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Flashpoints
Will China’s military rival the United States’ in the Pacific? Will Japan abandon the constitutional fetters on its own military? How will India respond to the String of Pearls strategy? The Diplomat has put together a team of leading analysts to offer must-read, regular commentary on the big defense and security issues in the Asia-Pacific.
China’s 2019 ‘Two Sessions’ and the Statement of Artificial Intelligence Ambitions
By Dingding Chen and Hengyi Yang
China’s “Two Sessions” this year cast a special light on artificial intelligence.
Former US Defense Intelligence Agency Officer Pleads Guilty to Attempted Espionage
By Ankit Panda
A former U.S. military intelligence officer has plead guilty to attempted espionage charges.
The Relationship Between the Size of China’s Economy and Its Military Posture
By Robert Farley
The relative sizes of the Chinese and U.S. economies are close to that of the Japanese and U.S. economies in the interwar period.
US Air Force Flies Another B-52H Bomber Mission Over South China Sea
By Franz-Stefan Gady
The U.S. conducted a B-52H bomber mission over the South China Sea on March 13.
Intellectual Property, Defense Technology, and the Future of Great Power Relations
By Robert Farley
The idea that technological catch-up is possible may be flawed.
Japan, UK, US to Hold Anti-Submarine Warfare Exercise in Western Pacific
By Franz-Stefan Gady
For the second time in three months the three countries are holding an anti-submarine warfare exercise in Asian waters.
China Isn’t Hearing Asia’s Fears About Its Military Buildup
By Rajeswari Pillai Rajagopalan
The response to the country’s new defense budget suggests that Beijing continues to be tone deaf to regional anxieties.
Is North Korea Preparing for a Satellite Launch? Here’s What We Know
By Ankit Panda
Is Kim Jong Un planning on heading to space?
From the Dreadnought to Modern Stealth: Seeking Military Technological Superiority
By Robert Farley
Which military technologies are the most difficult to master for would-be U.S. competitors?
Vietnam Investigates Fishing Boat Sinking in South China Sea
By Ankit Panda
China and Vietnam have presented different accounts of what led to the sinking of a fishing boat near in the Paracel Islands.
Is China’s Path to Military Parity With the US Through Intellectual Property Theft Doomed?
By Robert Farley
A new article turns conventional wisdom on competitive military modernization on its head.
India and Pakistan: Living on Borrowed Time
By Jeff M. Smith
Pakistan’s security establishment must be convinced the cost for using terrorism as an instrument of state policy outweighs the benefits.