Session: Session 3
Date/Time: April 29, 2015 / 10:45-12:00

Moderator:
Simon Long, The Economist

Speakers:
Eric John, Boeing Korea
Kikuchi Tsutomu, Aoyama Gakuin University
Charles Morrison, East-West Center
Ren Xiao, Fudan University
Sohn Yul, Yonsei University

Panel Description

Nearly seven years since the Obama administration announced its “rebalance” to Asia, key pillars of the U.S. alliance system have been strengthened. In Southeast Asia, the U.S. is dispatching ground and naval forces to allies such as Australia, Singapore, and the Philippines while reaching out to new partners such as Vietnam. In Northeast Asia, U.S. efforts to promote security cooperation face challenges, not only from China, but also because of the tensions in South Korea-Japan relations. Yet, an incipient regional arms race is also under way, territorial disputes continue to flare up, and North Korea’s nuclear weapons program continues unstopped. Despite lacking a comprehensive regional security framework, a patchwork of dialogues and meetings are trying to maintain regular exchanges. With the region’s security environment in flux, can the U.S. still play a leading role?