Robert Dujarric argues that while China’s rapid growth and Belt and Road expansion once positioned it as a rising global leader, mounting debt, slowing domestic demand, and partner pushback now threaten its strategic ambitions.

The deepening Sino-Japanese rift is effectively an open challenge to America’s position in Asia, forcing Washington to reconcile its treaty commitments with avoiding conflict.

Co-authors Dujarric and Shin Woon observe signs that Japan is becoming more inward-focused economically (fewer Japanese studying abroad, low foreign direct investment, closed job market). They warn that this “virtual Berlin Wall” around Japan is isolating it just as the rest of Asia globalizes, risking future stagnation.

Robert Dujarric argues that the ongoing dispute over the Diaoyu/Senkaku islands has escalated beyond Prime Minister Abe’s bilateral influence, driven instead by domestic political pressures in China and the nationalist sentiment in Japan. He contends that neither side’s leadership can unilaterally resolve the standoff without risking domestic backlash.

Dujarric examines China’s shift toward more welcoming FDI policies in 2011, highlighting regulatory reforms, establishment of free-trade zones, and incentives for high-tech and services sectors.

In this piece, Dujarric critiques the perception within some Chinese policymaking circles that international relations are strictly zero-sum, where one country’s gain is another’s loss.