Asia

US-Philippines Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement Revived

An American fighter jet or warship operating near Taiwan or in the South China Sea might soon be able to resupply at a nearby base in the Philippines. No longer would it need to fly or sail to far-off...

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Upholding Civil Society in Afghanistan Against the Taliban Regime

Following a twenty-year war shrouded in bloodshed, the United States military pursued a messy withdrawal from Afghanistan in August 2021. This abrupt troop evacuation, coupled with the Afghan government’s unsuccessful ceasefire and the 2020 Doha Agreement, has empowered the...

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ASEAN in 2023: What to Expect

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) is a regional organization consisting of ten Southeast Asian member states. Established in 1967, it aims to promote economic and security cooperation in the region. The annual rotation of the ASEAN chairmanship...

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China Is Doubling Down on its Digital Currency

Since 2014, the People’s Republic of China has been developing a digital currency called the digital yuan—also known as e-yuan, e-CNY, digital renminbi, or digital RMB. This new technology provides an array of options for overseeing China’s colossal and...

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The G7 Meeting: New Roles for a Venerable Organization

The annual meeting of the world’s seven most economically prosperous democratic countries—plus the European Union—that comprise the G7 always generates a good deal of anticipation. That was especially the case this year, given Russia’s aggression against Ukraine. Originally founded...

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America and the Philippines Update Defense Guidelines

If a Chinese ship was to open fire on a Philippine coast guard vessel in the disputed South China Sea, what would the United States do? Clearly, given that the Philippines and the United States share a long-standing mutual...

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Sustaining the Chinese Navy’s Operations at Sea: Bigger Fists, Growing Legs

In April 2023, a Chinese aircraft carrier battle group, led by the Shandong (China’s second aircraft carrier and the first that it built from the keel up), sailed through the Bashi Channel to an area about 400 kilometers east...

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Tsai’s Visit, China’s Response, and the Troubled State of U.S.-China Relations

Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen’s trip to the United States occurred at a troubled and volatile time in U.S.-China relations, which are routinely described as the worst they have been in fifty years.  Tsai’s visit and Beijing’s reaction threaten another...

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China’s and India’s Relations with Russia after the War in Ukraine: A Dangerous Deviation?

When Russian assault troops landed at Hostomel Airport near Kiev in February 2022, few could have anticipated how Russia’s invasion of Ukraine would alter geopolitics in Europe. Yet it has the potential to do the same in Asia. Moscow’s...

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Beyond the First Battle: Winning the Long War Over Taiwan

Editor’s Note: This article expands upon ideas discussed in Lonnie Henley’s recent research report, Beyond the First Battle: Overcoming a Protracted Blockade of Taiwan. To read that report, please visit the website for the U.S. Naval War College’s China...

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