. Elleman and Sarah C.M. Paine
(International Herald Tribune, Nov. 14, 2001) The war on terror has forced
compromises on foreign policy differences among Japan,
China, Russia and the United States. But underlying
tensions make the prospects of continued close cooperation uncertain at best.
For the
moment, the Eurasian chessboard has changed almost beyond recognition. But
these countries' long-term goals for Eurasia
differ.
China at a
Loss in Cross-Strait Affairs By Shih Chih-yu
(Taipei Times, Nov. 8, 2001) China's
Foreign Minister Tang Jiaxuan adopted a harsh voice and a stern look in
dealing with Taipei's
delegation at the APEC summit. But while his demeanor may be very unpleasant,
the popular resentment it triggers could turn the DPP into the majority party
in Taiwan
after the year-end elections.
China's ASEAN
Ties Not Seen Booting Taiwan out of Region
(Central News Agency, Nov. 6, 2001) Taiwan will not become an outcast in
Southeast Asia, even if mainland China and the member states of the
Association of Southeast Asian Nations ink an agreement on a free-trade bloc.
Taiwan
investors have extended deep roots in the Southeast Asian countries by having
directly injected US$47.5 billion into the region.
China's Growing Dilemma
(Editorial, Japan
Times, Nov. 5, 2001) Two historic transitions are beginning in China:
the rise to power of its fourth generation of leaders and the economic
transformation leading to membership in the World Trade Organization. They
are pulling the country in different directions and creating conflicting
priorities for the Beijing
government.
Can China Live Up to Asia's
Expectations? By Ching Cheong
(Straits Times, Nov. 5, 2001) Just last year, people were talking about the 'China threat' in the economic dimension,
meaning the rise of China
would squeeze out the lesser economies in Asia.
Now they are hoping that it can hedge the region's economies.
China Attempts to
Boost Global Clout By Willy Wo-Lap Lam
(CNN.com, Nov. 2, 2001) China is pursuing multi-pronged diplomatic efforts to
boost its global clout in the wake of the September 11 attacks on the U.S.
Diplomatic analysts in Beijing said the administration of President Jiang
Zemin wanted to prevent the United States from taking advantage of the
anti-terrorist campaign to perpetuate a "unipolar world order."
Is China
the Odd Man Out? By Ralph Cossa
(Japan Times, Nov. 1, 2001) China seems very pleased with the outcome of the
George W. Bush-Jiang Zemin presidential summit held Oct. 19 in Shanghai on the sidelines of the Asia
Pacific Economic Cooperation leaders' meeting -- not because a great deal was
accomplished, but because Jiang's definition of what constituted a
"successful" meeting was extremely modest.
China-U.S. Relations: Terror
Throws Us Together, For Now By Michael Vatikiotis, Ben Dolven and
David Murphy
(Far Eastern Economic Review, Nov. 1, 2001) At their first summit the leaders
of China and the United States
began building a better relationship that can only benefit business. To
deliver real rewards for both China's
economy and foreign investors, it needs to last longer than U.S. retaliation in Afghanistan.
China's
Heir Apparent in Debut on the World Stage By Erik Eckholm
(New York Times, Oct. 29, 2001) The vice president is Hu Jintao, and to the
cognoscenti of Chinese politics his journey is filled with meaning. As he
makes the trip, which began in Russia
and continues in Britain,
his every word will be scrutinized, and not only in Washington and other foreign capitals, but
also at home.
Military Action Would Hurt
China By Tung Chen-yuan
(Taipei Times, Oct. 26, 2001) Denied an invitation by China, Taiwan
ultimately refused to attend the APEC leaders' summit in Shanghai. The incident not only explains
the current deadlock across the Taiwan Strait, but also reflects the blind
spots in Beijing's Taiwan policy.
The Downturn Is Hitting
Asians Hard By Tadao Chino
(International Herald Tribune, Oct. 25, 2001) The repercussions from the
terrorist attacks in New York and Washington have been felt around the world,
but nowhere more profoundly than in Asia and the Pacific. It is too early to
gauge the full impact on all countries, but across the region, from Afghanistan
to remote atolls of the South Pacific, developing countries are showing
ominous signs of the fallout.
China's Foreign Policy
Finally Comes of Age By Zhang Tianguang
(South China Morning Post, Oct. 19, 2001) Most Chinese people - along with
most of the international community - think the central Government's decision
to side with the United States
and its partners in the fight against international terrorism is Beijing's wisest
decision in a decade.
Promoting APEC Development on 'Two Wheels'
(People’s Daily, Oct. 15, 2001) Since its formal
accession to APEC in 1991, China has all along taken an active attitude
toward spurring the organization's trade and investment liberalization, and
has advocated that APEC should persistently open the region and should not
turn it into a closed trade group.
