Regional dynamics and future U.S. policy.

Abstract

The East-West Center Senior Policy Seminars bring together senior security officials and analysts from countries around the region for nonofficial, frank, and non-attribution discussions of the differing perspectives on security issues in the Asia Pacific region. The hope and intention of this Seminar series is, through such exchanges, both to promote mutual understanding among the participants and to explore possibilities for improving the problem-solving capabilities and mechanisms in the region.

The uncertain nature of the post-Cold War era in the Asia Pacific region and the lack of a clear framework for regional problem solving were recurrent themes in the discussions at the 1999 Senior Seminar. The major objective of the Seminar was to assess the U.S. role in the region and the challenges of formulating U.S. policies in the twenty-first century. The Seminar first reviewed the changing economic, sociopolitical, and strategic dynamics of the Asia Pacific region. This was followed by a consideration of the major elements of the current U.S. role, as well as selected problem areas in U.S.-Asia Pacific policy the U.S. forward military presence, economic issues, and the role of democracy and human rights in U.S. relations. These discussions provided the background for the assessment of U.S. policymaking for the coming period.