Candidates Bring U.S. Pacific Policy ‘Full Circle,’ Says Former Australian Defense Minister
HONOLULU (Oct. 1) -- The American presidential candidates may have dramatically different world views, but both are “men of the Pacific,” a major Australian political figure and academic said here last week in an address on U.S.-Australia relations. . . more . . .
Asia Pacific Scholars, Officials and Business Leaders to Gather at International Conference in Bali
HONOLULU (Sept. 30) -- Nearly 500 scholars, officials, educators and business leaders will gather in Bali November 13-15 for an international conference on the theme of "Building an Asia Pacific Community: Unity in Diversity." . . . more . . .
Gauging the U.S. Presidential Candidates’ Positions on Asia Pacific Issues
Recently, as presidential candidates Sens. John McCain and Barack Obama were gearing up for their first scheduled debate, slated to focus on foreign-policy issues, the U.S. Asia Pacific Council’s Washington Report newsletter interviewed senior advisors for both candidates about their approach to critical issues in the Asia Pacific region. McCain advisor Randall G. Schriver and Obama advisor Michael Schiffer shared their candidates’ views on issues ranging from regional economic integration and free trade agreements to U.S. relations with Asia’s Muslims, the Six-Party Talks on North Korean denuclearization and relations with China, Japan and South Korea. . . more . . .
Indian Feature Film: Jodhaa Akbar “Bollywood” extravaganza filmed partially in Agra Fort and depicting the romance between a Hindu princess and the Mughal emperor, Akbar Where: East-West Center Art Gallery, Burns Hall, 1601 East-West Road, Honolulu When: December 14, 2008
East-West Dialogue Discusses the U.S. Role in Fostering the ASEAN Economic Community
In the latest issue of the East-West Dialogue, How (and Why) the United States Should Help to Build the ASEAN Economic Community, EWC Senior Fellow Michael Plummer calls for ambitious new initiatives, leading to a U.S.-ASEAN Economic Space that would develop a framework for expanding FTAs and a U.S.-ASEAN Partnership Fund to deepen civic and cultural ties. These ideas are elaborated on in commentaries by Scot Marciel (U.S. Ambassador to ASEAN), Kishore Mahbubani (former Singaporean Ambassador to the UN), and Chalongphob Sussangkarn (former Thai Minister of Finance).