History Of The Asia Pacific Region

Besides the experience of travel itself, identify one theme or pattern that seems to be repeated throughout the test. Examples (political\ systems, economic development, religion). What significance does this theme or pattern play in shaping the ancient world? Are there any chapters/people/events that contradict your pattern or theme?’

In When Asia was the World, Stewart Gordon investigates how trade led to the spread of religion and education/innovation. These factors were critical in Asia’s rise to dominance. Throughout the book, trade is discussed as a medium for culture to travel across large areas of land. It is this movement of new ideas that catalyzed Asia’s growth.

What made Asia one of the most influential, intercontinental, and powerful nations during the ancient world? Was it the spread of new religion? The bustling trade? Or was it the knowledge and communication spread throughout the continent? In the book When Asia was the World, Stewart Gordon analyses journals, primary text, and personal accounts of life in Asia during this time. We see the view of the world through merchants, traders, scholars, philosophers, travelers, and generals, from 500 – 1500 CE. Although this book seems like it is emphasizing the importance of travel in the ancient world, it is actually about how trade spread valuable goods, services, and knowledge that made Asia the center of civilization.

in the region. America’s presence in Guam and the Philippines and its support of China posed

The United States (US) is constantly looking for ways to improve relations with other countries and to follow their National Security Strategy (NSS). To aid the US in analyzing different countries, the PMESII-PT is used as a formula to keep everyone on the same page. The PMESII-PT contains eight different variables which help the United States analyze how different countries can affect their National Security Strategy. These variables include: political, military, economic, social, information, infrastructure, physical terrain, and time. These variables can be used to help better understand the situation and most important aspects of any country. Japan is a major country that can have a large impact on US relations and build on the current NSS. Throughout this paper, the PMESII-PT variables are examined to help educate and show how Japan can affect the United States’ NSS. After reading this paper, one can gain knowledge on how Japan can have a large influence on US interests in the Pacific/ Asian Command (PACOM) region.

B. Heian Period: A period where Buddhist monks became increasingly bold and powerful that a clever prelate almost married the empress. After this ordeal, the emperor fled to Heian, a new capital city and forbade any monasteries to be built in the city (Though the monasteries found a way around it). The Taika reforms were later abandoned and the aristocratic families were reinstated. Time when Chinese influence was reduced

The period immediately prior to the 2011 announcement saw a gradual increase in US diplomatic interest within the Pacific region. Prior to this recent increase, the lack of US diplomatic support gave regional partners the impression the US role in regional affairs was on the decline just as Chinese influence was increasing. According to political

The Maritime Silk Road also played an important historical role. The Han Dynasty’s ocean trade routes reached as far as South Asia. There have been records of trade between the Han Dynasty, the Persian and Roman empires. These trade accounts were all achieved using these methods or maritime routes. The imported goods from this route were mainly small ornaments. Later, these sea routes connected coastal cities. This helped make trade flow more smoothly. Some of the routes also went through the Strait of Malacca to the Indian Peninsula. China’s wealthier class prospered from the beneficiaries of the luxury products given to them during the Han Dynasty. However, the usage of the maritime Silk Road was limited for various reasons. Out of the Han Dynasty, there was the establishment of a shipping lane between Guangdong and India. This helped spread the material culture of all the countries involved in the intricate routes of the Silk Road. The usage of a maritime Silk Road encouraged the spread of trade to a more vast area. This can be seen when the routes extended to the Indian Ocean and the Arabian Sea. It touched the Arab Empire and the East African coast as well. The Maritime Silk Road had other names as well. It was also known as the Maritime Chinaware Road. It is interesting because these names reflected the goods that had been transported there.

The United States (US) has been the major global power for recent history – they have been labelled as the superpower and many smaller, developing nations have looked to the US for assistance in times of crisis. Following this, it is no secret that US foreign policy revolves heavily on maintaining its global influence and leadership so as to secure US interests and promote compatible values. However, today’s world of globalisation has proved to be difficult for the US – their ‘superpower’ status is being contested as national debt spiral upwards and the most devoted patriarchs of the US begin to focus more closely on domestic affairs. The reality is that the US is drowning in national debt and excessive budget deficits, sparking heated debate about government spending. According to Pentagon estimates, the corollary is that the US military budget will be cut by at least 8% in the next ten years. This called for a re-evaluation of current foreign affairs strategies, and in 2010 resulted in President Obama’s plan to ‘Pivot to Asia’ looking to shift focus from the Middle East to Asia in order to bolster US defence ties within the region. It is argued that strategic thinkers who view Asia of greater importance to the US than the Middle East have a skewed perception of the world and is unaware of the repercussions on US interests. This essay will seek to outline by contrasting arguments that the ‘Pivot’ to Asia is one that is necessary but will require co-operation by the US to

