Global Asia, Fall 2009 Issue

V4N3 Fall 2009

In the National Interest: Economics, Security and Foreign Affairs in Southeast Asia How much do a country’s economic and security relations with other nations — in the form of trade, capital and labor flows, and participation in multilateral organizations or arrangements — tell us about what to expect of its foreign policy?

A Letter from the Editors Chung-in Moon and David Plott Dear Reader, The month of August left a hole in the heart of Asia and the world with the passing of presidents Corazon Aquino of the Philippines and Kim Dae-jung of South Korea. Their remarkable lives embodied the great struggle for democracy, justice and human rights in Asia, and will endure as an example for future generations.

SPECIAL TRIBUTE

In Memoriam: Corazon Aquino and Kim Dae-jung By A. Lin Neumann

Cover Stories

Deconstructing National Interests, Divining Future Foreign Policy By Satu Limaye There are plenty of articles and essays examining the foreign policies of Asian countries. The contributions to the cover story in this issue of Global Asia, prepared in cooperation with the East-West Center’s Washington DC office, take a somewhat different approach to what one might find elsewhere. mistakes of past policies toward North Korea.

A Journey of Change: Indonesia’s Foreign Policy By Dewi Fortuna Anwar During the last half of the 20th century, Indonesia lurched from the revolutionary nationalism of founding president Sukarno to the authoritarian capitalism of Suharto, which spurred economic growth but caused deep concerns over human rights issues. With Suharto’s fall in 1998, the country began a difficult transition to a stable democracy with an increasingly open and positive international image. It took the end of the Cold War and democracy for Indonesia to begin to realize more of its potential as a regional and world actor.

Domestic Woes and Overseas Tactics in the Philippines By Renato Cruz de Castro In perhaps no other Southeast Asian nation is the need to couple domestic political priorities with foreign policy tactics as pronounced as in the Philippines. International relations professor Renato Cruz De Castro outlines how a reinvigorated alliance with the US, aimed at thwarting international and domestic terrorism, and an emerging partnership with China form the backbone of the country’s bilateral relations. He also illuminates the unique place of the country’s overseas workers in the conduct of its foreign affairs.

Punching Above its Weight: Malaysia’s Foreign Policy By Tang Siew Mun Malaysia has for decades illustrated how a relatively small country can have a disproportionate influence on regional and international affairs. Malaysian political scientist Tang Siew Mun describes how the eclipsing of Japan by China, as well as Malaysia’s enduring commitment to greater regional integration, are shaping its foreign policy priorities.

Battle Between Continuity and Change: Thailand’s Topsy-Turvy Foreign Policy Directions By Thitinan Pongsudhirak Thailand has long been praised for its adroit handling of foreign relations. While its neighbors were being colonized on all sides, it remained flexibly independent. Its skillful use of shifting alliances allowed it to successfully maneuver through two world wars and the Cold War. But Chulalongkorn University political scientist Thitinan Pongsudhirak argues the turmoil that began with the government of Thaksin Shinawatra and worsened with the 2006 coup has destroyed the country’s domestic foreign policy consensus.

Doi Moi and the Remaking of Vietnam By Hoang Anh Tuan It has been more than two decades since Vietnam unleashed the forces of economic and political reform, and the results are clear in the form of sustained economic progress. Less obvious are the numerous ways that reform has reshaped Vietnam’s regional and international agenda, writes Vietnamese diplomat Hoang Anh Tuan.

The Debate

Is an Asian Community Really Possible?

An Asian Community will Emerge from Existing Structures By Andy Yee Asia has seen a proliferation of multilateral organizations in recent decades, and much of the debate over the possibility of an Asia-Pacific or East Asian community has centered on their strengths and weaknesses. Understanding the political and economic realities behind these organizations is the key to fathoming the future shape of that community.

A Skeptical View of Asia’s Rise By Ali Wyne Advocates for the creation of an Asian Community are confident that the 21st century will be an “Asian century,” in which the region’s rapid economic growth will unleash its potential to exercise global leadership. There are important reasons to be skeptical that this outcome will prevail, at least in the foreseeable future.

Feature Essays

New Multilateralism in East Asia: Building on Common Interests, Expanding on Common Ground By Ban Ki-moon Increasingly, the world’s problems call for global solutions. Whether these problems involve security issues, the economy or the environment, the need for nations to work together has never been greater. UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon argues that Asia has a special obligation to accelerate its efforts at greater regional integration in order to confront the challenges ahead and enhance the region’s voice in global affairs.

Envisioning a New World Order and its Implications in the Digital Age By Mahathir Mohamad With the growing strength of Asia’s economies, there is widespread debate about the emergence of a new world order to replace the post-World War II system. Some argue that the Digital Age will help shape that new order. But former Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad argues that without a fundamental change in values and culture, there are plenty of reasons not to be optimistic about the possible outcome.

Time to Step Forward: Asia’s Role in a New Global Financial Architecture By Masahiro Kawai While the negative effects of the current global financial crisis are severe and obvious, one possible benefit is that it affords Asia a unique opportunity to step forward and take a more decisive role in shaping the global financial architecture of the future. Masahiro Kawai, Dean of the Asian Development Bank Institute, argues that Asian policymakers should seize this opportunity to reshape their economies and regional relationships in order to give Asia its rightful place at the global table.

Weathering the Storm: Lessons from the Financial Crisis By David Edwards The global financial crisis has triggered a lively debate over the need to reform the world’s financial architecture to better prepare for future storms. But Standard Chartered banker David Edwards argues that banks themselves could do a lot more to prevent future crises by reemphasizing the basics of better risk management.

Asia After the Global Financial Crisis By William H. Overholt The dislocations caused by the global financial crisis have highlighted the economic relationship between Asia and the West. It remains to be seen whether efforts to deal with the current crisis are only sowing the seeds of the next crisis. William H. Overholt, a leading American expert on Asia, argues that stark choices facing Asian politicians from Japan to China and India to South Korea will ultimately shape the future relationship between Asia and the West.

Battling Protectionism in the Global Financial Crisis By Shujiro Urata Asia’s export-oriented economies were particularly hard hit by the effects of the global financial crisis, as demand from major importing countries plunged in response to the crisis. Despite the temptation to resort to trade protection, now is the time to renew commitment to trade liberalization, argues leading Japanese economist Shujiro Urata.

Trade Protectionism and Economic Growth: The Chinese Example By Li Wei The global financial crisis has triggered an acceleration in the use of protectionist trade measures, even among the G-20 countries that have pledged not to do so. China has been especially singled out as a target of protectionism, argues Chinese economist Li Wei. This ultimately could damage the countries imposing the measures, he says. The world should work together to combat barriers to trade.

Toiling with Potential: Educating Asia’s Migrant Women By Sarah Mavrinac The economic potential of Asia’s millions of migrant women represents one of the great untapped resources for tackling poverty, according to educator Sarah Mavrinac. Citing the work of a non-profit educational organization in Singapore, she argues that providing the right kind of financial education to migrant women can unleash that potential.

Book Reviews

China’s Peaceful Rise By Chung-in Moon Zheng Bijian is a seminal figure in the origin of the concept of China’s peaceful rise. Global Asia Editor-in-Chief Chung-in Moon reviews three books by and about Zheng that document the importance of the concept in understanding the priorities of China’s leadership. URL for html version of article: Chung-in Moon is Editor-in-Chief of Global Asia.

A Letter from a Reader: All God’s Creature From Richard H. Schwartz