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Japan
commentary
Why Biden's Japan Agenda Matters
Jeffrey W. Hornung
Jan 26, 2021
The Hill
Efforts to mend America's political wounds, combatting COVID-19 and the continuing deterioration of U.S.-China relations may dominate the agenda of the Biden administration. But quick wins with Japan are possible and could be necessary to ensure the alliance begins on a positive footing so it can tackle more difficult challenges in the years ahead.
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International Trade
commentary
RCEP Forms the World's Largest Trading Bloc. What Does This Mean for Global Trade?
Tobias Sytsma
Dec 9, 2020
The RAND Blog
In November, 15 nations signed the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), a free-trade agreement of economic and political significance eight years in the making. Why have some heralded RCEP as a landmark agreement?
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Japan
commentary
What Abe Leaves Behind
Jeffrey W. Hornung
Sep 11, 2020
Defense One
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's unexpected resignation leaves several of his policy priorities unfinished, including revising Japan's constitution and finalizing a peace treaty with Russia. But the security issues facing Japan and the region remain unchanged, and Abe's successor may be forced to confront several of them on his very first day.
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Globalization
blog
America's Declining Global Influence, COVID-19 and Schools, Pardoning Snowden: RAND Weekly Recap
Sep 11, 2020
This weekly recap focuses on America's declining status on the world stage, why schools need long-term plans to address COVID-19, what Shinzo Abe's resignation means for the U.S.-Japan alliance, and more.
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Japan
commentary
Abe's Resignation Could Leave Japan Less Secure—and Destabilize Its U.S. Alliance
Zack Cooper, Jeffrey W. Hornung
Sep 8, 2020
Los Angeles Times
Under Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's leadership, Japan tightened its alliance with the United States and took on a more proactive role in the Indo-Pacific region and around the world. His resignation could very well leave Japan less secure and the U.S.-Japan alliance unstable.
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Japan
commentary
Missing in Japan's Deterrence Debate
Jeffrey W. Hornung
Aug 13, 2020
Nikkei Asian Review
Following its decision to cancel the Aegis Ashore ballistic missile defense system, Japan is currently debating future deterrence capabilities. The debate over how Japan can defend itself is an important one, offering a major opportunity to shape the country's future defense posture.
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Security Cooperation
commentary
The Quad Is Poised to Become Openly Anti-China Soon
Derek Grossman @DerekJGrossman
Jul 28, 2020
The Wire
What has been striking about the Quad thus far is that it has resisted openly identifying China as the primary target it seeks to rein in. If the Quad is to be sustained, then it will likely have to come to grips with a forward-leaning approach to opposing Chinese activities.
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Japan
commentary
Are U.S.-Japan Relations on the Rocks?
Michael J. Green, Jeffrey W. Hornung
Jul 20, 2020
The Hill
The relationship between the national security establishments in Washington and Tokyo appears to be close and trusting. But with current troublesome trends, more attention should be paid to what has otherwise been a reliably solid relationship.
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Military Strategy
commentary
Is Japan's Interest in Enemy Base Attack Capabilities a Good Idea?
Jeffrey W. Hornung
Jul 17, 2020
War on the Rocks
In the span of a month, Tokyo has rapidly gone from canceling a ballistic missile defense system to considering strike capabilities against foreign adversaries. Is Japan on the precipice of dramatically changing the way it uses its military?
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Japan
commentary
Japan Is Canceling a U.S. Missile Defense System
Jeffrey W. Hornung
Jul 6, 2020
Foreign Policy
In June, Japan canceled its planned deployment of two Aegis Ashore ballistic missile defense systems. This decision is understandable, but that doesn't negate the problems it could pose for Japanese security and Japan's relationship with the United States.
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Security Cooperation
commentary
Japan and Dynamic Force Employment
Jeffrey W. Hornung
Jun 23, 2020
Yomiuri Shimbun
In April, the United States ended a program that maintained a rotational bomber force to the U.S. territory of Guam. While the removal of a permanent bomber presence in the region has caused some in Japan to worry, U.S. commitment to Japan's defense shows no sign of changing nor does America's deterrent capability.
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Security Cooperation
commentary
As COVID-19 Makes Clear, U.S. Allies in the Indo-Pacific, Not the Money They Pay to Host U.S. Forces, Are the Value Proposition
Jeffrey W. Hornung, Scott W. Harold @ScottWHarold
Jun 12, 2020
The Dlplomat
The great value the United States extracts from its alliances with Japan and South Korea is not the money they provide to offset the costs of hosting U.S. forces; the value is the deep and abiding alliances themselves and the liberal, democratic, rule of law market economies and societies to which they link the United States.
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North Korea
commentary
For the U.S., South Korea, and Japan, It’s the North Korean Regime, Not Kim Jong Un Per Se, That Is the Threat
Scott W. Harold @ScottWHarold, Soo Kim @mllesookim
Jun 8, 2020
RealClearDefense
Would Kim Jong Un's death improve U.S., South Korean, and Japanese security? Maybe not. North Korea's advancing nuclear and other military capabilities are driving an expanded set of problems, and while Kim's sudden death might constitute a destabilizing factor for the regime, the available evidence suggests the regime itself is the problem.
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International Diplomacy
commentary
Jumpstarting the U.S.-Japan-Korea Trilateral Amid COVID-19
Scott W. Harold @ScottWHarold
May 6, 2020
The Diplomat
Since roughly 2012, South Korea–Japan ties have frayed. Could the United States encourage trilateral medical cooperation during the pandemic, ensure that the Tokyo Olympic Games are held, and in so doing help heal the relationship between Seoul and Tokyo?
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Security Cooperation
commentary
Don't Get Too Excited, 'Quad Plus' Meetings Won't Cover China
Derek Grossman @DerekJGrossman
Apr 9, 2020
The Diplomat
The “Quad” countries met with several non-Quad countries to help each other amid the coronavirus pandemic. For all the good that can come of these countries working together, the Quad Plus, if sustained, may eventually jeopardize the Quad's primary mission: to counter China's assertiveness in the Indo-Pacific.
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Security Cooperation
commentary
Japan's North Korea Challenge in 2020
Naoko Aoki
Jan 27, 2020
East Asia Forum
North Korea began 2020 by announcing a shift toward a more hard-line foreign policy approach. While this is bad news for all countries in the region, it is particularly unwelcome for Japan.
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