Asia-Pacific Research Forum

The Asia-Pacific Research Forum is an informal community of interest supported by the RAND Center for Asia Pacific Policy and Defense and Political Sciences Department to give Asia-Pacific scholars at RAND a platform to share resources, information, and ideas, as well as to create a channel for external stakeholders and thought leaders interested in Asia-Pacific issues to access relevant RAND research, researchers, and events.

Recent Publications and Events

Commentary
China Remains Unfazed by Warming U.S.–Vietnam Security Ties
Derek Grossman @DerekJGrossman
In early March, the United States sent an aircraft carrier to Da Nang, Vietnam, in a display of goodwill and deepening security ties between the former adversaries. China is well aware of U.S.–Vietnam moves, and yet its public reaction to the USS Theodore Roosevelt can be summed up in one word: unfazed.
Commentary
Economic Development: A Recipe for Social Cohesion in India
Krishna B. Kumar @kbkumar_, Rafiq Dossani
Given the staggering economic challenges that need attention, how might India refocus its attention away from sectarian divides to economic development? While there is no easy answer, focusing on inclusive growth and development might offer one potential route.
Testimony
How Does COVID-19 Affect Small and Medium-Sized Businesses?
Jennifer Bouey @BoueyHuang
In China, as in most countries, small and medium-sized enterprises are the engines of the economy. An analysis of China's response to the COVID-19 outbreak and how it has affected China's economy and the global supply chain provides useful insights for the U.S. government and businesses.
Commentary
Delayed Chuuk Secession Vote a Win for U.S. Policy in Oceania
Derek Grossman @DerekJGrossman
In February, the island of Chuuk postponed a referendum vote on secession from the Federated States of Micronesia. At least for the time being, Chuuk's decision is a significant victory in the U.S. diplomatic, economic, and security competition with China in the Pacific Islands.
Q&A
Coronavirus Outbreak Intensifies: Q&A with RAND Experts
Cases of the coronavirus have now spread to several dozens of countries, infecting thousands and thousands of people across the globe. With concerns about the disease rising, we asked a group of RAND researchers to answer a wide range of questions about the crisis.
Event
The U.S.-Japan Alliance and Rapid Change on the Korean Peninsula
In part six of this event series, RAND will host a two-day conference focused on the U.S.-Japan alliance and the Korean Peninsula. [Santa Monica, CA]
Commentary
If U.S. Forces Have to Leave the Philippines, Then What?
Caroline Baxter @CarolineCBaxter
If the United States were to lose access to bases in the Philippines, the effects would ripple outward. Maintaining alliances in the Indo-Pacific in all their manifestations is critical—and the details matter.
Commentary
Power and Legitimacy Go Hand in Hand
Michael J. Mazarr @MMazarr
The United States has a truly distinct approach to power which has made all the difference in the post-war world. We abandon it at our peril.
Event
Leveraging Artificial Intelligence for Disaster Prediction, Resilience, and Recovery
RAND will host a conference on the role of artificial intelligence in natural disaster prediction, resiliency enhancement, and recovery efforts. U.S. and Japanese experts will offer insights drawn from numerous instances of disasters. [New Orleans, LA]
Commentary
Where Does China's 'One Country, Two Systems' Stand in 2020?
Derek Grossman @DerekJGrossman
Hong Kong and Macau live under “one country, two systems,” and China aspires to include Taiwan in the future as well. But President Tsai Ing-wen's landslide re-election in Taiwan on January 11 resoundingly demonstrates that the arrangement is dead on arrival there.