Author: Tommy Koh, NUS
What did President Obama’s 10 day visit to Asia, covering India, Indonesia, South Korea and Japan and attendance at the G20 Summit in Seoul and the APEC Summit in Yokohama achieve?
First, he has erased all the uncertainties in India on whether he would continue the strategic partnership that Bush 43 and PM Manmohan Singh had launched. His eloquent speech to the Lok Sabha, including endorsing India’s quest for a permanent seat in the UN Security Council was sweet music to Indian ears. Read more…
Author: Tommy Koh, NUS
The simultaneous rise of China and India is the biggest growth story of the 21st century. It has the potential to change the power and civilisational balance of the world. The rise of China has inspired both admiration and fear.
I believe that if we want to understand China’s worldview, we must begin by understanding China’s history. A country’s past often provides a key to interpreting its present and predicting its future. And China’s long history of invasion is strikingly relevant to its modern preoccupations. Read more…
Author: Tommy Koh, NUS
Professor Simon Tay has written an important new book on the future of America’s relations with Asia – Asia Alone: The Dangerous Post-Crisis Divide From America.
He makes the following points:
- The United States is a declining power;
- Asia is a rising power; Read more…
Author: Tommy Koh, University of Singapore
In his address in Singapore on November 15 last year, Japanese Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama explained that his vision of an East Asian Community was inspired by the concept of yu-ai, a legacy from his grandfather. Yu-ai means ‘fraternity’. Mr Hatoyama would like to bring about a historic reconciliation between Japan and the countries it occupied during World War II. He was inspired by the post-war experience of Europe, where, following two world wars, historic enemies reconciled and a union of 27 countries was established.
I share Mr Hatoyama’s vision. The quest for an East Asian Community will be realised sooner if we can get rid of our historical baggage and begin to treat one another with fraternity, mutual trust and confidence. Read more…