From the beginning of his presidency, President Obama determined that increasing our strategic focus on the Asia-Pacific Region and rebalance our national power and resources toward this region. This shift from the war footing in Iraq and Afghanistan to an increased peace and stability in East Asia was determined to be in the best national interests of the United States in the 2015 National Security Strategy. This strategic shift would have two major focus areas. First, the United States would focus on peace and stability in East Asia through sustained commitment to our traditional allies; second, we would build a cooperative, constructive relationship with China that addressed our differences. China’s aggressive actions in the East China Sea have tested the viability of this strategy. China declared a zone in this area that included the Senkaku Islands which Japan also claims as its own territory. While the United States has stated that it is a sovereignty dispute and will not take an official position, it stands by our allies in the region directly affected by this action; Japan, Korea, and Taiwan. The United States must apply a strategic approach in pursuit our four enduring national interests:

As of today, China has expanded and built over seven artificial islands in the South China Sea since 2014. The South China Sea has recently come to be a major problem in Asia as issues have risen over who has rights of passage and claims in this area. The Chinese of recent have been making territorial claims in the South China Sea that are in areas of free passage for many other Asian countries and the United States. In October 2015, a U.S. guided missile destroyer encountered one of the artificial islands and China’s response was that it would “take any measure” to maintain its security in “their territory”. The Chinese have been questioned in the Permanent Court of Arbitration by the Philippines after claiming rights to historical locations in the South China Sea, which violates sovereign rights of the Philippines, yet China responded to this outcome with refusal and has continued to advance itself in the territory causing huge disputes with its neighboring countries as freedom of navigation has been compromised through China’s actions.. In order to guarantee resolution and maintain the freedom of navigation aspect of international law there needs to be a foreign policy put in place that puts more United States military in the South China Sea with support from disputing countries like Japan and the Philippines as a way to make the issue multilateral and law abiding.

Coming to the Asia-Pacific region, the strategical trends there have been a chequered picture of intense competitive rivalries with strands of cooperative maritime partnership and are a dichotomous outcome of the evolving balance of power in the region featuring rise of china and emergence of japan as normal powers. The public authorities with sectoral arrangements and business conducts have constrained efforts at ocean and have been effective in providing integrated marine policy which needs research, training and socialization that aims at developing a more comprehensive perspective with respect to

In the case of China till now the focus continues to be on the Pacific and not on the IOR with principal interest at this juncture in the need to protect the Sea Lanes of Communications (SLOCS) along the Indian Ocean, vital for the country’s energy imports. The seaward drive of China can be attributed to the twin propellants of geopolitics and economics . Off late China through its soft power diplomacy has begun to shape the IOR strategic environment, by providing large loans on generous repayment terms and investing in major infrastructure projects. In addition by offering military assistance and political

The dispute over the South China Sea denotes the process of power rebalancing while China rising as a hegemony in East Asia. China craves for more resources and power and decides to effectuate that by controlling more maritime territory. This act impelled the United State to align with the Philippines to balance with China. In a realism world, U.S. has adequate reason to intervene for fear for China becoming too strong a power.

Our company, Corbion, the world’s largest manufacturer of biodegradable plastic products, has decided to expand our operations into the Asian Pacific area primarily for access to raw materials and ease of distribution to our larger customers in that region of the world. Our main raw material is sugar which when processed produces monomers and polymers with a base of lactic acid that are used to fabricate our plastic products. Our major markets are food packaging, medical industry supplies, and plastics used in the production of electronic goods. After much research and careful consideration we have decided to open a plant in Rayong, Thailand. Thailand emerged as a key location due to its strengths in matured infrastructure, IT, and communication systems. The Thai government is very friendly to foreign investors and provides simplified import and export regulations. Rayong in particular is a seaport with well-established transportation routes to Southern China where some of our biggest customers are located. Thailand also provides a pool of highly skilled workers at a low cost.