On an afternoon walk from my hotel I stopped by Renmin Park and was lucky to arrive at a time when a pottery market was on, the variety, patterns and colours of the pottery was quite remarkable and I hadn’t seen such large and sometimes unusually shaped vases before. I’m not a pottery buff so […]
Understanding the China-Japan Island Conflict
By Rodger Baker Vice President of East Asia Analysis Sep 25, 2012 Sept. 29 will mark 40 years of normalized diplomatic relations between China and Japan, two countries that spent much of the 20th century in mutual enmity if not at outright war. The anniversary comes at a low point in Sino-Japanese relations amid a […]
China Tests Japanese and U.S. Patience
By Rodger Baker Vice President of East Asia Analysis Feb 26, 2013 Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has warned Beijing that Tokyo is losing patience with China’s assertive maritime behavior in the East and South China seas, suggesting China consider the economic and military consequences of its actions. His warning followed similar statements from Washington […]
Ferocious, Weak and Crazy: The North Korean Strategy
By George Friedman Founder and Chairman Apr 9, 2013 Editor’s Note: George Friedman originally wrote this Geopolitical Weekly on North Korea’s nuclear strategy on Jan. 29. More than two months later, the geopolitical contours of the still-evolving crisis have become more clear, so we believe it important to once again share with readers the fundamentals […]
China and North Korea: A Tangled Partnership
By Rodger Baker Vice President of East Asia Analysis Apr 16, 2013 China appears to be growing frustrated with North Korea’s behavior, perhaps to the point of changing its long-standing support for Pyongyang. As North Korea’s largest economic sponsor, Beijing has provided the North Korean regime with crucial aid for years and offered it diplomatic […]
The Rich History of Origami
The art of paper folding has existed for at least 14 centuries. While origami is traditionally associated with Japan, scholars dispute the exact date and location of origami’s development. China has an established history of paper-folding as well, and early paper folding traditions have been documented in several European countries, including Spain and Italy. However, […]