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Abstract: Visions about the establishment of a lunar base and development of the Moon for scientific, technical and commercial ends have been on the political agenda since the beginning of the Space Age. In the past few years a number of spacefaring nations, including the USA, European states through ESA, Japan, India, China and Russia have proposed missions directed at the robotic and human exploration and development of the Moon. This paper argues that an important factor in advancing these missions lies in a partnership between the pubic, governmental sector and the private sector. The paper analyzes the dynamics of this partnership as applied to the case of the US Vision for Space Exploration. The results of the analysis suggest that public–private partnerships directed at lunar development and commerce depend on how government reduces risks for the private sector. The risks identified and discussed herein include political and legal risks, technological risks, and financial and market risks. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The growing India-Japan engagements are not only focused on economic issues, but also cover a wide range of interests, including regional security, political, and maritime security concerns. Both countries are consolidating strategic partnerships to address the risks and vulnerabilities posed by the evolving regional balance of power. Through their embeddedness with China, both India and Japan form an intrinsic part of the Indo-Pacific geopolitical security architecture. The key transformation of relations between these two states in the region is in response to the geopolitical change brought about by China's rapid ascension. In this regard, the article further explains how both countries are systematically strengthening a strategic partnership and gradually reinforcing economic, political, security, and strategic cooperation against China. This article seeks to address how both states would restrain rising China's strategic maneuvering in the Indo-Pacific region through an analysis of the India-Japan alignment, with the main focus of this study being on analyzing how both India and Japan are now investing in a long-term strategy to balance China's hegemonic policies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Both China and Japan are key players in the Asia-Pacific region and their security relations will to a significant extent determine the peace and stability of the area. Based on a wide range of Chinese-language sources, this article examines how China perceives Tokyo's regional security strategy since the end of the Cold War. It also provides a critical evaluation of Chinese perceptions of Japan and their policy implications. The article focuses on the views of the Chinese security specialists who play an important advisory role in China's foreign policy-making process. While Chinese analysts' interpretations of Japanese strategy in the Asia-Pacific are shaped largely by the consideration of great power competition and the balance of power in the region, they do appreciate the relevance of domestic politics and economic factors to Japanese strategic thinking. Thus, despite a deep suspicion among Chinese policy élites of Japan's global and regional aspirations, Beijing has basically adopted a pragmatic approach to managing Sino-Japanese relations over the past decade. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]