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 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. Asia holds the four largest Muslim populations – Indonesia, Pakistan, India and Bangladesh –together containing 709 million Muslims in 2010. That number is projected to increase to 919 million in 2030, a 30% jump.
2. 
Small Numbers but Steady Growth of US Students in Japan
In contrast with a dwindling number of Japanese exchange students, more Americans studied in Japan in 2009 than ever before; 5,784 contributed to a steady upward trend. The number of US students in Japan has increased 57% over the course of the decade.
3.
Japan’s Tōhoku Earthquake Region Matters for America
The record-breaking March 11th earthquake off the coast of Japan caused skyscrapers to sway in Tokyo and tremors across the main island of Honshu, but it was the Tōhoku region, Japan’s northeast, that bore the brunt of nature’s fury. The three Pacific-facing prefectures nearest the epicenter, Iwate, Miyagi, and Fukushima were devastated by the subsequent tsunami.
ASEAN’s geostrategic importance stems from many factors, including: the strategic location of member countries, the large shares of global trade that pass through regional waters, and the alliances and partnerships which the United States shares with ASEAN member states.
5. 
Derek Mitchell’s Senate Nomination Hearing for US Special Representative to Burma
The US Senate Foreign Relations Committee convened to consider the nomination of Derek Mitchell to be US Special Representative and Policy Coordinator for Burma with Ambassadorial rank. The Obama Administration completed its Burma policy review in September 2009 and announced its intention to pursue a dual-track approach that integrates both sanctions and engagement to achieve results in Burma.
6. 
US-Southeast Asia Trade Triples over Last Two Decades
Over the last twenty years, US trade volume with Southeast Asia has tripled, from $45.9 billion in 1990 to $176 billion in 2010. During the same period, total US foreign trade also tripled, so the share of US trade with Southeast Asia has held steady at just over five percent.
7.
The US Seafood Market and Southeast Asia
Stagnant fish stocks, growing demand for seafood products, and chronic overfishing are constraining the US fishery sector but are bringing opportunities for countries with developing fishery sectors. In particular, Southeast Asian countries are well positioned to pick up slack in the US seafood market.
8.
America is second largest home for Koreans living abroad
In the 1970s, there were about 100,000 Korean Americans but by 2009 that number had skyrocketed to an estimated 1.35 million. Koreans account for about one in ten Asian Americans and about 0.4% of the overall US population.
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