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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.
The Emerging India-Afghanistan Front Against Pakistan
By Harsh V. Pant
Evidence is gathering that India and Afghanistan will band together to counter Pakistan.
Donald Trump Just Gave Chinese Hawks a Great Talking Point on the South China Sea
By Ankit Panda
Donald Trump's brief remark on the South China Sea may be more significant than you think.
Donald Trump Just Complicated US-Taiwan Relations, Big Time
By Ankit Panda
Donald Trump's phone call to Tsai Ing-wen sets up a possible diplomatic crisis with China.
Lessons in Military Cooperation From Indian Ocean Counter-Piracy Ops
By Robert Farley
What can the lessons of naval cooperation in countering piracy off Somalia teach us?
Imagining the US Navy's First South China Sea FONOP in the Trump Era
By Ankit Panda
Where the incoming administration chooses to stage the next FONOP will say a lot about tactical choices.
Why Is Counterterrorism Cooperation So Difficult?
By Shannon Tiezzi
Every country agrees terrorism is a threat. So why is it so hard to get states to work together?
Trans-Himalayan Railroads and Geopolitics in High Asia
By Prateek Joshi
India and Pakistan are both eager to build railroads in Ladakh and Gilgit-Baltistan.
With TPP's Demise, What Happens to US Intellectual Property Rights Abroad?
By Robert Farley
With TPP set to wither away, U.S. corporations will have to recalculate on intellectual property protections abroad.
US-Russian Relations Under a Trump Presidency: What to Expect
By Pal Dunay
The short honeymoon between Trump and Putin may well be followed by a long and difficult marriage.
North Korea Issues Final Word on the Obama Years, Looking Ahead to Trump
By Ankit Panda
An unusual foreign ministry memo from Pyongyang outlined North Korea's bottom line for any talks with the United States.
Japan Scrambles Jets as China Air Force Flies Bombers, Fighters Through Miyako Strait
By Ankit Panda
The Chinese People's Liberation Army Air Force conducted a similar fly-through in September.