Taiwan Facing Three Major Crises
(Commercial Times, Oct. 15, 2001) The international situation has recently undergone a drastic
change, and affairs in Taiwan
are in upheaval. … but it appears the government has not fully comprehended
the changes that have taken place. As a result, it has underestimated the
major economic, social, and political crises now facing Taiwan.
Cold War Legacy Fading Away By Ralph Cossa
(Japan Times, Oct. 12, 2001) With the terrorists attacks of Sept. 11 and the
international war on terrorism comes the opportunity to create a new global paradigm
for the post-post-Cold War world, built upon a common goal of ridding the
world of international terrorism -- a goal that most nations can equally
embrace.
Jiang Fears U.S. Foothold in
Central Asia By Willy Wo-Lap
Lam
(CNN.com, Oct. 10, 2001) As the United States and its allies were finalizing
their military preparations against Afghanistan, Jiang Zemin called a
meeting of senior Politburo colleagues and key advisers. Jiang reportedly
raised three questions about the looming war: how long the military action
will last; how large-scale it will be; and what Washington's "real objective"
is.
Another Unthinkable Scenario By George F. Will
(Washington Post, Oct. 7, 2001) The elemental lesson to be learned from Sept.
11 is that nothing is unthinkable, although many possibilities are unthought,
particularly by peaceful nations. So perhaps now Americans should think about
the possibility of a swift, because remarkably brutal, conquest of Taiwan by the People's Republic of China.
US Support for Taiwan Firm
Despite Demands from China By Charles
Snyder
(Taipei Times, Oct. 7, 2001) The US will not abandon or bend its firm support
for Taiwan despite China's
participation in the international coalition against terrorism, US officials
and analysts say. While Tang brought up Taiwan
in his meeting with Powell, "they always bring up the Taiwan
issue," said Robert Sutter.
China
a Casualty in Big-Power Relations After Sept 11
By Ching Cheong
(Straits Time, Oct. 5, 2001) The Sept 11 terrorist attacks on America and the
US retaliatory campaign have triggered off a realignment of the global
military and strategic setup and would possibly change the triangular
relationship between the US, Russia and China. Three weeks after the attack, China is
already feeling the pressure of a subtle change in its relations with the big
powers.
Strikes on U.S. Make Taiwan China Watchers Uneasy By Benjamin Kang
Lim
(Reuters, Oct. 3, 2001) While the pair and China have nothing to do with the
September 11 suicide strikes on U.S. landmarks, the shuddering scenarios described
in the book are a sobering reminder to some Taiwanese academics of the
island's vulnerability.
From Taiwan, a Fear of China
Technology By Mark Landler
(New York Times, Oct. 3, 2001) Morris Chang is arguably the most influential technology
executive in Taiwan.
He has often spoken of his belief that China was not ready to compete in
the more advanced business of integrated circuits. So when he declared recently
that the future of the world's chip industry lies not in Taiwan or the United
States, but in China, political and business
leaders sat up and took notice.
New Fears, New Alliances By Edward N. Luttwak
(New York Times, Oct. 2, 2001) America's policy now implies the formation of
a new antiterrorist alliance with Russia, China and India as well as members
of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, Japan and other nations. Such a
great-power alliance for international order has not been seen since the
mid-19th century.
China Needs
Reassurance if SDF Deploys By Molly Broaddus
(Japan Times, Oct. 1, 2001) In accepting the support of Japan's SDF, the Bush
administration should be mindful of the long-term consequences. China will become irritated and possibly
uncooperative if it perceives Japan
to be significantly upgrading its warfare capabilities. The U.S. cannot
afford to let this happen, for in the war against terrorists, it needs China more than it needs Japan.
The Next
Revolution By Sin-Ming Shaw
(Asiaweek, Oct. 5, 2001) The news is grim, and Asia
is ill-prepared for globalization. The region needs to drop its Confucian
shackles. Guess what: China
is leading the way. But China
is not just restructuring its economy. It is undergoing a quiet social
revolution the scale of which will dwarf even that conjured by the Meiji
Restoration in 19th-century Japan.
A Surprise Attack by China
is a Possibility By Wendell Minnick
(Taipei Times, Sep. 28, 2001) Richard Russell's article in the autumn issue
of the US Army War College's respected Parameters, entitled "What if
China Attacks Taiwan," has received a lot of attention recently. While
economists and political pundits discount an invasion, those in military
circles have to consider the unthinkable.
Implications of the New US
War By Ralph Cossa
(Taipei Times, Sep. 18, 2001) It is too soon to speculate on the nature of
American retaliation for the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks on the nation, since
neither the organizers nor collaborators have been clearly identified.
However, the Pentagon has made it clear that the response will not be a
single strike but a "broad and sustained campaign" not only against
terrorists but against those who support them.
