The EastWest Institute's Global Cooperation in Cyberspace program has published its Action Agenda 2018-2019. The Action Agenda reviews the program’s successes during 2016-17 and presents a road map for our work in 2018-19.

During 2018-19, EWI’s cyberspace program will continue to focus on reducing the risk of miscalculation and escalation among major cyber powers, maintaining active engagement with government officials, companies and civil society in China, Europe, India, Russia and the U.S.

Building on important roundtable events such as the first-ever trilateral dialogue on cyberspace between China, India and the United States held in 2017 and the launch of its Encryption Report earlier this year, the program will advocate for policy changes in the private and public sectors. 

In 2018-19, the program will advance the work of its five breakthrough groups, including:

• Ubiquitous Encryption and Lawful Government Access
• Resilient Cities and the Internet of Things
• Increasing the Global Availability and Secure Use of ICT Products and Services
• Systemic Risk and Cyber Insurance
• Promoting Norms of Responsible Behavior in Cyberspace

Also, EWI’s cyber program has added two new areas of focus to its agenda: Strategic Stability and Nuclear Risk in the Age of Machine Learning, and Balanced Approaches to Fighting Fake News and Terrorist Content. The former focuses on addressing how artificial intelligence might undermine stability through nuclear commands, while the latter will identify and publish practicable, actionable recommendations to combat fake news.

The EastWest Institute, along with The Hague Centre for Strategic Studies, will continue to serve as the secretariat of the Global Commission on the Stability of Cyberspace (GCSC). The Commission was launched in 2017 as an international, multi-stakeholder forum to evaluate and propose norms and policy initiatives for state and non-state behavior in cyberspace. It released its first proposed norm in November 2017.

Ambassador Cameron Munter joined other thought leaders on April 12 in a conversation about America's longest war and to examine strategies for how to bring it to an end. 

"Without some sort of better understanding of Pakistan, you’re not going to get past the impasse—which, I suppose, might be bearable for a long time—that we have in Afghanistan," said Munter starting his remarks in the discussion, organized by Council on Foreign Relations as part of its "The Future of the Middle East" symposium.

Munter also shared his insight on China's present engagement with Afghanistan as well as other South Asian countries. "And I hope that the Americans can be supportive. And Americans and other friends of Afghanistan and Pakistan can be supportive," he said.

Click here to watch and read the full transcript.

Photo: "Operation Enduring Freedom/Village Medic" (CC BY 2.0) by DVIDSHUB

The EastWest Institute is pleased to release its 2017 Annual Report, chronicling the programmatic activities, achievements and new initiatives in the past year and reflecting key geopolitical trends around the world.

The institute remains focused on tackling these evolving issues, as well as on forecasting challenges in other topics and regions.

To access the complete report please click below:

On March 12th, the Christian Democrats, Bavaria’s Christian Social Union, and the Social Democrats signed a Grand Coalition agreement, forming Germany’s next government. On March 14, the Bundestag elected Chancellor Angela Merkel to a fourth consecutive term, set to run through 2021.

The highly anticipated coalition has a new look.

Only five ministers from the departing Cabinet have taken up posts in the new government. The new administration is much younger, and women hold almost half of the available posts. The CDU and SPD hold six ministries each, and the CSU holds three. The flurry of moves ends a prolonged period of uncertainty, as Germany once again has formed a stable government with a 57 percent majority in the Bundestag. Merkel’s re-election illustrates she still retains the trust of a large number of voters, yet a shrinking support base shows that a growing number of citizens is disillusioned with her policies, particularly with regards to security and migration. The new coalition is a welcome opportunity for Germany to show that it can shoulder more responsibility on the European and global stages.

Read the full commentary.

Photo: "Angela Merkel" (CC BY 2.0) by More pictures and videos: connect@epp.eu

The EastWest Institute warmly congratulates its Vice Chairman, Dr. Armen Sarkissian, on his election as president of Armenia. Representing the ruling Republican Party of Armenia, Dr. Sarkissian was elected via vote in the Armenian parliament on Friday, March 2.  

Dr. Sarkissian began his involvement with the institute in 2002 as a member of its Board of Directors, before his appointment as Vice Chairman in 2008.

Previously, Dr. Sarkissian served as Prime Minister of the Republic of Armenia (1996-1997), Ambassador of Armenia (1991-1999) to the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Luxembourg and The Vatican, as well as Head of Mission of the Republic of Armenia to the EU and NATO (1995-96).

Dr. Sarkissian has published numerous articles on economic transition in the former Soviet Union and is the author of three books and over 50 articles on computer modelling of complex system and theoretical physics. He is a recognized speaker and contributor to the World Economic Forum, in Davos.

The world will watch nearly 100 nations participate in 102 separate events during the 2018 Winter Olympics in PyeongChang, South Korea next month. All eyes will be on The Republic of Korea (ROK) and The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) as athletes from South and North Korea march under one flag. This international sports event could be a constructive early step toward solving the nuclear conundrum on the Korean Peninsula.

This is the not the first time that Seoul and Pyongyang have shared the international stage under one standard. Both countries arrived under one cloth in the 2000 and 2004 Summer Games and again in the 2006 Winter Games as part of the wildly unsuccessful Sunshine Policy, which served as a basis for South Korea’s foreign policy toward its neighbors in the North, between 1998 and 2007.

