East Asia

East Asia, comprising China, Taiwan, Japan, Mongolia, and North and South Korea, is a region that has historically been of critical interest to the United States. In particular, China's growing economic, military, and diplomatic power in the region and North Korea's nuclear ambitions have long been a focus of U.S. foreign policy and of RAND research.

Research conducted by: Center for Asia Pacific Policy; RAND Project AIR FORCE; RAND National Security Research Division

Featured at RAND

His Excellency Tsuneo Nishida, Ambassador of Japan, Permanent Mission of Japan to the United Nations, Visits RAND

On February 23rd, 2012, His Excellency Tsuneo Nishida, Ambassador of Japan, Permanent Mission of Japan to the United Nations, paid a visit to RAND’s Santa Monica office where he met privately with CEO and President Michael Rich.

All Items (427)

COMMENTARY

Okinawa Remains an Intractable Thorn for US and Japan — May 25, 2012

The relocation of the Marines is a first step toward a more sustainable US military presence in the Asia-Pacific. Yet policymakers in Washington and Tokyo should not expect this move to eliminate an enduring source of tension in US-Japanese relations, write Stacie L. Pettyjohn and Alan J. Vick.

COMMENTARY

Questions After the First U.S. Bank Takeover by a Chinese State-Controlled Company — May 15, 2012

In considering foreign application to acquire U.S. companies, the United States needs to consider both risks as well as benefits in both defense and economic dimensions, write Charles Wolf, Jr., Brian Chow, Gregory Jones, and Scott Harold.

COMMENTARY

Should Boeing Fear China's Aerospace Industry? Not in This Decade but Maybe Later — May 13, 2012

The Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China will probably begin producing its first large commercial aircraft later this decade. But the C919 is unlikely to be technologically or commercially competitive when it arrives, writes Chad J. R. Ohlandt.

REPORT

The Nature of the Chinese-Iranian Partnership and the Challenges It Poses for the U.S. — May 2, 2012

The partnership between China and Iran presents challenges to U.S. interests, including dissuading Iran from developing a nuclear weapons capability. An analysis of the factors driving Chinese-Iranian cooperation offers policy options for influencing this partnership to meet U.S. objectives.

REPORT

The United States, Japan, and Free Trade: Moving in the Same Direction? — Apr 23, 2012

The authors look at four trade policy options for Japan and the United States. They evaluate each option for each country based on its impact on international relations and economic growth and its political and practical feasibility and conclude that the best option for both nations is to move forward cooperatively with the Trans-Pacific Partnership agreement.

REPORT

Book by Noted Expert Proposes a Renaissance of Thought on Nuclear Deterrence for Today's Strategic Environment — Apr 17, 2012

A new book by the late French scholar Thérèse Delpech provides a critical review and update of nuclear deterrence theory, focusing a critical eye on nuclear issues during the Cold War, examining the lessons of past nuclear crises, and outlining ways in which these lessons apply to major nuclear powers and nuclear pretenders today.

NEWS RELEASE

Book by Noted Expert Proposes a Renaissance of Thought on Nuclear Deterrence for Today's Strategic Environment — Apr 17, 2012

A new book by the late French scholar Thérèse Delpech provides a critical review and update of nuclear deterrence theory, focusing a critical eye on nuclear issues during the Cold War, examining the lessons of past nuclear crises, and outlining ways in which these lessons apply to major nuclear powers and nuclear pretenders today.

PROJECT

Examining Housing Price Risk, Home Ownership, and Wealth — Apr 17, 2012

Health outcomes may be related to financial status, including home ownership. A comparative analysis of housing price risk during economic downturns in different countries can help researchers better understand this relationship.

RESEARCH BRIEF

What’s the Potential for Conflict with China, and How Can It Be Avoided? — Apr 17, 2012

Presents scenarios to illustrate possible sources of military conflict with China over the next thirty years.

REPORT

Fiscal Consolidation and Budget Reform in Korea: The Role of the National Assembly — Jan 19, 2012

Budgetary pressures imposed by Korea's rapidly aging population and declining fertility rates underscore the urgency of a medium-term fiscal consolidation framework. The author presents a plan for fiscal consolidation and budget reform in which a new parliamentary budget process would be established, centered on a fiscally constrained budget resolution that would be scheduled for adoption prior to consideration of revenue or spending…

PERIODICAL

RAND Review: Vol. 35, No. 3, Winter 2011-2012 — Jan 13, 2012

Stories discuss world demographic trends, Afghan peace prospects, U.S. health care spending, California prisoner reentry, Latin American inequalities, global health, veterans' mental health, highway investments, teacher bonuses, and charter schools.

PERIODICAL

Dusk, Dawn, and High Noon: Demographic Trends Forecast Next Phases for China, India, and the United States — Jan 13, 2012

Much has been written about the world's population having passed 7 billion, but little attention has been paid to the implications of recent demographic changes for the world's nations. This RAND Review cover story compares the demographic futures and related economic prospects facing China, India, and the United States.

JOURNAL ARTICLE

Incompatible Partners: The Role of Identity and Self-Image in the Sino-U.S. Relationship — Jan 1, 2012

Many scholars and pundits have concluded that the noticeable downturn in U.S.-China relations in 2010 was merely an intermittent low in the broader "high-low" dynamic that characterizes the relationship. This article argues that recent tensions can also be understood as part of larger, macro-level suspicions stemming from the disparate identities that pervade bilateral relations.

COMMENTARY

North Korea: Uncertain and Dangerous Times Ahead — Dec 21, 2011

With his father's support over the last year, Kim Jong-Un has tried to rapidly reshape the North Korean leadership structure, giving him many new subordinates who are untried and lacking experience. Some will clearly make mistakes, writes Bruce Bennett.

RESEARCH BRIEF

What Should Be Stocked in War Reserve? A New Method for Allocating Resources — Dec 15, 2011

Describes the methodology used to develop resource allocation and forward positioning recommendations for the sustainment stock portion of Army pre-positioned stocks, given a specific scenario and budget.

REPORT

China's Expanding Role in Global Mergers and Acquisitions Markets — Nov 22, 2011

The authors evaluate the risks and benefits of increased Chinese foreign investment, aiming to improve understanding of its investment patterns and strategy. They consider how U.S. national security might be compromised as well as how the United States and China can benefit from such investment, providing a way to assess national security risks and benefits and examining Chinese investment patterns in both the United States and elsewhere.

REPORT

Three Essays on Economics of Health Behavior in China — Nov 4, 2011

Three essays each focusing on one topic in economics of health behaviors in China.

REPORT

Diabetes Care in China: Impacts of Traditional Chinese Medicine(TCM) and Insurance on Quality and Utilization — Nov 3, 2011

Explores quality and utilization of diabetes care in China.

JOURNAL ARTICLE

Trends in Late-Life Disability in Taiwan, 1989-2007: The Roles of Education, Environment, and Technology — Nov 1, 2011

This study assessing trends in late-life disability in the emerging economy of Taiwan showed that limitations in seeing, hearing, and instrumental activities of daily living declined.

My RAND ?

Saved Items

Recommended