ABSTRACT
This book is the fi rst systematic treatment of American sanctions policy in the Asia-Pacifi c. Utilizing the President Bill Clinton and President George W. Bush years as a basis for comparison, it examines nine prominent cases involving the US use of sanctions in this economically and strategically vital part of the world. In so doing, this study contributes to an already voluminous sanctions literature. Although some cases involving the American use of these instruments against countries in the Asia-Pacifi c have been studied previously, these episodes have typically been examined either in complete isolation or in the context of much broader, eclectic analyses of US sanctions against an array of countries, the majority of which are located outside of this region. No study thus far, however, has attempted to consider cases involving the US use of sanctions within the Asia-Pacifi c context from a comparative perspective, thereby providing insights into American sanctions policy toward this region that are the product of a systematic analytical approach. As this opening chapter will go on to demonstrate, in sanctions research the methodology one employs – right down to the seemingly anodyne matter of how the term ‘sanctions’ is defi ned – can profoundly infl uence research outcomes. While this study does not claim to completely circumvent that problem, the approach it utilizes will hopefully appeal to academics and practitioners alike, at a time when the relevance of this age-old tool of statecraft to Asia-Pacifi c security politics is increasing exponentially.
