Asia Centre

On Friday 14th November 2008, from 18:30 to 20:00 p.m at Sciences Po

27 rue Saint-Guillaume Paris 7e – Amphithéâtre Albert Sorel

Meeting with avec M. Tran Sri Mohamed Jaward Hassan

Chairman and Chief Executive Officer ISIS Malaysia

This 17^e meeting was introduced in English by

Pr. Gille Kepel (Sciences Po, Chaire Moyen-Orient Méditerranée), Dr. Sophie Boisseau du Rocher (Asia Centre à Sciences Po) and Arnaud Rodier (Asia Presse - RFI)

Wednesday 5 March 2008, from 6:30 to 8:00 p.m : CAPE, Foreign Press Center

Meeting with Dr Bates Gill

Director of Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI)

Dr Gill is the first US citizen to hold the SIPRI Directorship. Dr Gill held until 2007 the Freeman Chair in China Studies at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, DC. He has previously held positions at the Brookings Institution, where he was the inaugural Director of the Center for Northeast Asian Policy Studies, and at the Center for Nonproliferation Studies of the Monterey Institute of International Studies.

His most recent book, published in February 2007, is entitled Rising Star: China’s New Security Diplomacy (Brookings Press, 2007).

This meeting was introduced by Sophie Malibeaux (RFI - Asia Presse) and Christophe Carle (Asia Centre Associate Rresearcher)

For more information: www.centreasia.org/fr/manifestations/13/debats-asie/

23 May 2007, Paris. For this ninth "Asia debate", chaired by Sophie Malibeaux, RFI Asia Desk – Asia Press and G. Delamotte, K. Watanabe discussed his view of the current main Japanese players and issues.

Following a presentation outlining the three main challenges facing Japan – the Korean peninsula, the Taiwan question, the increase in nationalism – a number of questions were debated: the role of Shinzô Abe in the improvement of China-Japan relations; the Japanese fear of seeing Washington and Beijing develop too close a relationship; the stabilising role of the United States in the region; the US dollar reserves held by China; the nationalism of Shinzô Abe; the possibility of a Japanese nuclear weapon; the willingness of Japan to integrate with East Asia or, conversely to distance itself from it; and finally, the assistance Tokyo could give to North Korea.

10 May 2007, Paris.

Meeting chaired by A. Wang (Asia Press) and F. Godement with the representative who, as former Speaker of the Assembly of Tibetan People’s Deputies (created in exile in 1960) and Head of the Department of Information and International Relations of the government in exile since 1988, is responsible for contacts with the Chinese government and heads the International Campaign for Tibet (Washington).

23 Mar. 2007. Meeting chaired by J-L Racine.

S. Tharoor laid down at the outset four dilemmas facing India: bread or freedom, centralisation or federalism, fundamentalism or pluralism, globalisation or self-government. The choices that Indian leaders make today will have repercussions for the entire planet. Many issues were discussed: the sudden interest in India which has been given greater prominence through globalisation, India’s all-out effort in diplomacy (United States, China, Russia), its ambivalence in its relations both North/South (Security Council) and South/South (WTO), its schizophrenic attitude in international politics (balance of powers vs balance of interests), its new position alongside the US and Israel; Hindu nationalism as an attack on its deep cultural attitudes, unsuitable for the management of the country, the situation of Kashmir and the role of the UN, the role of the Indian diaspora in building up soft power; lastly the democratic factor in India’s foreign relations and influence.

29 Jan. 2007. This meeting, chaired by F. Godement and Tony Cross (RFI, Asia Press) provided the opportunity for J. Wanandi and the audience to discuss the linkage required in the current climate between national, regional and global levels, whether in relation to the Indonesian elections in Aceh, ASEAN, natural disasters or terrorism.

Public talks focusing on an Asian or Asia-related guest of distinction, highlighted by a French panel of experts from the organising institutions (Asia Centre, Asia Press, the Conseillers du Commerce extérieur, and the Centre d’Accueil de la Presse Etrangère, CAPE).

Information - registration: debats.asie@centreasia.org

Discussion with the authors of the yearly Asia Centre report at La Documentation Française

5 Dec. 2006, Paris. Having sparked interest and expectation as the major centre of global growth, East Asia in 2006 entered a phase of uncertainty: the North Korean crisis, tensions between Beijing and Tokyo, spasms in Thai democracy... Despite positive developments (Kashmir, Aceh...), doubts are beginning to appear, qualifying the stability of the region.

D. Vidal-Barri (Asia Press – L’Humanité) and P. Bourrier (CCE France) chaired the debate on these questions as analysed by the principal authors of the Annuaire Asie - Édition 2006-2007 [2006-2007 Annual Asia Report]:

North Korea: management of a crisis / Malaysia: a first assessment for Badawi / Socio-political transitions from China to Malaysia.

9 Oct. 2006, Paris. Meeting chaired by Olivier Weber (Le Point/Asia Press), Thomas Gayet (CCE, Lafarge) and F. Godement.

With considerable reserves of gas and petroleum, the scale of which is still difficult to evaluate, Baluchistan contributes 40% of Pakistan’s energy demand. For Samina Ahmed, this is the primary reason for the policy of control adopted by the central government in Islamabad, to the detriment of regional autonomy. The consequence is a political conflict around resources and rights, but it is presented to the rest of the world as a conflict between a State and rebellious tribal groups. For this reason, support for the movement seeking more autonomy, consistent with Pakistan’s Constitution, goes beyond the ethnic divisions in the province; it is considerably broader. Unfortunately, in Baluchistan, the only civilian partners of Musharraf’s regime are the Pashtun Islamists, who have their own agenda. The General is relying on the Pashtun islamist party Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam to impose order in the province, fighting against the Baluch, who are nevertheless more moderate. It is a political choice that contributes to instability in Afghanistan, and therefore the region.

30 May 2006, Paris. Meeting chaired by M. Meidan and A. Rodier (Le Figaro).

The resurgence of the Japanese economy and the impact of rising oil prices on the country’s foreign affairs policy set the tone for the fi rst part of this meeting. Discussion then focused on The Asia Cooperation Dialogue Energy Forum; the security aspects linked to energy issues; Bo Xilai’s meeting with Toshihiro Nikai for an agreement on high-level talks on energy; on the SCO that Mr Sano regards as a part of China’s global strategy; on the nuclear energy issue in Japan and fi nally on China’s energy effi ciency and clean energy.