US should learn from allies' actions

That Sino-US ties are the most important bilateral relationship of the 21st century is widely accepted by politicians and scholars on both sides. For the US, that means it cannot ignore China in its global strategy especially when it comes to the Asia-Pacific region.

Nothing peaceful about TPP talks

By according the warmest possible welcome to US President Barack Obama on his three-day visit to Japan from Wednesday, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is aiming to expedite the Trans-Pacific Partnership negotiations in order to end the frictions between Washington and Tokyo. Also, Abe thinks that progress on the trade front can, to some extent, ease tensions between the US and Japan after he ignored Washington's caution to visit Yasukuni Shrine, which honors 14 Class-A war criminals, and angered Japan's neighbors, especially China and the Republic of Korea.

TPP an albatross around US neck

The Trans-Pacific Partnership negotiations have apparently reached the final stage, but it is still not known when an agreement on the TPP can be reached.

Get ready to board China's reform train

I was pleasantly surprised to hear the good news first hand from Premier Li Keqiang at Boao Forum that investors on the Chinese mainland and in Hong Kong will soon be able to trade shares on each other's stock exchanges. The announcement is beyond adding weight to the importance of the scheme; it underscores Beijing's strong determination for reform.

Crucial stage in anti-graft campaign

Since he became General Secretary of the Chinese Communist Party Central Committee in November 2012, Xi Jinping has invested much of his newly acquired political capital in two initiatives.

Cultivate the self through reading

Books are the quietest and most constant of friends; they are the most accessible and wisest of counselors, and the most patient of teachers.

US should not be led astray

HOW HE WILL REASSURE HIS COUNTRY'S allies without leaving the impression the United States and its allies are ganging up on China will be a test of US President Barack Obama's political acumen as he starts a four-nation visit to the Asia-Pacific in Japan on Wednesday.

Let's cut the spam

Government agencies and telecommunication corporations have long promised to curb the proliferation of spam messages, but their efforts have so far proved fruitless.

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Some vital advice for US president

Just two days before US President Barack Obama's visit to Japan on his four-nation tour of Asia, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe sent a ritual offering to Yasukuni Shrine, a symbol of Japan's militarist past which honors 14 Class-A war criminals. On Tuesday, 146 Japanese lawmakers visited the shrine again. A couple of days before that, Japanese Defense Minister Itsunori Onodera attended a ceremony to begin construction of a radar base on Yonaguni Island, just 150 km from China's Diaoyu Islands.

Obama's Japan visit unlikely to be fruitful

On Oct 3, 2013, the White House announced that President Barack Obama had cancelled plans to attend the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation meeting because of the US government shutdown. Ever since the US administration had been crafting plans for Obama to visit Asia.

Quality matters in US-Japan ties

To maintain security, one usually has only two options. The first is to strengthen oneself, and the second is to look for powerful partners to maintain a stronger position vis-a-vis others. In international relations, the former means building defense capabilities so that one state can attack another to maintain its security, while the latter uses a variety of security alignments, including entering alliances.