The tectonic shifts in today’s geopolitical landscape are having a particularly dramatic impact in Asia, where the rise of China presents a growing challenge to the US-led order that has maintained peace and stability in the region since the end of the Cold War. In his book, Takashi Shiraishi, one of Japan’s leading authorities on Asia and national policy planning, explores the deeper background and long-term trends behind the diplomatic challenges and dilemmas now facing Japan, China, ASEAN, and the United States. One key question that he addresses: What accounts for the divide between the maritime states and the countries of mainland Asia? He discusses China’s Belt and Road Initiative from this broader perspective.

Co-sponsored by the Davis Center; Fairbank Center for Chinese Studies; Program on U.S.-Japan Relations, Weatherhead Center for International Affairs; and the Edwin O. Reischauer Institute of Japanese Studies.