Leadership in the Asia-Pacific: The Road Ahead for Japan and the United States HELD IN TOKYO

Economic growth and stability in the Asia-Pacific is hardly a regional issue. The world at large has a major stake in ensuring peace and prosperity in the region, especially amid growing risks worldwide. In the fifth annual Japan-U.S. Joint Public Policy Forum to be held October 2 in Tokyo hosted by the Sasakawa Peace Foundation and the Wilson Center, experts from both countries will gather to discuss the outlook and challenges ahead for Japan and the United States to take leadership in the Asia-Pacific region. 

Former U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs, Kurt Campbell, will be one of the keynote speakers to start the day-long discussion on how Japan and the United States may be able to cooperate on issues of global importance in coming years. Two panel discussions will follow, one on the sources of uncertainties in the region and the possibility for bilateral cooperation. Panelists will identify current and emerging regional challenges, and assess the effectiveness of existing mechanisms in dealing with those challenges.

The second panel discussion will focus on the region’s domestic challenges, and panelists will discuss ways to overcome constraints within each country to meet the broader needs of the Asia-Pacific.

Through these discussions, the forum will seek to address how Japan and the United States can work independently and collaboratively to strengthen current regional institutions and mechanisms, as well as assess whether new frameworks can be developed to protect the national interests of each and sustain domestic support for active diplomacy and regional leadership.

Since 2009, the annual Joint Public Policy Forum has brought together experts from both the United States and Japan not only to discuss issues of global importance, but also to assess policies that could lead to greater cooperation between the two countries.

A summary of the conference can be found at:

http://www.spf.org/jpus/pdf/symposium/001_05_report.pdf