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Seminars: Stimson Center, February 10, 2021

“The Security Environment in Western Pacific Waters”

The waters of the Western Pacific are the focus of intense interest for trade routes, for territorial disputes, and as ongoing case studies for international law. How do Japan and the United States approach the challenges of upholding international norms and the law of the seas in this important region? How can regional and global multilateral partnerships influence the security dynamics in these waters?

A distinguished think tank in Washington DC, the Stimson Center hold a webinar titled “the Security Environment in Western Pacific Waters” on February 10, 2021, inviting Japanese and U.S. experts on international law and security polity to explore these complex issues. Mr. Susumu Takai, President of SSRI, participated in the webinar as a panelist and expressed concern about China’s advances into the East China Sea, particularly around the Senkaku Islands. With a skilfull moderation by Ms. Yuki Tatsumi at the Stimson Center, the panelists discussed the perception on the maritime security issue in the U.S. Congress, how the Biden administration reassure allies and partners about its commitments in the region, implications of the China’s Coast Guard Law, and a concept of maritime peacekeeping force. Then the audiences were invited to submit questions and the panelists responded on various aspects.

The webinar lasted 1 hour.

Webinar Digest

Panelists

  • Emma Chanlett-Avery, Specialist in Asian Affairs, Congressional Research Service
  • Yurika Ishii, Associate Professor, National Defense Academy of Japan
  • Susumu Takai, President, Security Strategy Research Institute of Japan
  • Kathleen Walsh, Associate Professor of National Security Affairs, US Naval War College
  • (Moderator)
    Yuki Tatsumi, Senior Fellow and Co-Director of the East Asia Program and Director of the Japan Program, the Stimson Center
INTEREST
1
How does Japan see its maritime security environment in East China Sea?

2
What is the sense of how US Congress sees these developments?
What can Biden administration do to reassure allies in Indo-Pacific who shares the similar concerns as Japan?

3
What about PRC’s new Coast Guard Law make it problematic for the international community?

4
Does something like "Maritime Peacekeeping Operation" work as a potential mechanism
to facilitate the collective efforts by the countries
that share the concern about the development in the region?

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