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.
March 29, 2021
India’s Space Cooperation With the US – and the Quad – Intensifies
By Rajeswari Pillai Rajagopalan
Delhi is taking space cooperation with each of its Quad partners to new heights.
March 26, 2021
China’s Dam Building Is a Security Risk for India’s Northeast
By Amitava Mukherjee
If a new hydropower project at the Brahmaputra’s Great Bend comes about, northeastern India will have to go to sleep with the possibility of breach of mammoth sized water reservoirs over its head at any time.
March 25, 2021
North Korea Test-Fires Ballistic Missiles in Message to US
By Kim Tong-Hyung
Days after the U.S. downplayed Pyongyang's cruise missile tests, the North upped the ante by launching two ballistic missiles.
March 25, 2021
The Innovation Dilemma: Sharing vs. Hoarding Knowledge
By Robert Farley
Transparency and sharing are antithetical to efforts to box China out of a competitive position in the most advanced technological sectors.
March 24, 2021
What Is a Water War?
By Robert Farley
How useful is the concept “water wars” and how do they fit into traditional concepts of naval power?
March 24, 2021
The Quad: What It Is – And What It Is Not
By Sumitha Narayanan Kutty and Rajesh Basrur
The Quad is no Asian NATO. And that may be its greatest strength.
March 23, 2021
India-Pakistan Ceasefire Details Emerge — Along With Possibility of Joint Military Exercises
By Abhijnan Rej
New Delhi seems to be keenly interested in providing details about the February 25 ceasefire. Though, if past is precedent, what actually transpired is anybody's guess.
March 22, 2021
UAE Brokered India-Pakistan Ceasefire: Report
By Abhijnan Rej
The increasingly diplomatic active petrostate is playing a critical role in South Asian geopolitics. Recent reports add more data points in this direction.
March 20, 2021
Rumors of War in the Taiwan Strait
By Denny Roy
Prospects of an imminent Chinese invasion are overblown – but that doesn’t mean Taiwan can be complacent.
March 19, 2021
US Defense Secretary Arrives in India as Biden Confronts Free and Open Dilemma
By Abhijnan Rej
On March 17, a powerful U.S. senator had asked Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin to raise difficult questions with his Indian hosts.
March 18, 2021
Is the Quad’s Revival a Threat to ASEAN?
By Rifki Dermawan
The reemergence of the Quad grouping is bound to raise questions about ASEAN's relevance and centrality.
March 17, 2021
China’s Worrying New Coast Guard Law
By KAWASHIMA Shin
Japan is watching the Senkaku Islands closely.