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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
Beijing Won't Allow Its Hong Kong Integration Experiment to Fail
Derek Grossman @DerekJGrossman
Recent events in Hong Kong have posed the stiffest challenge yet to Beijing's sovereignty. If sustained, they could push China to react to protect its national interests.
Testimony
Implications of a World-Class Chinese Military
Derek Grossman @DerekJGrossman
President Xi Jinping's pursuit of a world-class People's Liberation Army, if realized by 2050, will represent perhaps the most destabilizing geostrategic development of the 21st century. In what areas is the PLA modernizing? What are the implications for the United States and the Indo-Pacific region?
Commentary
How Trump Reset U.S.–North Korea Relations
Bruce W. Bennett @bwbennett
The meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un at the DMZ may lead to follow-on talks. But the success of future negotiations depends on Kim actually taking action to denuclearize.
Event
IDSS Talk Explores Employment in India
Anthony P. D’Costa, eminent scholar in Global Studies and professor of economics at the University of Alabama at Huntsville, will explain why India is subject to the same pressures OECD countries face: jobless growth brought about by increasing investments in capital equipment, automation, and a growing reliance on high skilled workers and professionals.
Report
How the United States Can Compete in the Gray Zone
Lyle J. Morris @LyleJMorris, Michael J. Mazarr, et al.
America is entering a period of intensifying strategic competition with rivals like Russia and China. U.S. officials expect this to play out below the threshold of armed conflict, in the gray zone between peace and war. What policy options does the United States have to respond to gray zone threats?
Commentary
One Country, Two Systems, Lots of Problems
Derek Grossman @DerekJGrossman
The enormous protests in Hong Kong since spring have led to fresh fears about the viability of China's "one country, two systems" policy. It's an idea that Macau and Hong Kong officially subscribe to and Taiwan fiercely resists—but one increasingly questioned from all sides.
Commentary
One Year After Singapore: The North Korea Problem Is Bigger Than Nukes
Soo W. Kim
After two summits between the United States and North Korea, and little to show in the way of deliverables on dismantlement, hopes that a third summit may yield a denuclearization deal seem a bit unrealistic. Essentially, there has been no indication of intent on Kim's part to denuclearize. But the North Korea problem is much greater than nukes.
Testimony
Comparing U.S. and Chinese New and Critical Materials Capabilities
Richard Silberglitt
China is by far the most dominant producer of critical materials in the world. As China’s export restrictions and WTO disputes illustrate, a dominant producer can strongly affect the manufacturing sector. What actions can policymakers consider to increase U.S. resilience to supply disruptions or market distortions?
Commentary
Downplaying North Korea's Missile Tests Carries Risks
Naoko Aoki @naokoaoki
North Korea test-fired short-range ballistic missiles for the first time in 18 months. President Trump is downplaying the tests, refusing to call them a violation of U.N. Security Council resolutions. But if North Korea starts testing longer-range missiles, it could become harder for Washington to return to talks, risking the end of diplomacy with Pyongyang altogether.
Commentary
Modi Fans Nationalist Flames, Cruises to Victory in Indian Elections
Rafiq Dossani
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's 2019 victory was a much greater achievement than his equally unexpected victory five years ago. Recognizing his weak position on economic and social issues, Modi shifted his campaign to a nationalist plank, and his party won overwhelmingly even in states where it lost elections just six months prior.

Featured Researchers