On January 29, AFPC convened a panel of China experts on Capitol Hill to review the implications of China’s recent “Asia for Asians” policy. The event, held in the Capital Visitor’s Complex, was part of the larger Defense Technology Briefing Series designed to educate congressional staff on current events and politics. It was moderated by Dr. Joshua Eisenman, AFPC’s Senior Fellow for China Studies. Panelists included Dr. Scott Harold of the RAND Corporation, Dr. Abraham Denmark of the National Bureau of Asian Research, and Mr. Randy Schriver of the Project 2049 Institute.
In his opening remarks, Dr. Eisenman introduced the phrase “Asia for Asians” and traced its history, noting that the concept is not a new one but dates back to Imperialist Japan in World War II, but has been popularized again by China in recent years.
Dr. Harold then highlighted the growing number of new security initiatives in recent years that suggest China is moving away from the non-confrontational, “low posture” foreign policies of the 1980s and 1990s and towards a more active approach designed to shape the world and region.
Dr. Denmark described the policy as reflecting China’s aspirations to carve out a leading role in East Asia. And Mr. Schriver echoed this assessment, noting that the term represents a stronger push by China to establish regional influence, and is driven by a perceived “window of opportunity” for a more aggressive Chinese foreign policy.
