Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's recent visit to the Yasukuni Shrine produced a rare expression of displeasure from the US government, but the majority of US people have expressed little interest in this event, writes John Eddington.

Mr. Abe’s homage to Japan’s war dead, in the court of world public opinion, smacks of denial of his nation’s wartime aggression — and has been widely condemned. This impression only strengthens China’s hand in current disputes with Japan — and therefore also in its strategic competition with the United States, writes Sung-Yoon Lee.

Following a meeting of the world’s top leaders at the G-20 Summit in St. Petersburg, Russia, Liu Jiangyong examines Japan’s relations between China and the Republic of Korea and notes that several factors contribute to the historical departure Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s current administration has taken compared to previous administrations.

Examining recent developments in the Asia-Pacific Stephen Harner posits that the true source of instability in East Asia is a result of the post-WWII alliance between the U.S. and Japan, rather than efforts to expand Japan’s constitution and enlarge its maritime presence.

The decisive election victory of Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s Liberal Democratic Party and its coalition partner, New Komeito, gives the ruling coalition control of both houses of the Diet for the first time in six years. While the election is seen as an embrace of ‘Abenomics,’ Stephen Harner urges Abe to reform his nationalist policies.

Are Russia and China attempting to counter US and Japanese influence in the Asia-Pacific by undertaking joint military exercises? Following Joint Sea-2013, Chen Xiangyang attempts to answer this question and explain the impact of China and Russia’s strategic partnership on the region.

How vital is resolution of the Senkaku/Diaoyu territorial dispute to Sino-US relations? As Stephen M. Harner explains, the United States has undertaken high-level exchanges with key influencers in Japan in an attempt to pressure Japan to concede on the issue.

As a rising power, China must face growing frictions. To peacefully progress, Zhang Tuosheng explains, China must do three things. First, it must utilize the effective policies since “reform and opening up.” Next, it must seek to redefine the “great power structure” of the world on multiple levels. Finally, it must build its means to manage crises.

Liu Jiangyong writes that the Sino-Japanese dispute over the sovereignty of the Diaoyu Islands has entered a new stage; and disputes Japanese claims, saying that China will not shelve the issue unilaterally.