Photo Credit: CNN By: John Arterbury, Guest Contributor As Thailand enters a one-year mourning period following the passing of King Bhumibol Adulyadej, a sense of uncertainty looms over the land of smiles. Formerly the world’s longest-serving monarch, the widely beloved ninth King Rama played a pivotal role in domestic politics despite his technically ceremonial political … Continue reading Thailand Enters a New Era
Category: Indo-Pacific
Enough is Enough: Shifting South Korean Attitudes Towards Pyongyang
Photo Credit: Xinhua.net By: Patrick Savage, Columnist On October 1st, South Korea’s Armed Forces Day, President Park Geun-Hye launched a direct, public appeal to North Korean citizens to defect. This rare direct and open encouragement to would-be North Korean defectors was accompanied by a warning to the North regarding its nuclear tests: South Korea declared … Continue reading Enough is Enough: Shifting South Korean Attitudes Towards Pyongyang
Eroding Deterrence: Taiwan’s Civil-Military Divide
Photo Credit: Consortium of Defense Analysts By: Michael Daly, Columnist When I was in Taipei this past summer, I asked one of my Taiwanese acquaintances about the perception of the military in Taiwan’s society. His answer enlightened me: “It’s not a good career path,” he explained. “The military is for unskilled people who don’t have … Continue reading Eroding Deterrence: Taiwan’s Civil-Military Divide
China and Russia’s Angry Response to THAAD: Why and What It Means for the United States
Photo Credit: Alwaght.com By: Annie Kowalewski, Columnist On July 7th, 2016, the United States and South Korea announced their decision to deploy a Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) missile defense system on the peninsula in response to North Korea’s continued nuclear tests and development of ballistic missile technology. The next day, China and Russia … Continue reading China and Russia’s Angry Response to THAAD: Why and What It Means for the United States
Duterte and the Future of US-Philippines Relations
Photo Credit: Global Nation By: Andrew Watts, Columnist The Philippines’ summer election of the firebrand Rodrigo Duterte, who replaced Benigno Aquino III as President, may have serious and adverse implications for what has been a close relationship between the Philippines and the United States. After President Duterte recently called both US President Barack Obama and … Continue reading Duterte and the Future of US-Philippines Relations
Getting Compliance Right in the South China Sea
Photo Credit: Jay C. Pugh / US Navy By: Kyle Deming, Columnist In July, the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) at The Hague handed down a lengthy and long-anticipated decision in The Republic of the Philippines v. The People’s Republic of China. The case, which the Philippines initiated in January 2013, concerned the validity of … Continue reading Getting Compliance Right in the South China Sea
The Challenge of the ‘Asia Rebalance’ for China
Photo Credit: Huffington Post By Danni Song, Peer Reviewer As China’s economy has maintained rapid growth for two decades, its political influence in the Asia-Pacific region has also steadily expanded. However, China’s fenfa youwei (assertiveness), the consequence of an augmentation of national power and a series of policy decisions in Beijing’s, seems to have backfired … Continue reading The Challenge of the ‘Asia Rebalance’ for China
It Doesn’t Matter If They’re Bluffing: We Have to Address North Korea’s ICBMs
Photo Credit: Defense News By Farnaz Alimehri, Columnist North Korea’s (DPRK) nuclear program is constantly making headlines, yet many officials in the West are still skeptical of the regime’s nuclear capabilities. On March 14, 2016, leader Kim Jong-un announced that there will be further testing of nuclear warheads and ballistic missiles.[i] Experts in the United … Continue reading It Doesn’t Matter If They’re Bluffing: We Have to Address North Korea’s ICBMs
China’s Real Objection to Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD)
Photo Credit: Kashmir Observer By Melanie Campbell, Columnist North Korea’s most recent missile test on February 7, 2016 – just over a month since it conducted its last nuclear test – has only confirmed to the international community that North Korea is a serious and growing nuclear threat. Although North Korea claimed the most recent … Continue reading China’s Real Objection to Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD)
Chinese Nuclear Policy, Strategy, and Force Modernization with Dr. Michael Chase
Photo: Missile-laden military vehicles on display at Tiananmen Square, The Yomiuri Shimbun via AP Images By Brian Wickizer, Reporter The Center for Security Studies (CSS) Lunch Series hosted Dr. Michael Chase on February 11 to discuss China’s efforts to modernize its nuclear forces and Chinese thought on nuclear deterrence. Dr. Chase is a senior political … Continue reading Chinese Nuclear Policy, Strategy, and Force Modernization with Dr. Michael Chase