Photo by: Pexels.com By: Nikolai F. Rice, Columnist Private Military and Security Companies (PMSCs) are the modern iteration of private force. Despite a two-century anti-mercenary norm PMSC proliferation has been facilitated by global political, economic, and warfare evolutions.[i] This article briefly examines why and how the United States, Russia, and China rely on and support … Continue reading Private Military and Security Companies as Tools of Strategy
Category: Indo-Pacific
No, China Isn’t Going to Invade Taiwan Any Time Soon
Taipei, Taiwan. Photo By: Getty Images By: Diane Pinto, Columnist A few weeks ago, the U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) released a report titled, China’s Military Power.[i] The report gives an overview of the communist People’s Republic of China’s (PRC) current military power, changing threat perceptions, and describes the potential for armed conflict in the Taiwan Strait … Continue reading No, China Isn’t Going to Invade Taiwan Any Time Soon
REPORT: CFR Conference Call on Xi Jinping Power Profile
CFR Asia Studies Director Dr. Elizabeth Economy. Photo Credit: Council on Foreign Relations By: Olivia Letts, Reporter At what marked the last of the Council on Foreign Relations’ Academic Conference Call series lineup for 2018, Chinese policy expert and CFR Asia Studies Director Dr. Elizabeth Economy expounded on how President Xi Jinping is shaping China’s … Continue reading REPORT: CFR Conference Call on Xi Jinping Power Profile
Preventing Decoupling between the United States and South Korea
North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un (L) shakes hands with US President Donald Trump last summer. Photo Credit: Getty Images By: Evan Cooper, Columnist One of the hazards of President Donald Trump’s “pure bilateralism” approach to foreign policy is that the policies of allies can become unaligned from those being pursued by the United States.[i] … Continue reading Preventing Decoupling between the United States and South Korea
The Best Defense is a Good Offense: Analyzing China’s Nuclear Weapons Program
Chair for the foreign affairs committee of China's National People's Congress Fu Ying speaks at the Munich Security Conference. Photo Credit: EPA By: Nick Impson When the US Department of Defense released its Nuclear Posture Review (NPR) in February of 2018, China immediately criticized the U.S. focus on developing additional tactical nuclear weapons. In a … Continue reading The Best Defense is a Good Offense: Analyzing China’s Nuclear Weapons Program
REPORT: The New China Challenge Conference
Pictured above left to right: Evan Feigenbaum, Oriana Mastro (Georgetown), Michael Green (Georgetown), David Finkelstein, David Shambaugh (George Washington), and Dan Rosen. Photo Credit: Martina Hukel By: Martina Hukel, Reporter On October 10, 2018, the U.S. Naval Institute, with support from The William M. Wood Foundation, hosted the New China Challenge Conference at the U.S. … Continue reading REPORT: The New China Challenge Conference
Vietnam’s Xi? Nguyen Phu Trong Consolidates Power
Nguyen Phu Trong, the President of Vietnam. Photo Credit: Getty Images By: Tim Cook, Columnist On October 23, 2018, Nguyen Phu Trong, the current General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam, assumed the position of President of Vietnam. Trong took office after the previous president, Tran Dai Quang, died of a viral disease in … Continue reading Vietnam’s Xi? Nguyen Phu Trong Consolidates Power
Trump’s Tariffs: A Tactic for Allies but a Strategy for China
By: Alexander Begej, Columnist Photo Credit: Getty Images The US-China trade war is fundamentally irresolvable as the terms of a potential agreement directly threaten each party’s own strategic interests. However, President Trump is slowly rebuilding alliances, and quite possibly a coalition, by reconciling trade disputes with other nations. President Donald Trump’s trade war with China … Continue reading Trump’s Tariffs: A Tactic for Allies but a Strategy for China
REPORT: CSIS Book Launch with John Mearsheimer
By: Daniel Zhang, Reporter Photo Credit: CSIS Dr. John J. Mearsheimer is no stranger to the students of international relations. Founder of the offensive realist school of international relations, the University of Chicago professor has written extensively on international policies and has shaped public debate and foreign policy in many aspects. On October 17, The … Continue reading REPORT: CSIS Book Launch with John Mearsheimer
Ready for Takeoff: Airshow China and the Future of Chinese Airpower
By: Nick Impson Photo Credit: Associated Press The November 6th opening of China’s biennial airshow, the China International Aviation and Aerospace Exhibition, promises – by design – to be a showcase of the country’s newest aircraft, weaponry, and technical achievements.[i] Under the eye of visiting military delegations, previous editions of “Airshow China” have been used … Continue reading Ready for Takeoff: Airshow China and the Future of Chinese Airpower