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Bolstering cooperation among Quad and Pacific Island countries

Issue Brief Mar 29, 2024

Bolstering cooperation among Quad and Pacific Island countries

By Parker Novak, Kyoko Imai

As the Pacific Islands’ relevance grows, there’s an influx of diplomatic attention and development assistance as external powers seek to curry favor with the sixteen countries. Australia, India, Japan, and the United States (the Quad) seeks to bolster regional engagement to address key regional issues including climate, connectivity, economic development, and maritime security.
Australia Climate Change & Climate Action
A US-South Korea alliance strategic memo on countering Beijing’s economic coercion

Issue Brief Jan 31, 2024

A US-South Korea alliance strategic memo on countering Beijing’s economic coercion

By Kyoko Imai, Markus Garlauskas

Economic interdependence of South Korea, United States, and other Indo-Pacific countries with China is enabling Beijing to pose threats to national security through economic coercion. To reduce these risks, Seoul and Washington should align strategies in advanced technologies, secure supply chains through trilateral cooperation with Japan, and reinforce the rules-based system in the Indo-Pacific.
China Economy & Business
A next-generation agenda for US-ROK-Japan cooperation

Issue Brief Dec 20, 2022

A next-generation agenda for US-ROK-Japan cooperation

By Lauren D. Gilbert, Kyoko Imai

Trilateral cooperation among the United States, Japan, and South Korea has proved challenging over the years, owing largely to historical tensions. As a result, this project has sought perspectives from next-generation leaders of the three countries to define areas where targeted, flexible, and informal cooperative arrangements can provide clear mutual benefit to all.

Coronavirus East Asia

Events

Online Event Tue, December 20, 2022 • 7:00 pm ET

A next-generation agenda for US-ROK-Japan trilateral cooperation
Climate Change & Climate Action East Asia Japan Korea

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New Atlanticist

Aug 16, 2024

Kishida has transformed Japanese foreign policy. Will his successor continue on his path?

By Kyoko Imai

It is uncertain whether the next Japanese prime minister will follow through on the Kishida administration’s major shifts in defense policy.

Defense Policy Japan

In the News

Jun 14, 2024

Imai interviewed by BBC on Ukraine-Japan security agreement

On June 13, Kyoko Imai was interviewed by BBC News to share her analysis regarding the 10-year security agreement that Ukraine signed with Japan on the sidelines of the G7 Summit.   

Indo-Pacific Japan

Issue Brief

Mar 29, 2024

Bolstering cooperation among Quad and Pacific Island countries

By Parker Novak, Kyoko Imai

As the Pacific Islands’ relevance grows, there’s an influx of diplomatic attention and development assistance as external powers seek to curry favor with the sixteen countries. Australia, India, Japan, and the United States (the Quad) seeks to bolster regional engagement to address key regional issues including climate, connectivity, economic development, and maritime security.

Australia Climate Change & Climate Action
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Kyoko Imai is the associate director for the Indo-Pacific Security Initiative (IPSI) of the Atlantic Council’s Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security. In this capacity, she implements a wide portfolio of projects to inform and shape the strategies, plans, and policies of the United States and its Indo-Pacific allies and partners to address the most important rising regional security challenges including China’s growing threat to the international order and North Korea’s destabilizing nuclear weapons advancements.

In particular, she has been leading IPSI’s track 1.5 strategic dialogue work on bridging US Indo-Pacific and European allies on deterring and defending against WMD threats. Ms. Imai also spearheads the Japan portfolio through which she provides rapid analysis on current events, supports tabletop exercises, hosts public and private convenings, and engages with government and military officials, private sector leaders, and non-government experts.

She manages projects focused on strengthening minilateral and multilateral frameworks in the Indo-Pacific region. Most recently, she oversaw senior-level private and public convenings on AUKUS Pillar I and II, Production Diplomacy for Indo-Pacific Deterrence, Readiness, and Resilience, and Bolstering Cooperation among Quad and Pacific Island Countries.

Her writing and commentary have appeared in the BBC, CNBC, POLITICO, The Diplomat, Washington Examiner, Air & Space Forces Magazine, and AirPress.

Prior to joining the Atlantic Council, Ms. Imai worked as a Program Associate for the Asia & the Pacific region for the Center for International Private Enterprise, Young Professional for the East-West Center, and Research Assistant to the former Senior Director for Asia at the National Security Council, Evan Medeiros, at Georgetown University’s Asian Studies Program. She graduated from Georgetown University with a Master of Science in Foreign Service, with a Concentration in Global Politics & Security as well as Certificates in Asian Studies and Refugees & Humanitarian Emergencies. She received her Bachelor of Arts in International Relations with a Minor in French from the University of Rochester. Ms. Imai is from Japan but grew up in Myanmar, Tunisia, and the United Arab Emirates.