Japan, the United States, and the future of Asia
Past Event
Japan’s Security Challenges
On March 20, the Center for East Asia Policy Studies at the Brookings Institution and the Buffett Institute for Global Studies at Northwestern University gathered experts from Northwestern University, Washington, D.C., and Japan for an afternoon of discussion on U.S.–Japan relations. The two panels of experts focused on Japan’s security challenges and Japan’s role in the region’s economic architecture, respectively.
Japan faces several challenges in ensuring its security, both physically and psychologically, as the reliability of the United States—Japan’s security guarantor—seems less certain. The most pressing threat comes from North Korea, which can already strike Japan with nuclear weapons, while the long-term, bigger challenge is China. China is testing boundaries in the region, which is only one element of a broader, sophisticated Chinese campaign to increase its influence in East Asia relative to both Japan and the United States. The panelists will discuss how Japan and the United States are tackling these immediate and long-term threats as well as the issues drawn from the economic and social foundation of security.
Asia’s economic architecture is evolving as it adapts to twin shifts in capabilities and governance. China’s economic footprint continues to grow as it carves out a more visible role for itself on the global stage. The United States maintains robust economic ties with the region, but the Trump administration has called for a reset of U.S. foreign economic policy under the mantra of “America First.” In this fluid and evolving environment, Japan is aiming for an expanded role in shaping Asia’s regional economic architecture. The panelists will address the opportunities and challenges Japan faces in this leadership bid, including the new dynamics of U.S.-Japan trade relations and the ability to engage in constructive competition with China.
Agenda
Opening remarks
Bruce Carruthers
Director, Buffett Institute for Global Studies; John D. MacArthur Chair and Professor of Sociology - Northwestern University
Japan’s Security Challenges
Richard C. Bush
Nonresident Senior Fellow - Foreign Policy, Center for East Asia Policy Studies, John L. Thornton China Center
Katrin Katz
Adjunct Fellow, Korea Chair - Center for Strategic and International Studies
Daniel Krcmaric
Assistant Professor of Political Science - Northwestern University
Jung H. Pak
Former Brookings Expert
Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs - U.S. Department of State
Yuki Tatsumi
Co-Director, East Asia Program; Director, Japan Program - Stimson Center
Japan and the Evolving Regional Economic Architecture
Ryan Hass
Senior Fellow - Foreign Policy, Center for East Asia Policy Studies, John L. Thornton China Center
The Michael H. Armacost Chair
Interim Chen-Fu and Cecilia Yen Koo Chair in Taiwan Studies
Nonresident Fellow, Paul Tsai China Center, Yale Law School
Laura Hein
Professor of History - Northwestern University
William Hurst
Associate Professor of Political Science - Northwestern University
Jun Saito
Senior Research Fellow - Japan Center for Economic Research
Visiting Professor - International Christian University
Mireya Solís
Director - Center for East Asia Policy Studies
Senior Fellow - Foreign Policy, Center for East Asia Policy Studies
Philip Knight Chair in Japan Studies
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