My appearance on a TV discussion panel on Inside Story with Aljazeera English on 3 November 2013, with co-panelists Gordon Chang (author of "The Coming Collapse of China"") in New York and Tina Burrett, a professor of political science at Temple University, Japan Campus. Click here

The Inside Story posting on the Aljazeera English website highlighted my following observations on the show regarding the tension in the East and South China Seas –

"There is a rising nationalism on both sides and also rising national strength in the case of China and the attempt to recover its national strength in case of Japan. But what is more I think is because of America’s ‘pivot to Asia’ … America now is trying to reposition its worldwide military assets towards Asia. And then also this policy takes the form of closer military ties with China’s neighbours and also strengthening various bases in case of Japan. And of course the South China Sea to China is more than a territorial dispute. It’s a very important conduit for natural resources … it’s China’s life blood … Also, Japan has never really attuned for its war crimes. Japan has never admitted the crimes over the 'comfort women’ [women who were forced into a prostitution corps created by Japan during World War II] issue and it also continues to pay homage to Yasukuni shrines –a housing of various class-A war criminals. Now just imagine if Germany continues to pay homage to a shrine honouring Hitler, what would its neighbours think?"