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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.
Chinese Foreign Ministry: No South China Sea ADIZ
By Ankit Panda
China says that reports of a South China Sea ADIZ being imminent are baseless rumors.
Does America Even Need a Strategy for Asia?
By Mira Rapp-Hooper
Defining ends and means is hard; aligning them is even more so. Still the benefits of a strategy outweigh the costs.
Indonesian Extremists Drawn To Syrian Conflict
By Ankit Panda
A new report elucidates the allure of the Syrian conflict to Islamic extremists from Indonesia.
The One Thing WWI Analogies Get Right
By Robert Farley
One of the few things that pre-World War I Europe and modern Asia have in common is that most actors are unfamiliar with war.
Imagining China’s Military in 2020
By Harry Kazianis
Recent testimony forecasts what the People’s Liberation Army could look like in 2020.
China’s Drafting a South China Sea ADIZ
By Zachary Keck
China reportedly began drawing up plans for a South China Sea Air Defense Identification Zone as early as May 2013.
China Secretly Sold Saudi Arabia DF-21 Missiles With CIA Approval
By Zachary Keck
The CIA secretly approved of China selling Saudi Arabia advanced missiles.
Japan's Maritime Self-Defense Force Acknowledges Losing Unmanned Submersible In Tsugaru Strait
By Ankit Panda
Plus Pakistan's National Security thinks the U.S. loves India more than Pakistan, and more. Mid-week links.
US Navy Faces Aircraft Carrier Cuts
By Zachary Keck
Even as China moves to quadruple its carrier fleet, the US may reduce the number of carriers it fields and deploys.
India Will Buy 15 Amphibious Aircraft From Japan: So What?
By Ankit Panda
It is likely that Japan will sell India its indigenously developed US-2 amphibious aircraft in 2014.
Why to Ignore China’s Aircraft Carriers
By Harry Kazianis
A lot of Chinese hardware could challenge US primacy in the Pacific. Carriers are not among them.
Why China’s Carrier Program Makes (Some) Sense
By J. Michael Cole
China's interest in aircraft carriers is a strategic calculation based in the psychology of modern warfare.