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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 to Release New White Paper on National Defense: What to Expect
By Ankit Panda
China’s strategic environment and capabilities have transformed considerably in the four years since the last document.
US Slams China’s ‘Bullying’ Amid Vanguard Bank Oil Exploration Standoff With Vietnam
By Ankit Panda
The statement followed a request by Vietnam for China to pull back a geological survey ship and its escorts.
Still No Clarity on Trump Commitment to North Korea’s Kim on Military Exercises
By Ankit Panda
The question of what exactly Trump told Kim on June 30 matters deeply.
Are Russia and the US Finally on the Same Page in Afghanistan?
By Samuel Ramani
Not so fast, substantive cooperation between the two on ending the war remains elusive.
50 Years After Apollo 11, China Is on Deck to Land Next
By Justin Key Canfil
That doesn’t have to be a bad thing.
US-North Korea Doldrums Return After Third Trump-Kim Summit
By Ankit Panda
Did Trump once again move to call off upcoming U.S.-South Korea military exercises?
How Serious Is China’s Threat to Sanction US Companies Over Taiwan Arms Sales?
By Robert Farley
Will Chinese retaliation have spillover effects?
Japan Debates Sending Warships to Strait of Hormuz
By Franz-Stefan Gady
Sending Japanese warships to the Strait of Hormuz could trigger a strong public backlash.
US Unlikely to Mediate in Ongoing Japan-South Korea Export Control Spat
By Ankit Panda
Instead, Tokyo and Seoul should address their differences bilaterally, the top U.S. diplomat for East Asia said.
China Conducts Air, Naval Exercises off Southeast Waters
By Ankit Panda
The exercises come after the approval of a major U.S. arms package for Taiwan.
New US Joint Chiefs Chairman Endorses Post-INF Missile Deployments in Pacific
By Ankit Panda
The next probable U.S. chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff sees more missiles in the Pacific as a useful capability.
What Is the Indo-Pacific?
By Udayan Das
Like every imaginative space, the Indo-Pacific is a construct of contested interpretation.