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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-India Relations: The Thaw-Provoke-Repeat Cycle
By Rahul Jaybhay
Since the Cold War, relations have followed a pattern: a thaw, followed by a concoction or recycling of the boundary dispute.
Will Casualties in Ukraine Lead to Change in North Korea?
By Karl Anthony Borg
The unprecedented loss of life in a foreign conflict means that the war in Ukraine could be the Kim regime’s most significant test since the 1990s famine.
The US Pivot to Asia Depends on Peace in Ukraine
By Martijn van Ette and Andrew Gawthorpe
In the 1950s the U.S. carried out a pivot from Asia to Europe – despite the outbreak of the Korean War. Trump can learn from that history.
Beijing’s Targeting of Taiwan’s Undersea Cables Previews Cross-Strait Tensions Under a Trump Presidency
By Hans Horan
We can expect China to test the resilience of the Taiwan-U.S. partnership under Trump with more gray-zone operations.
Trump, China, and the Truth about the Panama Canal
By Carla Martínez Machain, Michael A. Allen, and Michael E. Flynn
Trump’s canal canard obscures a truth: Panama just wants to run its shipping passage without interference from China or the U.S.
North Korea Launches SRBMs Toward Its Eastern Waters, South Korea Says
By Mitch Shin
Eight days after Pyongyang launched a hypersonic ballistic missile, it fired multiple short-range ballistic missiles into the sea.
Over 300 North Korean Soldiers Have Died in Russia’s Kursk Region
By Mitch Shin
South Korea’s National Intelligence Service reported that more than 300 North Korean soldiers were killed fighting against Ukraine, while more than 2,700 were injured.
Beyond Missiles and Trade: China’s Use of Cultural Ties to Influence Taiwan
By Yu Ting Chen and Charles K. S. Wu
Besides military tactics and economic statecraft, China leverages cultural and ethnic connections with Taiwan to achieve its political objectives.
The US Pivot to Asia Reborn: Old Grand Strategies, New Challenges
By Zane Kheir
United States and Japan are dusting off old geopolitical frameworks for the Pacific not seen since World War II.
North Korea Launches Suspected Hypersonic Ballistic Missile
By Mitch Shin
Two weeks before U.S. President-elect Donald Trump returns to White House, North Korea launched an intermediate range ballistic missile.
Chinese Dam on Transboundary River Raises Concern in Delhi
By Elizabeth Roche
Beijing announced construction of a dam on the Yarlung Tsangpo/Brahmaputra weeks after a reported thaw in frosty China-India bilateral relations.
What’s Next for China-India Relations?
By Ivan Lidarev
2024 brought a thaw that is likely to deepen over the coming year, but a number of uncertainties threaten to limit progress.
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