Bloomberg (January 7, 2014)
A war of words has been playing out in London’s Daily Telegraph where the ambassadors from China and Japan have been “using wildly undiplomatic language to characterize” each other’s countries. In op-ed pieces, they both, in turn, accused the other’s country of being “Lord Voldemort.” While the Harry Potter jibes seem comical, “the exchange is a troubling sign, and one that raises questions about whether commercial ties will be enough to prevent Asia’s two big powers from sliding toward outright conflict.”
Tags: Ambassadors, Asia, China, Commercial ties, Conflict, Daily Telegraph, Harry Potter, Japan, Language, London, Lord Voldemort, Undiplomatic, War
New York Times (November 1)
An ongoing border dispute between India and China has led to war and confrontation. A recent agreement, however, “gives both sides an incentive to review their now very different maps of the region and settle on a permanent border. Until that happens, the possibility of serious conflict remains very real.”
Financial Times (August 27)
There is a “moral case for intervention in Syria.” Bashar al-Assad’s “battle to hold on to power at any cost–including the lives of some 100,000 Syrians–is founded on the assumption the international community is too divided to act with conviction. He has exploited the divisions to take the war on his own people to terrifying extremes…. But this is a gamble he cannot be allowed to win.”
Tags: Bashar al-Assad, Conviction, Divided, International community, Intervention, Moral, Power, Syria, War
Washington Post (April 6, 2013)
“Pop stars, bourgeois lifestyle commentary and funny videos often seem to interest young South Koreans more than Pyongyang’s latest provocation.” As North Korea tries to “to intimidate its neighbor… South Korea has already won the fight.” Young people do talk about “the risk of a second Korean war. But, even if this week’s chest-thumping has them a bit jittery, they typically mock Kim Jong Un and dismiss his war declaration as hot air. It’s a distraction from more pressing matters — not a particularly high bar for a youth culture obsessed with the latest Korean pop girl group or Samsung gadget.”
Tags: Kim Jong Un, North Korea, Provocation, South Korea, War, Youth
The Economist (January 19)
“China and Japan are sliding towards war. In the waters and skies around disputed islands, China is escalating actions designed to challenge decades of Japanese control.” The Economist warns the risks of war are rising and risks of a clash between China and Japan are rising “and the consequences could be calamitous.”
Tags: China, Consequences, Japan, Risk, Senkaku islands, War
Washington Post (March 6, 2012)
“In our view, Mr. Obama’s arguments against an early attack on Iran…were persuasive.” While Iran has not decided to work toward a diplomatic settlement, there is still time. As President Obama pointed out, there will still be considerable lead time before Tehran is “in a position to obtain a nuclear weapon” and the U.S. will know when Iran first attempts this.
Tags: Diplomacy, Iran, Nuclear weapon, Obama, War
