The Asian Paradox
Uncertainty about whether Chinese President Xi Jinping and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe will even speak to each other at this month's APEC summit highlights the grim reality of Asian relations today. The “Asian century” is being thwarted by a paradox: economic interdependence has done nothing to alleviate strategic mistrust.
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SEOUL – Given that the 21 members of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum account for some 54% of global GDP and about 44% of world trade, the agenda for this month’s APEC summit should be drawing much global attention. Yet the only issue in which anyone seems interested is whether or not Chinese President Xi Jinping and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe will meet on the sidelines, and, if they do, whether a substantive discussion to ease bilateral tensions will take place.