Given her family's history in diplomacy and government, it is no surprise that high hopes have been set for Caroline Kennedy, nominated to be the US Ambassador to Japan. As tensions between the United States, China and Japan continue to heighten, Dr. Jin Ying analyzes the high expectations set for Kennedy's new position.

China may view Ms. Kennedy’s appointment as a show of favoritism shown to Japan, but the move should still be welcomed in Beijing. An Ambassador Kennedy would not only be an asset in improving US - Japan relations, but would also be invaluable in bringing Japan to the table to resolve conflicts with its neighbors.

Liu Junhong writes that Japan’s recent election results reflect the shifting landscape of Japan's party politics, and drastic changes in the country's domestic and international environment.

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.

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.

Critiquing Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s interview in Foreign Affairs, Liu Jiangyong dissects the differences between Japan’s Yasukuni Shrine, embroiled in controversy over its militaristic history, and the United States’ Arlington National Cemetery.

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.

The growing aggression in Japanese economic and security strategies now places China in a pivotal situation to maintain power. As tensions rise, both Japan and China look to the United States to balance the issues and work towards resolution.

Japan’s recent foreign policies have put a strain on the potential US-Japan-South Korea trilateral relationship. If right wing Japanese nationalists remain in power and continue the exploitation of the US-Japan relationship, the US may need to adjust its policy.

Criticizing Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Liu Junhong explains how the repeat ruler’s political missteps have incited fear in the Japanese public and complicated Japan’s relations with the energy sectors of the US and Russia.