"Japanese Minister of Defense H.E. Kono Taro describes his country's efforts to combat the coronavirus in a conversation with Daniel Russel, vice president for international diplomacy and security at the Asia Society Policy Institute..." Watch the full event here: Full Event
"Cutting off the last line of communication would be 'bad for both sides,' said Dennis Ross, a former US Middle East envoy under President Bill Clinton. Ross is now at the Washington Institute. 'All it does is increase the potential for misunderstandings. And I think misunderstandings already exist,' Ross told Al-Monitor. "What’s next: The Israel Defense Forces and Israel’s political opposition are less enthusiastic about the annexation plan. Any threat to security cooperation may make the plan even less palatable to [...]
"[Tony] Blinken discussed a range of global issues and how they might be handled under a Biden Administration. Moderated by CBS News’ Senior Foreign Affairs Correspondent Margaret Brennan, the conversation also examined the U.S. COVID-19 response and how it has impacted the U.S. role on the international stage..." Watch the full event here: Full Event
"In this episode of Asia In-Depth, Asia Society Policy Institute Vice President for International Security and Diplomacy Daniel Russel explores these questions with two experts on North Korea — Harvard Medical School scholar Dr. Kee B Park, who leads an effort to assist doctors in North Korea, and Brookings Institution Senior Fellow, Dr. Jung H. Pak, an author, and former deputy national intelligence officer at the National Intelligence Council..." Listen to the full episode here: Full Episode
"As the world has grappled with COVID-19, China has sought to leverage the crisis for geopolitical advantage. To do so, China isn't relying on the traditional forms of statecraft, such as diplomacy. Instead, it is pairing highly publicized aid with public bullying, bombastic rhetoric and outright coercion. "We have spent the last month closely monitoring Chinese donations to European allies and the messages that have accompanied them. These cases—which involve at least 23 different countries in Europe—tell us a lot about [...]
"But the scope of annexation, which was envisaged in the Trump peace plan, has yet to be determined. It is unclear whether Gantz, who says he supports annexation if enacted as part of the entire plan that also provides for a Palestinian state, will try to reduce the scale of an action that could spark violence in the territories and roil diplomacy in the region. Diplomats face changes in Jerusalem in any case, said Dan Shapiro, a former U.S. ambassador to [...]
"Dennis Ross, who helped negotiate earlier peace plans during the Clinton administration, noted signs of 'a certain pause' in the Trump administration’s approach after a series of diplomatic maneuvers that appeared designed to pressure Palestinian officials into new talks with Israel. "Notably, Mr. Ross said, leaders of neighboring Arab states are urging the Trump administration to withhold its approval of West Bank annexation — arguing that it would upend regional security agreements, create a new influx of Palestinians into Jordan and, [...]
"His own State Department remains on lockdown, with most employees working from their homes. The entire world is subject to a Level 4 'Do Not Travel' warning. White House officials who have attended West Wing meetings with him have tested positive for COVID-19 in recent days. "Yet with all that, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo will touch down in Israel for a brief visit on Wednesday, where he will meet with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Speaker of Knesset Benny [...]
"The Covid-19 pandemic has convinced many that the U.S. must fundamentally change its policy toward China. Shifting course is necessary, but it won’t be achieved with a few policy tweaks. That’s because the pandemic’s political and economic effects are bringing about a more assertive Chinese grand strategy. "Beijing has steered China’s rise with relative ease since the mid-1990s. Enabled by the West’s open arms, China has grown its economy, armed itself and expanded its influence around the world without significant interference [...]
"'The debates over corona bonds remain fierce, with some countries pushing for these grants (instead of loans) and others, like Germany, strongly opposing the idea,' Julie Smith, senior adviser to the president of the German Marshall Fund and director of their Asia program, told me. "Smith spent 2018 in Germany focused on German foreign policy and relations with Asia. "'Either way, if Germany folds and gives in or if it holds steady and refuses, anti-EU sentiment will likely rise. If German [...]