ABSTRACTS - oia - Portland State University

ASPAC Conference 2010
June 18 – 20, 2010 | Portland, OR
received well form the government and general population as “aid without conditions,” while at the same
time, Dushanbe has been gradually distancing itself from Moscow, as illustrated by the Tajik Language Law of
October 2009.
China’s increased presence in Central Asia will lead to stronger infrastructure, borders, and economic
access, Tajikistan will again fulfill its role as a transit area and economic passage into the Middle East,
reinforcing Central Asia’s historical role on the Silk Road. This strategy would facilitate the regional transition
from fractured states under Russian dominance into stable, new markets for Chinese products.
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Jeffer Daykin
The Reception of Eiichi Shibuawa’s Trade Mission to the United States
In 1909, the Japanese industrialist Eiichi Shibusawa brought a group of over fifty Japanese men and women
to undertake a cross-country tour of the United States at the invitation of the Associated Chambers of
Commerce of the Pacific Coast. The mission was comprised of a wide range of leaders in business, finance,
education, and journalism who were interested in establishing professional contacts and observing the
functioning of various industries and enterprises. Though technically a private sector undertaking, the
mission was conceived by Eiichi Shibusawa had an important diplomatic goal in that he hoped to improve
relations between the two nations that had been marred by the eruption of anti-Japanese immigration along
the Western United States in 1907.
This paper will present information about this little known example of non-governmental diplomacy
and the context of transpacific relations in which it occurred. Far from being an isolated event, the 1909
mission was one in a series of exchanges between United States and Japanese businessmen that included a
joint tour of China and was also tied to the international exposition held in Seattle that same year. A study of
these events and the American reception of the mission in the cities and towns visited – including several
stops in California, the epicenter of anti-Japanese agitation – helps illuminate the surprising good will that
existed and reveals that perhaps another course of history between the United States and Japan was possible.
Mahesh Ranjan Debata
International Response to Uyghur Separatism in Xinjiang
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China's Xinjiang region has been witness to separatism, religious extremism and international terrorism. There
were a couple of major revolts in Xinjiang by the Uyghur separatists (one in August 2008 and the other in July
2009). However, the Chinese government has been too strong for the minuscule Uyghur separatists. The PLA
has so far been able to quell any sort of rebellion in its northwest, may it be Xinjiang or Tibet. The Uyghur
separatists don't have the support of major powers. The USA does not support Uyghurs as it remains
engaged in Afghanistan and Iraq. Now China and USA have common concern for international terrorism.
The separatist cadres of East Turkistan Islamic Movement (ETIM) have been labeled as 'terrorists' both by
the USA and the UN. The Uyghurs living in Turkey, Germany and other parts of Europe have failed in their
efforts to internationalise the issue. After 9111, the Uyghur separatists are facing greater difficulty. Pakistan is
cautioned by China to stay away from Uyghur separatists. The Central Asian Republics have been endorsing
China's position in Xinjiang. India having its own problems of separatism and terrorism in the State of
Jammu and Kashmir, has been cultivating a friendly relationship with China. There is no support from
domestic neighbours like Tibet and Inner Mongolia. Against this background, this paper will discuss the
problem of separatism and terrorism in Xinjiang and China's response in this regard. This paper will analyse
the international response to separatism, religious extremism and terrorism in Xinjiang.
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