Click here to read the full commentary.

Photo: "Figure Skating Queen YUNA KIM" (CC BY-ND 2.0) by { QUEEN YUNA }

A delegation of U.S. Democratic and Republican Party leaders and global business leaders met with senior officials from the Communist Party of China (CPC) in Beijing, China on December 3-5, 2017. These discussions were part of the 10th U.S.-China High-Level Political Party Leaders Dialogue organized by the EastWest Institute (EWI) in partnership with the International Department of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (IDCPC).   

Launched in 2010, the U.S.-China High-Level Political Party Leaders Dialogue seeks to build understanding and trust between political elites from the United States and China through an exchange of views on governance and foreign policy issues. It is currently the only U.S.-China dialogue process involving sitting officers from the CPC and the U.S. Democratic and Republican National Committees.

This year, the CPC delegation was led by Song Tao, minister of IDCPC. Martin O’Malley, former governor of the state of Maryland, and Alphonso Jackson, former secretary of the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development, led the U.S. Democratic and Republican delegations, respectively.

“Following the completion of China’s 19th Party Congress and President Trump’s inaugural visit to Asia, this year’s dialogue could not have been more well-timed,” said Ross Perot, Jr., EWI’s Chairman of the Board. “Participants engaged in frank discussions on salient topics including policy trends, trade, governance and enhancing opportunities for economic cooperation—issues that matter to the mutual welfare of both nations.”

The delegates also took the opportunity to discuss outcomes from the recent 19th National Congress of the CPC, which was held in October as well as observations from the “CPC in Dialogue with World Political Parties High-Level Meeting,” which took place on December 1-3, 2017.

Following the CPC dialogue with the bipartisan U.S. delegation, the EastWest Institute also facilitated meetings with Sir Danny Alexander, vice president and corporate secretary at the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB), to discuss the Belt and Road Initiative and AIIB’s commitment to navigating governance issues. Delegates also met with Cong Peiwu, director-general of the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, to discuss Chinese foreign policy, with a focus on U.S.-China bilateral relations concerning North Korea.

Reflecting on outcomes from the dialogue, EWI CEO and President Cameron Munter stated: “All political parties want to reflect the needs of the people—we’re all working on the same issues, and I was encouraged that with this kind of dialogue, we can come up with practical solutions.”

The 10th U.S.-China High-Level Political Party Leaders Dialogue is made possible by the generous support of the following sponsors:

• Sarah and Ross Perot, Jr.
• Shelby Cullom Davis Charitable Fund
• The Oliver S. and Jennie R. Donaldson Charitable Trust
• NuSkin
• P&G
• China-United States Exchange Foundation
• Johnson & Johnson
• Dolby Laboratories

Selected Media Coverage

• Television news coverage of the 10th U.S.-China High-Level Political Party Leaders Dialogue (Mandarin and English)
• Television news coverage of the U.S. delegation meeting with Politburo Standing Committee Member Yang Jiechi (Mandarin)
• “Political leaders: Sino-US relations to grow,” China Daily, December 5, 2017

Photo credit: Aurelien Foucault

On October 30-31, 2017 the EastWest Institute (EWI) convened the first meeting of the Joint U.S.-Russia Working Group on Counterterrorism in Afghanistan in Moscow, Russia. U.S. and Russian experts with backgrounds in the governmental, military, think tank and academic sectors gathered to discuss how the two countries, together with other regional stakeholders, can increase efforts to combat terrorism in Afghanistan. Acting officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation also met with participants in the framework of the meeting to discuss this issue of strategic concern for both countries. Led by EWI CEO and president Cameron Munter and director of EWI’s branch in the Russian Federation, Vladimir Ivanov, this meeting marks the first in a multi-year project, funded with the support of Carnegie Corporation of New York.

Over the course of one and a half days, U.S. and Russian experts shared their assessments of the security situation in Afghanistan and evaluated the impact of the terrorist and insurgent threat on the country, surrounding region and global community. Participants also exchanged views on U.S. and Russian interests in Afghanistan and the region; how terrorist and insurgent groups interfere with the state-building process in Afghanistan; and how policymakers in Washington, D.C. and Moscow might pursue joint action on counterterrorism.

Although counterterrorism continues to be a mutually sensitive issue, it also remains an area in which both countries seek robust cooperation in contrast to the many other strains on the bilateral relationship. Participants agreed that misinterpretation and lack of communication between the two countries remains a major obstacle to combatting this threat.

With an eye toward generating positive momentum in the U.S.-Russia relationship, the Working Group will drive much-needed dialogue at the Track 2 level and specifically with respect to counterterrorism efforts in the war-torn country. Over the course of two years, the Working Group will also meet in Washington, D.C., Brussels and Astana, with interim workshops scheduled in New York and Moscow. The Working Group will produce a joint threat assessment, which will provide policymakers with an independent, up-to-date consensus assessment of the terrorist threat in Afghanistan and serve as the basis for future counterterrorism cooperation.

Photo credit: Anna Renard-Koktysh