Q & A Archive

In the midst of commemorations of the 100th anniversary of the birth of its founder, Kim Il Sung, North Korea is apparently preparing to fire a ballistic missile. While Pyongyang insists the rocket launch is for the sole purpose of sending a satellite into orbit, most analysts say the launch is an effort to develop ballistic missile technology to support North Korea’s growing nuclear weapons program. The satellite launch is seen as a clear violation not only of United Nations resolutions requiring North Korea to suspend activities — including launches — related to its ballistic missile program, but also of […]

Last week, the Indian Express, a leading national newspaper, reported that a routine military drill in January meant to test Indian army units’ mobility in fog conditions instead exposed the depth of distrust between India’s military and civilian leaders. According to the article, two Indian army units advanced on the Indian capital, New Delhi, as part of the drill. But because the military had not notified the Defense Ministry of the troop movements, as protocol requires, civilian authorities reacted by raising an alert before ordering the military to return the troops to their bases. “It is really good that all […]

An agreement setting the maritime boundaries between the Bahamas and Cuba took effect last month, capping a multi-year negotiating process. In an email interview, Martin Pratt, director of research at the International Boundaries Research Unit at Durham University, discussed the Cuba-Bahamas boundary agreement. WPR: What is the background of the maritime border dispute between Cuba and the Bahamas, and what impact has it had on bilateral relations? Martin Pratt: I think the term “dispute” is probably a bit strong in this context. The Bahamas and Cuba have overlapping maritime jurisdictional entitlements, which means that it has been necessary to agree […]

As clashes between rival Libyan militias continue, with a particularly violent battle erupting earlier this week, the fighting that has left hundreds dead or displaced threatens to divide the country. The violence also poses a problem for reconstruction efforts, in part because of its potential to undermine the country’s upcoming elections, currently scheduled for June 20. “These clashes have complicated things in a number of ways. The biggest is that international workers and programs and organizations will have to assess what’s going on in Libya in terms of safety and operability before they send people out, and, for a country […]

The Indian Space Research Organization’s latest budget allocated $25 million to a plan to send an orbiter to Mars to study its atmosphere. In an email interview, Joan Johnson-Freese, a professor of national security affairs at the Naval War College who writes in a personal capacity, discussed India’s space program. WPR: What is the current scope of India’s space program, and what are its priority programs, both short-term and long-term? Joan Johnson-Freese: The scope of India’s space program has recently expanded significantly. Dr. Vikram Sarabhai, considered the father of India’s space program, unambiguously stated its original purpose as being focused […]

African Union countries are currently deadlocked over whether to keep or replace the current African Union chairman, Jean Ping, whose term has been temporarily extended. In an email interview, Solomon Dersso, a senior researcher in the Peace and Security Council Report Program at the Institute for Security Studies, discussed the African Union’s leadership contest. WPR: What are the main functions, both institutional and symbolic, of the African Union commission chairmanship? Solomon Dersso: The African Union Commission is the administrative branch of the continental body. The commission implements AU policies, prepares its strategic plans and coordinates the body’s activities and meetings. […]

Bo Xilai, the dismissed Communist Party chief of the western municipality of Chongqing, began his long fall from grace in February, when his police chief, Wang Lijun, sought refuge in the United States Consulate in Chengdu, the capital of Sichuan province in Southwest China. Wang’s short-lived “defection” lifted the lid off a corruption scandal that is likely to complicate the once-in-a-decade transfer of power to new party leaders in the fall, drawing international attention to internal politics that party officials prefer to keep far from public view. The charges currently being brought against Bo, which include disturbing details about his […]

Chinese automaker Great Wall Motors opened its first European factory in Bulgaria in February. In an email interview, L. Jeremy Clegg, director of the Center for International Business at the University of Leeds, and Hinrich Voss, a research fellow at the center, discussed the prospect of Chinese firms relocating to Europe. WPR: To what extent have Chinese companies relocated production to the eurozone, and what other projects are in the works? Hinrich Voss: The evidence speaks against relocation of production by Chinese companies to Europe at this stage. While companies such as TCL, Haier, Hisense and Geely have opened or […]

Kadima, the main opposition party in Israel, elected former Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz as its chairman in primary elections last week. Tzipi Livni, the incumbent, lost by a wide margin, stepping down at the end of what was widely regarded as an ineffective term. Though Kadima is the largest party in Israel’s parliament, the Knesset, it is losing popular support. And analysts say its future will depend on whether Mofaz can accomplish what Livni could not: unifying the party, expanding its political base and ensuring that it provides a real alternative to the governing party, Likud. Daniel C. Kurtzer, the […]

Thai Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra visited Japan last month in an effort to boost international confidence following Thailand’s devastating floods. In an email interview, John J. Brandon, the director of the Asia Foundation’s international relations program, discussed Thai-Japanese relations. WPR: What is the current state of relations between Japan and Thailand? John J. Brandon: This year marks the 125th anniversary of formal diplomatic relations between Japan and Thailand. Bilateral ties, particularly in the economic sphere, have strengthened considerably over the past decade. With 49 percent of foreign direct investment to Thailand coming from Japan, exports up 8.3 percent and the […]