Balancing China through Vietnam   

The public display of China’s new J-20 stealth fighter, the expected appearance soon of China’s first aircraft carrier, and Secretary Gates’ troubled visit to the PRC reaffirm the importance for the United States of having good security relations with China’s neighbors. Defense ties with the Republic of Korea remain strong, while those with Japan have recovered from last year’s downturn, thanks partly to China’s confrontational policies regarding the territories in dispute between Beijing and Tokyo. But U.S.-Vietnamese security ties lag somewhat due to the legacy of confrontation and other factors. (Second Line of Defense)

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Can Malaysia graduate?   

Malaysia is one of the developing world’s great success stories. Few countries outside of East Asia can match its development record. Since its independence over 53 years ago per capita incomes have risen more than eight-fold, and absolute poverty has been all but eliminated. (East Asia Forum)

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US-China Tensions May Grow Again   

Despite the pomp, pageantry and vows of cooperation, tensions between the United States and China are likely to grow, not shrink, after President Barack Obama's summit meeting with Chinese President Hu Jintao. While the United States struggles with near-chronic unemployment and a continuing housing crisis, China was the first major economy to power out of the global downturn and recently passed Japan as the world's second-largest economy. (The Irrawaddy)

Obama, Hu on North Korea   

As expected, U.S. President Barack Obama and his Chinese counterpart Hu Jintao addressed two issues concerning North Korea during their summit on Wednesday ― its hostility against South Korea and its nuclear weapons program. They made agreements in broad terms. But their post-summit remarks provided no indication that they agreed to take any concrete steps with regard to the two issues. (The Korea Herald)

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Lines of division in Vietnam   

The Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) has chosen to stay the course by selecting a Marxist ideologue as its new general secretary. Nguyen Phu Trong, a 67-year old former editor-in-chief of the Communist Review and current chairman of the communist-controlled National Assembly, was a compromise choice of the just-concluded 11th National Congress. (Asia Times)

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Strengthening ties with Asian nations   

Last year saw good momentum in China's strengthening ties with other Asian countries, as indicated by the frequent high-level exchanges and the expansion of two-way economic and trade links. The high-level exchanges greatly boosted bilateral political trust, while China remained the largest export market for Asian countries - its imports from the rest of the region totaling $446.5 billion, up 41.1 percent year-on-year. The Free Trade Area (FTA) between China and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), established on Jan 1, 2010, is the largest among developing countries, and has significantly accelerated flows of capital, materials, technology and human resources. China, Japan and the Republic of Korea (ROK) will complete a joint study on a proposed FTA by 2012. (China Daily)

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Expectations Ahead of US-China Summit   

U.S. President Barack Obama is expected to press his Chinese counterpart Hu Jintao on a variety of bilateral issues ranging from human rights to currency valuation, and from denuclearization to trade imbalance during their talks in Washington next week. But experts and analysts sought to temper expectations of any immediate results from the White House meeting on Jan. 19 during Hu’s state visit, the first by a Chinese leader to the United States in 14 years. (Radio Free Asia)

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China’s naval coming-of-age      

Chinese strategists see aircraft carriers as crucial to a deep-sea navy that would finally allow China to push beyond the ring of American bases in Japan, Taiwan and the Philippines. As the world's largest exporter, and a major importer of oil and other resources from Africa and the Middle East, it is no longer willing to trust the U.S. and other foreign navies to protect its ships. (The Globe and Mail)

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ASEAN divides   

In 2010, as ASEAN celebrated the 43^rd year of its existence as a regional organization, signs of its division became increasingly manifest. Despite repeated urging for members to move towards the ASEAN Economic Community by 2015, it is becoming obvious that most of the mainland Southeast Asian states (CLMV) see their political and economic futures tied to China far more than to their insular Southeast Asian erstwhile brethren. (East Asia Forum)

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