Play The Diplomat’s Quiz: February 21, 2016 Edition

Satellite images show dredging and land filling by China at two new sites in the South China Sea, both in the Amphitrite group of the Paracel Islands, approximately 15 kilometers north-northwest of China’s military base at Woody (Yongxing) Island.

Also newly visible is a helicopter base under construction at Duncan Island, another site in the Paracels, suggesting that Beijing may develop a network of bases in the South China Sea to support anti-submarine warfare helicopters, such as its recently deployed ASW Z-18F.

The arid region of Balochistan, situated at the eastern end of the Iranian plateau, is split almost evenly between Pakistan’s Balochistan province and Iran’s Sistan-Baluchistan province (a small portion of the southern parts of Afghanistan’s Nimruz, Helmand, and Kandahar provinces are also part of Baluchistan). Balochistan is today at the forefront of major geopolitical events. Pakistan has faced almost constant turmoil in Balochistan since its independence, even as it struggles to secure and develop the region with Chinese help.

Last week, the U.S. Department of Defense notifiedU.S. lawmakers of an intent to supply eight Block-52 F-16 fighters to Pakistan. The possibility of the United States supplying Pakistan with eight new F-16s was made public in November 2015, but has run into stiff opposition in the U.S. Congress. In the days prior to the notification, Senator Bob Corker, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, wrote Secretary of State John Kerry to convey his opposition of the use of U.S. taxpayer money to fund the delivery of F-16s to Pakistan and expressed his belief that Pakistan needed to do more to target militant groups in the region.

U.S. president Barack Obama hosted Southeast Asian leaders as well as the ASEAN Secretary-General for a two-day special summit at the historic Sunnylands Center in Rancho Mirage, California.

On February 26, Iranians will head to the polls to elect a new group of legislators for the country’s majlis, or parliament, and also to elect a fresh cohort of religious scholars for the next eight-year term of the 88-member Assembly of Experts. These elections are taking place at an interesting time. Iran’s economy is slowly reintegrating with the rest of the world after major sanctions relief from the United States, European Union, and the United Nations for its successful implementation of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, the international agreement to limit its nuclear program. Additionally, Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the most important locus of power in the Islamic Republic, is frail and old. His death would necessitate the selection of a successor–to be chosen by the Assembly of Experts. Thus, politically, Iran appears to be primed for change.

If you thought the burgeoning cult of personality surrounding Tajikistan President Emomali Rahmon had reached its ceiling, think again. While he’s not yet reached the levels seen surrounding the presidency in, say, Turkmenistan, Rahmon — already named the “Leader of the Nation” and “Founder of Peace and Accord” — is now extending opportunities to the country’s schoolchildren to extoll the president’s virtues.

Over the weekend, sources reported that Myanmar’s powerful military chief will have his term extended for another five years as parties negotiate the terms of the country’s political transition following a historic election last November.

While Min Aung Hlaing, the head of Myanmar’s armed forces (Tatmadaw) reaches the official military retirement age of 60 this year, observers have wondered whether an extension of his term would be possible and through what means it would occur. Over the past few days, some have suggested that an extension is set to be granted.

U.S. President Barack Obama will visit Vietnam in May during a trip to Asia, the White House said Monday.

Obama will make the trip while in the region for the Group of Seven (G7) summit in Japan. If he ends up making the trip, he will be the third consecutive U.S. president to visit Vietnam in the post-Vietnam war era, following Bill Clinton in 2000 and George W. Bush in 2006.

The Marshall Islands has declared a state of national emergency, citing its severe drought conditions as one of the worst disasters to ever befall the archipelago nation.

Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop is in Chinathis week, meeting with top Chinese diplomats. Along with co-chairing the Annual Foreign and Strategic Dialogue yesterday with her Chinese counterpart, Wang Yi, Bishop also held talks with State Councilor Yang Jiechi.

Bishop’s visit came after a stop in Japan, much to China’s annoyance. Her time in Tokyo set the stage for a frosty reception in Beijing. Beyond its tangled relationship with (and deep suspicions toward) Japan, China also tends to view the U.S. alliance network in Asia – which counts both Japan and Australia as key members – as a de facto strategy for ‘containing’ China.