Session: Plenary Session 1
Date/Time: April 28, 2015 / 10:15-11:30

Moderator:
Hahm Chaibong, The Asan Institute for Policy Studies

Speakers:
Joshua C. Ramo, Kissinger Associates
James Steinberg, Syracuse University
Togo Kazuhiko, Kyoto Sangyo University
Wu Jianmin, China Institute for Innovation and Development Strategy

Panel Description

American decline has emerged as a powerful discourse in recent years. Wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, a protracted financial crisis, and political gridlock were all seen as eroding American power and global leadership. This also raised doubts about the American commitment to its allies and partners around the world, including in East Asia. But, today we are once again witnessing a resurgence in American power backed by groundbreaking innovations in energy, military affairs, and the “Third Industrial Revolution.” At the same time, transnational threats such as terrorism, cyber-warfare, and nuclear proliferation continue to call for global leadership. How does the “return of the U.S.” affect regional balance of power in different parts of the world? Can it overcome the challenges to the world that it created and continue to lead and shape it?