No 6 (2023)

This May marked the 95th anniversary of Canadian-Japanese diplomatic relations. Having a long history of relations, these two Pacific countries maintain quite close economic and political relations today. Now Japan is one of Canada's most important business partners. In recent decades, Ottawa and Tokyo have intensified the political dialogue that was severed during the Second World War, when Canada, along with its allies, fought against Japan. The context and events on the Canadian-Japanese vector indicate a growing trend towards rapprochement. The development of Canadian-Japanese trade and economic ties has the most favorable prospects.

Understanding the motives behind the US position on the Russian-Ukrainian crisis provides insight into how the conflict might be resolved. The article substantiates the scientific hypothesis that American support for Kyiv is not so much a matter of American commitment to the moral and legal norms of international relations, but is aimed at obtaining geopolitical, military and economic benefits. This imperative goes hand in hand with conclusions about the priority for the Biden administration of geopolitical rivalry between major world powers. It is shown how the indirect war against Russia turned out to be beneficial for the United States to strengthen NATO, obtain preferences in transatlantic trade and raise the military-industrial complex. The importance of understanding that America's benefits cost Europe dearly, where the war caused a severe shock to the economy, is noted. It is assumed that the West has become more consolidated, but it has not become more influential in world politics. It is emphasized that American diplomacy has to reckon with the fact that most countries offer to end the war as soon as possible, even if Ukraine has to make concessions.

The article identifies Washington's priorities in the process of implementing its policy towards Central Asia, especially in the context of strengthening Beijing’s position in the region which is its main military and economic rival. Fierce competition for the world influence has made Central Asia one of the priority regions of the post-Soviet space for both the United States and China, due to the presence of large natural resource reserves located here, as well as its important transit potential, which permits constructing suitable logistics there thus providing a close link between Europe and Asia. The reasons for the United States’ increased interest for this country are determined together with profound analysis of Washington’s ways and means on the way of implementing its policies toward Central Asia. The main levers used by the United States in the region are, first of all, its solid financial capabilities, though currently Washington is far behind Beijing in this area. At the same time, it seems that US inclination to take a leading position in the thus China aside will directly depend on the way to what extent the United States could become much more attractive in comparison with China on the way of implementing both countries’ ambitious policies toward the region.

The article explains utility of scaling technique in science of international politics. The employment of the method is demonstrated via measuring US’ think tanks’ influence on America’s strategy towards the PRC (case of Taiwan) during the Trump presidency. The author discerns practical disadvantages of scaling in analyzing complex concept - foreign policy decision-making process. Think-tanks’ materials were utilized as the main object of the analysis. Recommendations skedded by experts were juxtaposed with actual actions concerning Chinese vector of US foreign policy during the Trump administration. The research also challenges conventional wisdom which postulated inconsistency as the dominant component of foreign policy decision-making during Trump’s presidency. While former POTUS’ personal approach, at times, caused discrepancies within the US strategy towards China, the pillars of this strategy were based on factual and long-term analysis conducted, in part, by think-tanks. It was of practical interest to suggest using the method more exposed to verification unlike traditional historical methodology or classical research methods in political studies. The article provides a brief analysis of one of the core issues within Sino-American relations - Taiwan. By discerning the US think-tanks’ recommendations and trailing down application of those in real policy framework gives us more detailed insight on think-tanks’ involvement in the decision-making process during the Trump administration.

This article is devoted to the historical and contemporary problems of the African-American community in the field of school education in the USA. The paper analyzes the creation of a public school system for the black population in the Southern states during the Reconstruction era of 1865-1877. Exploring the subsequent emergence and perpetuation of racial segregation in education system of the Southern states, this article focuses on how these changes affected the educational abilities of the African-American community. The paper examines in detail the specific measures taken by the authorities to desegregate public schools in the period 1950-1970s, including changing the boundaries of school districts and the organization of school bus transport, as well as the specifics of the problems of their implementation both in the South and in other parts of the country. The author of the study analyzes in detail how the current problems of public schools associated with unequal financial and educational opportunities affect the African-American community. Special attention is paid in the article to the attempts of the American authorities to find effective measures to solve the pressing problems of school education.

The article based on American and Polish documents and is devoted to the United States policy towards Poland in 1945-1949 and the views of the American leadership on the beginning process of Sovietization of this country. The author considers the ideas of the members of the administration of F.D. Roosevelt and H.S. Truman regarding the solution of issues of state borders, the form of government and the composition of the government of Poland. The conclusions about Washington's initial consent to the inclusion of Poland in the sphere of influence of the USSR are substantiated. It is shown that for some time in the United States it was considered possible to change the political course of the Polish leadership with the help of political and economic levers of influence. The research noted the significant role of the Polish diaspora in the United States in constructing a negative image of Soviet politics in Poland.