Blog
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.
August 13, 2022
India’s New Small Satellite Launch Vehicle Fails
By Rajeswari Pillai Rajagopalan
Despite the failure of the August 7 rocket launch, the ISRO appears to be taking a determined but prudent path for the future.
August 13, 2022
Which Asian Countries Support China in the Taiwan Strait Crisis – and Which Don’t?
By Shannon Tiezzi
An analysis of foreign ministry statements from across the Asia-Pacific region reveals which countries are hewing close to China's line, which lean toward the U.S., and which are staying neutral.
August 12, 2022
How Things Could Have Gone Wrong – and Still Can – in the Taiwan Strait
By Todd Hall
China’s military drills are over, but the risk of escalation remains.
August 09, 2022
China-US Tensions a Moment of Reckoning for the Indo-Pacific Order
By Monish Tourangbam and Radhey Tambi
What do hard times in China-US relations portend for other stakeholders in a “free, open, inclusive and rules based” Indo-Pacific, such as India?
August 09, 2022
China Extends Threatening Military Exercises Around Taiwan
By Associated Press
Exercises near Taiwan were scheduled to end on August 7, but China’s military has announced new drills for the next week.
August 05, 2022
Restraint May Be the Biden Administration’s Best Answer to the Taiwan Crisis
By John Brake
A preoccupation with showing resolve has long been hard-wired into U.S. foreign policy. But conspicuous restraint would reinforce the United States’ position as a responsible power – and head off an escalating crisis.
August 04, 2022
China Conducts ‘Precision Missile Strikes’ in Taiwan Strait
By Johnson Lai and Huizhong Wu
Taiwan’s Defense Ministry said it counted 11 Dongfeng missiles landing in the waters to Taiwan’s north, east, and south.
August 02, 2022
China-India Relations in a State of Limbo
By Rajeswari Pillai Rajagopalan
Beijing’s statements on China-India relations should be reassuring, but China’s repeated aggressive moves do not give India much confidence that Beijing means what it says.
August 02, 2022
How Far Could the Quad Support Taiwan?
By Huynh Tam Sang and Trang Huynh Le
The Quad is supposed to help counterbalance China’s rise, but it remains unclear whether the bloc would intervene in the event of a Taiwan Strait conflict.
August 01, 2022
Beyond Pelosi’s Taiwan Trip: How Congress Is Shaping US China Policy
By Robert Sutter
The controversy over House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s reported visit to Taiwan has overshadowed major congressional achievements responding to multifaceted challenges posed by Chinese government behavior.
July 30, 2022
China Advances Into Bhutan’s Doklam; India Watches
By Sudha Ramachandran
Has New Delhi accepted China’s advancing occupation of the Doklam plateau as a fait accompli?
July 29, 2022
Do the Taliban Have Transnational Ambitions?
By Maryam Baryalay and Abdul Mateen Imran
The Taliban’s Arabic-language manifesto provides a blueprint for establishing an Islamic Emirate that could be applied outside Afghanistan.
Page 1 of 371