Workshop on Managing International Conflicts in East Asia
| Date: | Saturday, February 1 2014 |
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| Venue: | Shinagawa Prince Hotel 12th Floor, "Silver" |
| Hosted by: | Security Studies Unit, Policy Alternatives Research Institute, the University of Tokyo |
In the light of the its mission to stimulate the rise of a diffuse awareness in the broader public of international political issues, the Security Studies Unit (SSU) is glad to publish the present video- recording of the “Crisis in East Asia” public forum, an event organised in the context of the Workshop on Managing International Conflicts, which took place at the Shinagawa Prince Hotel on February 1, 2014. The event saw the participation of extraordinary panellists: Professor John Ikenberry from Princeton University, Professor Gareth Evans from the Australian National University, Professor Zhu Fang from Peking University, and Professor Kiichi Fujiwara, professor at the University of Tokyo and Director of the SSU.
The discussion focused on the analysis of the geopolitical tensions currently unfolding in the East Asia. The speakers have highlighted a series of elements constituting the most important factors of instability, namely the permanence of a security flashpoint in the Korean peninsula and the uncertainty of Pyongyang’s military moves, the broader issue of nuclear security in the region as a whole, the problematic “power shift” occurring primarily because of the rapid rise of China, and finally the question of war crime memories and the political relevance of historical narratives. The speakers have also concentrated on proposals going for peace-building and for the restoration of mutual confidence among state leaderships, which may not occur without steps in the direction of historical reconciliation, and of a renewed commitment to the reinforcement of functioning international institutions.