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Germany's 'new' foreign policy |
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On 7 November, the German cabinet agreed, subject to the approval of the Bundestag, a US request for military support in the international campaign against terrorism. Berlin indicated its willingness to deploy up to 3,900 troops. The move follows recent attempts by Chancellor Gerhard Schröder explicitly to recast Germany's place on the international scene and move towards a more ambitious and multi-dimensional foreign policy. Although new principles to underpin the conduct of German foreign policy are now being espoused, the practical implications of this step are likely to be limited in the foreseeable future.
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Japan's Koizumi administration |
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After a decade of political drift and economic malaise, hopes have recently grown in Japan that the country's fortunes might soon improve. These hopes were inspired by the elevation to the post of prime minister of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party's Junichiro Koizumi - a charismatic, western-style politician whose policies range across the traditional progressive-conservative ideological spectrum. The 'Koizumi phenomenon' posed the question of whether Japan faced a substantive or merely stylistic change in governance. All evidence to date suggests that the change has been mostly stylistic in the domestic arena. However, more substantive departures are underway in foreign policy.
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Defining terrorism |
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Support for an international convention against terrorism has grown since 11 September. While it may be possible to find a way to define terrorism, and define particular acts as terrorist, applying this label to individuals and movements is a complex and highly political matter.
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India and the war on terrorism |
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However strong its desire to remove the insurgent problem in Kashmir, it cannot be in New Delhi's interest to do so by means which would grievously alienate the United States and further destabilise the situation in Pakistan. Yet, current interpretations of Indian policy rest largely on the assumption of Indian Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee's continued rule. In fact, speculation about his departure has become rife, and succession candidates may be tempted to strike a hardline posture on Kashmir to enhance their prospects.
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Thailand changes direction |
Although Thailand now has one of the strongest administrations in its recent democratic history, the thrust of policy has across most fronts - the economy, domestic political reform and foreign policy -become markedly more conservative. At the same, the initially high expectations of the administration of Prime Minster Thaksin Shinawatra are far from being realised.
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