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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.
F-35 Brains in an F-22 Body: Thinking Through Japan's Next-Generation Fighter Options
By Robert Farley
Getting there won't be easy, but an updated F-22 is, in theory, a formidable concept.
Consensus by Deletion: Reviewing the 32nd ASEAN Leaders' Summit and the South China Sea
By Carl Thayer
A close look at the recent summit's chairman's statement shows the grouping's continued subdued treatment of the South China Sea disputes.
After the Moon-Kim Summit: A Time for Hope?
By Harry Sa
Much of what we saw at the Panmunjom summit has happened before.
North Korea’s Nuclear Test Site Has Collapsed: Chinese Scientists
By Charlotte Gao
Chinese scientists urge the authorities to monitor and prevent potential radioactive leakage.
G7 Foreign Ministers Issue Communique Addressing East & South China Seas, Connectivity, and More
By Ankit Panda
The statement takes aim at China without mentioning it by name.
What North Korea Really Wants: A Normalized Relationship With the United States
By Justin Fendos
The answer is actually simple, if you've been paying attention.
North Korean Denuclearization: What it Might Look Like
By Davis Florick
To be successful, North Korean denuclearization must be verifiable and enforceable.
Rethinking the Early Years of the US-Japan Alliance and Soviet Competition
By Robert Farley
The early years of the U.S.-Japan alliance in the post-war era were rocky.
East China Sea: Japan Coast Guard Warns Chinese Survey Ship in Exclusive Economic Zone
By Ankit Panda
The incident comes as Japan and China agreed to expedite talks on a East China Sea air and sea communication mechanism.
What Kim Jong-un Gets Out of a Self-Enforced ICBM Testing Freeze
By Ankit Panda
The North Korean leader needs time to build out his nuclear forces — time that doesn't need to spent testing ICBMs, necessarily.
South China Sea: Australian Navy Vessels En Route to Vietnam Received Warnings From Chinese Navy
By Ankit Panda
Australian warships found themselves in a confrontation with the People's Liberation Army-Navy in the South China Sea.
Is ‘Denuclearization’ the Answer to the North Korea Nuclear Problem?
By Olly Terry
Or could a nuclear weapons free zone -- an NWFZ -- be a better solution?