Positive Signs for Crisis Management in the East China Sea

By | February 4, 2015 | Categories: China, Confidence Building Measures, Japan
Following the first meeting between Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and Chinese President Xi Jinping in November 2014, Tokyo and Beijing have resumed official talks to turn the East China Sea into a zone of “peace, cooperation, and friendship.” On January 12, representative from each country’s defense ministry, navy, and air force met in Tokyo […]

In Confidence: Will We Know if US-China CBMs Are Working?

By and | February 4, 2015 | Categories: China, Confidence Building Measures, United States
In November 2014, the United States and China concluded two major confidence-building measures (CBMs), which they announced at a bilateral summit. The CBMs include an agreement that each side will notify the other of major military activities, and a code of conduct for safe maritime and air encounters. Where the code of conduct is concerned, […]

What’s in a CBM?: Watching for Direct and Indirect Measures of Confidence

By | February 4, 2015 | Categories: China, Confidence Building Measures, United States
It’s hard to imagine that the risk of war in Asia could hinge on something as pedestrian and mundane-sounding as “confidence-building measures” or CBMs. Yet this obscure piece of security terminology, originating during the Cold War, is now front and center in discussions of the future of U.S.-China strategic relations. Policymakers and military leaders in […]

A New Vision for U.S.-India Cooperation in Asia

By | February 4, 2015 | Categories: Confidence Building Measures, India, United States
President Barack Obama’s visit to India on January 25-27, 2015 renewed India’s place as a centerpiece of the “pivot to Asia.” Moving ahead with long-pending strategic deals on civilian nuclear trade and defense co-development, along with the renewal of our expiring New Framework for the U.S. India Defense Relationship, underscores the new cooperative spirit with […]