ENGAGING RUSSIA IN ASIA PACIFIC
1997–1998
In the post–Cold War era, Russia has become an increasingly important and influential actor in international economics and politics. Its role in the Asia Pacific region, however, has remained relatively weak, as the Russian leadership has tended to be oriented more toward Europe. The constructive engagement of Russia in Asia, however, is important both in terms of improving Russia-Japan relations and in terms of regional stability as a whole.
In 1997, JCIE launched the multinational project titled “Engaging Russia in Asia Pacific” as part of the Asia Pacific Agenda Project (APAP). Under the leadership of Koji Watanabe, senior fellow of JCIE and former Japanese ambassador to Russia, a multinational team of eight researchers evaluated the prospects for Russia’s participation in Asia. The project began in August 1997 with a brainstorming workshop in Tokyo. Papers were presented at a May 1998 conference held in Cebu, Philippines, and were published in 1999 in an edited volume.
PROJECT TEAM
Project Director
KOJI WATANABE, Senior Fellow, JCIE; Former Japanese Ambassador to Russia
Participants
YUTAKA AKINO, Professor, University of Ryukyus
HA YONG-CHOOL, Professor, Department of International Relations, Seoul National University, South Korea
LI JINGJIE, Professor and Director, Institute of East European, Russian and Central Asian Studies, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, China
AMADO M. MENDOZA, JR., Assistant Professor, Department of Political Science, University of the Philippines; Fellow, Institute of Strategic and Development Studies, the Philippines
K. S. NATHAN, Professor of International Relations, University of Malaya, Malaysia
BILVEER SINGH, Associate Professor, National University of Singapore, Singapore
TETSUO SUGANO, Director, Michinoku Bank, Ltd., Japan and President, Michinoku Bank (Moscow), Ltd.
YANG MINGJIE, Deputy Director/Associate Research Professor, World Politics Division, China Institute of Contemporary International Relations, China
