Author Archives: Aaron Siirila

The Best of Asia Matters for America: 2011

By Aaron Siirila | Published: December 30, 2011

It has been an eventful year for US-Asia relations. Here is a recap of the most popular posts from across the Asia Matters for America initiative, including the ASEAN, Japan, Korea, and Australia subsites. 1. Pakistan to replace Indonesia as country with largest Muslim population by 2030 The world’s Muslim population is projected to grow [...]

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New Report: Southeast Asia’s Place in Asia: Perceptions, Realities, and Aspirations

By Aaron Siirila | Published: November 30, 2011

As part of the East-West Center’s ongoing collaboration with the Institute of Southeast Asian Studies (ISEAS) in Singapore, please see a new workshop report entitled Southeast Asia’s Place in Asia: Perceptions, Realities and Aspirations. This brief report reflects discussions at a meeting held in Singapore in October, and has been drafted by Bronson Percival, Visiting [...]

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Pakistan to replace Indonesia as country with largest Muslim population by 2030

By Aaron Siirila | Published: January 28, 2011

The world’s Muslim population is projected to grow at twice the rate of non-Muslims over the next 20 years, increasing by 35% to 2.2 billion people in 2030, according to a new study by the Pew Research Center. However, the growth rate for Muslim populations over the next 20 years, projected at 1.5% annually, is [...]

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New students data: China grows by 30%

By Aaron Siirila | Published: November 29, 2010

International student enrollment in the United States in the 2009-10 academic year increased by a modest 3% from the previous year according to the Open Doors report by the Institute of International Education. The number of students from China increased by an impressive 30% from the previous year, surpassing India as the top source of [...]

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Clinton: “Renewed American leadership in Asia”

By Aaron Siirila | Published: November 4, 2010

US Secretary of State Hilary Rodham Clinton called ASEAN a “fulcrum for the region’s emerging regional architecture” and declared US intentions to “sustain and strengthen America’s leadership in the Asia-Pacific region” in a speech co-hosted by the East-West Center on October 28 in Hawaii. Full video of the speech is available. One main theme of [...]

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ASEAN Defense Ministers Meeting-Plus: The “ASEAN Way”

By Aaron Siirila | Published: October 19, 2010

East-West Center releases new Asia Pacific Bulletin In a new Asia Pacific Bulletin, Vannarith Chheang explains that the Asia Pacific region remains vulnerable to possible conflicts deriving mainly from historical antagonism, extremism, and unresolved sovereignty issues, although regional economic interdependence does help reduce the likelihood of open hostilities. However, as security issues get more transnational, [...]

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ASEAN Exports Grow but Face Challenges, says USITC

By Aaron Siirila | Published: October 18, 2010

ASEAN’s manufacturing exports have grown in recent years, due to increased productivity, proximity to large Asian markets, and recently implemented free trade agreements, according to a US International Trade Commission report issued in August. But challenges remain for future growth, including a shortage of skilled labor, an inefficient system of standards and assessment, and inadequate [...]

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The Second US-ASEAN Leaders Meeting: Pitstop or Plateau?

By Aaron Siirila | Published: October 15, 2010

In an Asia Pacific Bulletin released today by the East-West Center, Catharin Dalpino says that despite the issues surrounding its preparation, the second US-ASEAN Leaders Meeting was a milepost in “the very real advances in US-ASEAN relations in recent years.” She writes: Perhaps the most significant achievement of the second US-ASEAN Leaders Meeting co-chaired by [...]

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Second U.S.-ASEAN Leaders Meeting is First to be Held in United States

By Aaron Siirila | Published: September 28, 2010

U.S. President Barack Obama welcomed leaders of the ASEAN countries to the first U.S.-ASEAN Leaders Meeting to be held in the United States, on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly meetings in New York City, on Friday, September 24. In his opening remarks, Obama praised ASEAN’s leadership in Asia and reiterated the grouping’s [...]

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U.S. Senate Announces Resolution Supporting U.S. Engagement with ASEAN and Member States

By Aaron Siirila | Published: September 24, 2010

Senators Kerry And Webb Support Strong U.S. Engagement With Southeast Asia Washington, D.C.-–Corresponding with the second ASEAN-United States summit in New York City, Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman John Kerry (D-MA) and East Asia and Pacific Affairs Subcommittee Chairman Jim Webb (D-VA), issued the following statements announcing the Senate’s unanimous passage of a resolution supporting recent [...]

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