Asia Program

About the Asia Program

The Asia Program provides a forum in the nation's capital for enhancing deeper understanding of, and policy debate about, Asia. It seeks to furnish an intellectual link between the world of ideas and the world of policy on issues relating to Asia and U.S. interests in Asia. The Program organizes dozens of conferences and other meetings and produces several major publications every year, each featuring the work of Asia specialists ranging from distinguished scholars and prominent policymakers to journalists, entrepreneurs, and grassroots activists. more

The Latest from the Asia Program

Announcing the Wilson Center's 2013-2014 Pakistan Scholar

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May 21, 2013
Khurram Husain will arrive in Washington in September 2013 and serve at the Wilson Center until May 2014. more

Japan's Disaster Relier Diplomacy: Fostering Military Cooperation in Asia

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May 15, 2013
Japan scholar Hideshi Futori's paper on Japan's disaster relief diplomacy was published by the East-West Center. The full article can be accessed via: http://www.eastwestcenter.org/publications/japan%E2%80%99s-disaster-relief-diplomacy-fostering-military-cooperation-in-asia more
Nawaz Sharif (C), leader of the Pakistan Muslim League - Nawaz (PML-N) political party, casts his vote for the general election at a polling station in Lahore May 11, 2013.

Pakistan's Historic Election Changes Little for U.S. Relations

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May 14, 2013
Senior Program Associate for South and Southeast Asia Michael Kugelman analyzed the results of the Pakistani elections and how it would affect the U.S. relationship with Pakistan in this video interview with The Washington Post. more

The Logic and Limits of Political Reform in China

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May 07, 2013
In the 1990s China embarked on a series of political reforms intended to increase, however modestly, political participation to reduce the abuse of power by local officials. Although there was initial progress, these reforms have largely stalled and, in many cases, gone backward. If there were sufficient incentives to inaugurate reform, why wasn't there enough momentum to continue and deepen them? This book approaches this question by looking at a number of promising reforms, understanding the incentives of officials at different levels, and the way the Chinese Communist Party operates at the local level. The short answer is that the sort of reforms necessary to make local officials more responsible to the citizens they govern cut too deeply into the organizational structure of the party. more

U.S.-Pakistan Security Relations: From 9/11 to 2011, with an Eye on 2014

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May 14, 2013 // 4:00pm5:15pm
A timely discussion of the security partnership forged by two uneasy allies in the post-9/11 world. more

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