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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.
Vietnam Deploys Precision-Guided Rocket Artillery in South China Sea
By Franz-Stefan Gady
Hanoi has purportedly moved new mobile rocket launchers on bases in the disputed Spratly Islands.
US Air Force Deploys Supersonic Strategic Bombers to Pacific
By Franz-Stefan Gady
It is the first deployment of a B-1B Lancer bomber to the region in over a decade.
Terrorism May Tear Singapore Apart: Prime Minister
By Prashanth Parameswaran
Premier issues ominous warning about the threat terrorism poses to the country’s unity.
East China Sea: Japan Spots Chinese Radar on Gas Exploration Platform
By Ankit Panda
Does the radar suggest the creeping militarization of gas platforms in the East China Sea?
Japan: 7 Chinese Coast Guard Ships, 230 Fishing Boats in Disputed East China Sea Waters
By Ankit Panda
Chinese Coast Guard accompanied scores of fishermen to the waters around the disputed Senkaku/Diaoyu Islands.
Pakistan Escalates War of Words With India Over Kashmir
By Harsh V. Pant
Following weeks of violence in Kashmir, Pakistan and India continue to trade rhetorical barbs.
US May Suspend $300 Million Military Reimbursement for Pakistan
By Ankit Panda
Ash Carter won't certify that Pakistan is adequately targeting the Haqqani network.
Revealed: Chiang Kai-shek's Secret Overtures to the Soviet Union
By Robert Farley
Taipei and Moscow kept their relationship quiet for the duration of the Cold War.
PLAN Naval Drill: China Practices for ‘Cruel and Short’ War in East China Sea
By Franz-Stefan Gady
The military exercise involved about 300 vessels from the PLAN’s East Sea, North Sea, and South Sea Fleets.
Is Kissinger’s Triangular Diplomacy the Answer to Sino-Russian Rapprochement?
By Francis P. Sempa
To prevent a Sino-Russia security alliance, the U.S. should remember the advice of Henry Kissinger.
FBI Employee Pleads Guilty to Acting as Chinese Government Agent
By Ankit Panda
An FBI employee pleaded guilty to passing sensitive information to Chinese government agents.
US South China Sea Policy After the Verdict: Between Clarity and Ambiguity
By Prashanth Parameswaran
The ruling could end up posing profound challenges for Washington.