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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.
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.
After Months of Waiting, US Finally Begins Freedom of Navigation Patrols Near China's Man-Made Islands
By Ankit Panda
The USS Lassen sailed within 12 nautical miles of a Chinese man-made island on October 27, 2015.
US Navy Set to Send Destroyer Within 12 Nautical Miles of Subi, Mischief Reefs
By Ankit Panda
The USS Lassen is expected to imminently begin FONOPs near Subi and Mischief Reefs.
Undersea Cables: How Russia Targets the West’s Soft Underbelly
By Franz-Stefan Gady
Washington is worried about Moscow’s ability to disrupt global Internet communications.
China’s Lighthouses in the Spratlys
By Ting-Hui Lin
The legal significance of China’s lighthouse construction on two features in the Spratlys.