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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.
South China Sea: No Win-Win for China and US
By Bernard Fook Weng Loo and Koh Swee Lean Collin
Neither China nor the U.S. can back down now without losing credibility and face.
US Fighter Jets Intercept Russian Aircraft Approaching US Aircraft Carrier
By Franz-Stefan Gady
The U.S. Navy scrambled four fighter jets to intercept two Russian warplanes in waters off the Korean Peninsula.
What’s Behind Indonesia’s South China Sea Rhetoric Amid US-China Tensions?
By Prashanth Parameswaran
Observers need to look past the words of a few to understand Indonesia’s approach.
Philippines v. China: Court Rules Favorably on Jurisdiction, Case Will Proceed
By Ankit Panda
China's nine-dash line will have its day in international court.
US-China: No More Spy Games?
By Sameer Patil
Are the U.S. and China working to create norms in cyberspace?
Top US, Chinese Naval Officials Meet to Discuss South China Sea Tensions
By Ankit Panda
Top officials from the U.S. and Chinese navies will meet to discuss recent tensions in the South China Sea.
How China Maintains Strategic Ambiguity in the South China Sea
By Graham Webster
For now, careful Chinese officials have denied opponents specific grounds on which to argue.
Both the US and China Benefit From US Navy's Freedom of Navigation Assertions
By Dingding Chen
And so U.S.-China tensions over the South China Sea enter a new era. What can be expected?
How the Rest of Asia Reacted to US Navy Patrol Near China's Man-Made Island
By Jake Douglas
We know China wasn't happy. What about everyone else?
Lassen Faire in the South China Sea: Takeaways From the First US FONOP
By Ankit Panda
What does the U.S. Navy's first freedom of navigation operation near a Chinese man-made island really mean?
Indonesia Calls for South China Sea Restraint Amid US-China Tensions
By Prashanth Parameswaran
President Jokowi calls for calm in US visit as Washington and Beijing trade barbs.
Did China Just Hack the International Court Adjudicating Its South China Sea Territorial Claims?
By Jason Healey and Anni Piiparinen
Sometimes context and timing can be damning evidence.