China's Maritime Ambitions in the First Island Chain and Beyond
Washington DC, USA
CSIS Headquarters
Monday, November 18, 2019
On November 18, 2019, at the CSIS Headquarters in Washington DC, the Japan Institute for International Affairs (JIIA) and Center for Strategic & International Studies (CSIS) co-hosted a conference on maritime security challenges facing the United States, Japan, and other like-minded countries in the Indo-pacific region. The event brought together leading experts from the United States, Japan, Australia, and Singapore.
Panel 1: East China Sea
On the first panel, panelists discussed current situation in the East China Sea and what efforts Japan is making to respond to the challenges it faces. How Japan and the United States can cooperate as allies were also identified during this session.
Panel 2: South China Sea
The discussion at the second panel covered recent developments in the South China Sea including China's activities. Panelists also touched upon how Southeast Asian countries are viewing such developments and what actions are needed to be taken.
Panel 3: Pacific Islands
The third panel brought the situations of the Pacific Islands into focus. The panelists examined current economic and political status as well as its significance to the Pacific Island countries and the Indo-Pacific region.
Panel 4: Implications for Regional Policy Coordination
Taking the discussion in the first three panels into consideration, the panelists examined how the United States, Japan, and other like-minded countries can realize Free and Open Indo-Pacific from the perspectives of international law and security. The panelists closed the event with a note that although it may take time, constant efforts to achieve stability in the region based on rule of law needs to be made.
<Agenda>
1:00 - 1:15 Welcoming Remarks
Michael J. Green
Senior Vice President for Asia and Japan Chair, CSIS; Director of Asian Studies, School of Foreign Service, Georgetown University
Yasunori Nakayama
Director General (Acting), JIIA
1:15 - 2:00 East China Sea
Jeffrey Hornung
Political Scientist, RAND Corporation
Masashi Murano
Japan Chair Fellow, Hudson Institute
Moderator
Bonnie Glaser
Senior Adviser for Asia; Director, China Power Project, CSIS
2:00 - 2:45 South China Sea
Greg Poling
Director, Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative and Fellow, Southeast Asia Program, CSIS
Collin Koh Swee Lean
Research Fellow, S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore
Moderator
Michael J. Green
Senior Vice President for Asia and Japan Chair, CSIS; Director of Asian Studies, School of Foreign Service, Georgetown University
2:45 - 3:00 Break
3:00 - 3:45 Pacific Islands
Greg Poling
Director, Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative and Fellow, Southeast Asia Program, CSIS
Jonathan Pryke
Director, Pacific Islands Program, Lowy Institute
Moderator
Patrick Buchan
Director, The U.S. Alliances Project, and Fellow for Indo-Pacific Security, CSIS
3:45 - 4:30 Implications for Regional Policy Coordination
Atsuko Kanehara
Professor, Sophia University
Jeff Benson
Military Fellow, International Security Program, CSIS
Moderator
Michael J. Green
Senior Vice President for Asia and Japan Chair, CSIS; Director of Asian Studies, School of Foreign Service, Georgetown University