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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.
What's a Recent Chinese Naval Deployment to the Eastern Indian Ocean About?
By Ankit Panda
What should be made of an exercise by Chinese naval vessels in the Indian Ocean amid a crisis in the Maldives?
A Nuclear Angle to the 2014 PNS Zulfiquar Attack?
By Ankit Panda
Was a nuclear weapon really on PNS Zulfiquar when al-Qaeda terrorists tried to seize control of the ship?
Duterte: China's South China Sea Installations Aimed at the United States, Not the Philippines
By Ankit Panda
The Philippine president made clear that he does not view China's South China Sea installations as a direct threat.
Chinese Oceanography Echoes the Contest for Undersea Dominance Against the US
By Steven Stashwick
The military balance between China and the United States will rest largely on which is best able to exploit the ocean depths.
What Could the United States Have Done – If Anything – To Prevent China's Rise?
By Robert Farley
The United States did not undertake the difficult and expensive steps necessary to prevent the economic and military rise of China.
The British Royal Navy Will Send a Frigate to the South China Sea
By Ankit Panda
A Royal Navy frigate will transit the South China Sea to spotlight freedom of navigation.
Beware the Illusion of China-Philippines South China Sea Breakthroughs
By Prashanth Parameswaran
Advances at a recent meeting are much more modest than suggested and conceal the significant challenges that remain.
What’s Behind the New China-ASEAN Maritime Exercise?
By Prashanth Parameswaran
The fact that an old idea is finally set to become a reality reflects broader changes underway in the region.
Can the SCO Bring India and Pakistan Together?
By Sabena Siddiqi
With multilateral counterterrorism exercises, the SCO may help bridge the gap between Islamabad and New Delhi.
How Strong is the Iran-Russia ‘Alliance’?
By Samuel Ramani
The long-term sustainability of the current Moscow-Tehran alignment remains unclear.
New Photographs Show China's South China Sea Artificial Islands Like You've Never Seen Them
By Ankit Panda
A look at China's militarization of its artificial islands in high resolution.
Preventive Self-Defense Strikes Against North Korea May Set an Uneasy Precedent
By Robert Farley
What would the international legal consequences of a United States attack on North Korea be?