US Foreign Policy Sure to
Shift in Alignment By Philip Yang
(Taipei Times, Sep. 15, 2001) The terrorist attacks against the US
this week have shaken the entire world. From Taiwan's perspective, we should
be closely monitoring any possible developments. As for the impact on Sino-US
relations, one can foresee that the relationship will shortly be
characterized by a great deal of interaction. Military antagonism between the
two will not make headlines for a while.
Mainland
to Feel the Heat over 'Rogue' Arms Deals By Jasper
Becker
(South China Morning Post, Sep. 14, 2001) America's
response to the terror attacks is certain to lead to much tougher policies
towards North Korea and
Chinese arms sales to the Middle East. China would be forced to
stop equivocating about sales of missile and nuclear technology to Pakistan, as well as Iran and Iraq and other states accused of
sponsoring terrorism.
In China,
Anti-U.S. Sentiment Unfettered By John Pomfret
(Washington Post, Sep. 14, 2001) While average Chinese routinely approach
Americans to offer condolences for Tuesday's terrorist attacks, many others
in their offices, schools and Internet chats have voiced satisfaction at what
they describe as a well-deserved blow against U.S. arrogance.
Foreign Policy Consequences
Huge By John Lancaster and
Greg Schneider
(Washington Post, Sep.13, 2001) The worst terrorist attack in American history
is sure to have profound consequences for U.S. foreign policies on missile
defense and the Middle East, as Washington scrambles to reconsider its
security needs in a suddenly altered world. With the death toll rising, there
is broad agreement among policymakers about the need for stepped-up spending
on "homeland defense."
Taiwan and
the United Nations - Withdrawal in 1971 was an Historic Turning Point By Monique
Chu
(Taipei Times, Sep. 12, 2001) Whether one regards it as a pull out or an
expulsion, the loss of Taiwan's
UN seat in 1971 was the result of a decades-long loss of international
support for the ROC regime. Its subsequent isolation from the international
system immediately followed suit.
A Glimpse
of The Other China By C. Fred Bergsten
(Washington Post, Sept. 4, 2001) There is another China that is much more
congenial to American and global values, much more open and pluralistic in
its demeanor, and hence much more promising for a peaceful and cooperative
future. That China was on
vivid display at a recent two-day conference in Beijing
on China's
economic reforms.
Taiwan, China Slug It Out on
TV
(Associated Press, Sep. 4, 2001) Jets fire rockets that leave a trail of gray
smoke in the sky, and helicopters shower their targets with machine-gun fire.
But what matters most in this round of Taiwanese war games is the cameras. In
the perennial shadow boxing between China
and Taiwan,
the public on both sides has a ringside seat, courtesy of television and
front pages.
Taiwan's
Ex-President Redraws Political Map By Simon
Kwong
(Reuters, Sep. 1, 2001) Former Taiwan president Lee Teng-hui, still one of
the most influential politicians in the country, hit the campaign trail on
Saturday to win support for a fledgling party that threatens to redraw the
island's political map. But analysts said the fledgling Solidarity Union may
end up stealing more DPP than Nationalist votes.
Cossa Says Put National
Security First
(Taipei Times, Aug. 31, 2001) Ralph A. Cossa, President of the Pacific
Forum, accused Taiwan's opposition parties of playing into
the hands of Beijing.
He also called for a bipartisan approach to cross-strait issues and asked why
Taiwan's
politicians can pull together for the sake of the economy, but not for
national security.
Pessimism on a Grand Scale By Dexter Roberts
(Business Week, Aug. 27, 2001) In The Coming Collapse of China, Gordon
G. Chang launches directly into his controversial argument that the country's
many woes add up to a terminal illness. Chang misses
the obvious: China's
present generation of leaders, despite their hesitations and occasional
ideological broadsides, have decided to push economic reform, and aren't
likely to abandon it.
Much Exaggeration of the
Economic Challenge From China By
Philip Bowring
(International Herald Tribune, Aug. 30, 2001) China is more aware than
outsiders of its own weaknesses. Foreign assumptions need closer analysis.
That China's exports so
far this year have been modestly positive while those of South Korea, Taiwan, Singapore etc. have
slumped is at least as much due to the composition of its exports as to added
competitiveness.
Adjusting to China's New
Road By Nicholas Berry
(Center of Defense
Information, Aug. 28, 2001) It made sense to be wary of China
as a revolutionary communist state committed to a worldwide class struggle
and revolution. But it makes little sense to maintain the same wariness to a
state strongly committed to domestic reform, to the maintenance of the
principle of sovereignty for itself and all other states, and the to the
norms of the UN Charter.
Taiwan's New Voice in
Washington By Charles Snyder
(Taipei Times, Aug. 26, 2001) Just as Jesse Helms, one of Taiwan's staunchest allies in Washington, prepares to retire, a new face is emerging
as a champion for Taiwan.
