Europe in the Pacific century
US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton arrive to speak to the press following talks at the State Department in Washington on 11 July 2011. From the speech Secretary Clinton gave in Honolulu earlier this month, unless Europe is involved in Asia it will not have a meaningful say in the future of politics. (Photo:AAP)

Author: Frans-Paul van der Putten, Clingendael

This century will be America’s Pacific century, wrote US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in the November issue of Foreign Policy.

As she put it: ‘The future of politics will be decided in Asia, not Afghanistan or Iraq, and the United States will be right at the centre of the action’. Read more…

Sino-US geopolitical rivalry does not help Korean stability
South Korean national flags fly near the barbed wire fence decorated with messages wishing for reunification of the two Koreas as tourists look at the north side at the Imjingak Pavilion near the border village of Panmunjom in the demilitarized zone (DMZ) on December 18 2010 (Photo: AAP)

Author: Frans-Paul van der Putten, Clingendael Institute

The United States government believes China needs to do more to contribute to stability on the Korean peninsula. According to this view, North Korea is highly dependent on Chinese support and Beijing should use its influence to moderate Pyongyang’s behavior. As some American and other Western observers have put it, it is time for China to start behaving like a responsible great power. But it is not likely that China will fundamentally alter its policies.

The main reason for this is that geopolitical rivalry between China and the United States overshadows the situation on the Korean peninsula. Read more…