Henry Hyde has helped push the Bush administration toward more robust support
for Taiwan.
Taipei's Tough
Times By Allen T. Cheng
(Asiaweek, Aug. 30, 2001) In 1997, it was Asia's Treasure
Island, immune from crisis. No longer. Today, Taiwan is
plunging towards recession more rapidly than any of its neighbors. Still, Taiwan has a
nest egg: the fourth largest foreign exchange reserves in the world - $110
billion - plus consumer savings of $200 billion. After recent events, Treasure Island can never take its prosperity for
granted again.
Political Issues Surface as
EDAC Battles to Revive Slow Economy
(China Post, Aug. 25, 2001) While members on the presidential Economic
Development Advisory Council (EDAC) enter the home stretch to finalize the
over 300 proposals adopted by five panels with an aim to overcome economic
woes, controversial political issues surfaced again, threatening to cause a
new political standoff.
The Asian Voyage: In the
Wake of the Admiral
(TIMEasia.com, Aug. 27, 2001) Six centuries after Admiral Zheng He set sail,
Adi Ignatius finds a China
still struggling with its place in the world. Explorer, conqueror, diplomat,
trader—and yet Zheng There is no Zheng He parallel in today's China. But
perhaps that's a positive sign. Instead of one imperial hero, thousands of
ordinary people are doing their part to open the nation to the world.
Taiwan -- It's
Time for Some Real Pain By Assif Shameen
(Asiaweek, Aug. 22, 2001) So Taiwan's recession is now official. Its gross
domestic product shrank 2.35% in the second quarter compared to the same
period a year ago. That was the first decline in 26 years. President Chen
needs to make fundamental changes in the economy. He and his team must give
his people a vision for tomorrow and address long-term structural issues.
Empire or Not? A Quiet
Debate Over U.S. Role By Thomas E.
Ricks
(Washington Post, Aug. 21, 2001) People who label the United States
"imperialist" usually mean it as an insult. But in recent years a
handful of conservative defense intellectuals have begun to argue that the United States
is indeed acting in an imperialist fashion -- and that it should embrace the
role.
Senator's Trip to Asia
Underscores US' Changing World View By
Charles Snyder
(Taipei Times, Aug. 20, 2001) Despite that professed friendship, Biden and
Helms are far apart in their political philosophies and world views. So when
control of the Senate switched from the Republicans to the Democrats this
spring, it signaled that the committee is likely to look at the world in a
different way and that attitudes toward Taiwan and China will be among
noticeable changes.
China Unvarnished
(Editorial, Washington Post, Aug. 7, 2001) China
experts like to talk about how quickly the vast country is changing: the
increase in personal freedoms, the spread of the Internet, the triumph of
private enterprise. These changes are real, and significant. But such talk
can too easily obscure how much in the regime remains unchanged -- how
cruelly it continues to treat many of its own people.
For
Rumsfeld, Many Roadblocks By Thomas E. Ricks
(Washington Post, Aug. 7, 2001) Coming into office, Defense Secretary Donald
H. Rumsfeld looked like just the person to execute President Bush's campaign
vow to "transform" the U.S. military. Yet six months
into an administration that campaigned on a promise to rebuild the military,
Rumsfeld's ambitious plans are under fire from all sides.
The
Pentagon, Not Congress or the President, Calls the Shots By William Pfaff
(International Herald Tribune, Aug. 6, 2001) The State Department's policy
planning director calls the Bush administration's foreign policy approach
"ŕ la carte multilateralism." "A la carte
multilateralism" thus looks uncannily like unilateralism, and is deeply
influenced, moreover, by the Pentagon. Nearly all the international
agreements that Mr. Bush opposes, or wants to repudiate, concern military
matters.
Security Pact With Russia
Bolsters China's Power By Bruce A. Elleman and Sarah C.M. Paine
(International Herald Tribune, Aug. 6, 2001) The recently signed
Chinese-Russian treaty is not as benign as it might at first appear. Moscow and Beijing
have disguised some of the most important elements of their new security
alliance. These elements give China
a new position of authority in Mongolia
and throughout Eurasia.
A "Concert of Asia? Why
There Is No Substitute for U.S. Power
By Nicholas Khoo and Michael L.R. Smith
(Policy Review, August & September 2001) The fact that a tradition of
unipolarity has supplied stability in the region somewhat undermines the
starting point of Concert of Asia advocates who believe that because the area
is a hotbed of tension and rivalries, it needs to be managed through a
multilateral framework.
Bush Driving A Wedge Between
Russia, China By Ted Galen Carpenter
(Taipei Times, Aug. 1, 2001) There are indications that the Bush
administration's unexpected "charm offensive" toward Russia is
partly an attempt to disrupt the emerging Russian-Chinese entente. And
missile defense appears to be the issue that Washington's
has chosen to drive a wedge between Moscow and
Beijing.
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