U.S. AND JAPAN’S ISLAND CHAIN POLICIES CRITICAL TO TAIWAN’S DEFENSE In a recent report assessing the future missions of the four Keelung (Kidd) class destroyers that were recently commissioned into the Taiwanese Navy, Chien-tuan K’o chi (Defense Technology Monthly) senior editor Chang Li-teh argued that... MORE

Over the past 10-15 years, China has placed increasing emphasis on the development and improvement of its special operations forces [1]. According to the 2000 U.S. Department of Defense report on Chinese military power, “Particularly since the 1991 Persian Gulf conflict, the PLA has devoted... MORE

Chinese President Hu Jintao wrapped up his eight-country, twelve-day African tour this month in the midst of controversy regarding China’s role in the continent. Government officials from the countries that received China’s leader expressed gratitude for their guest’s generous offers of aid, cancellations of debt... MORE

Relations between Beijing and Pyongyang have fluctuated dynamically over the past two decades, beginning in the 1980s when frays first appeared in China’s ties with North Korea. The relationship continued to suffer as China pursued a policy of rapprochement toward South Korea. By the mid-1990s,... MORE

Some fifty years ago, Chinese and Turkish troops actually fought one another on the battlefield; Turkey was the sole Muslim nation to send troops to South Korea under the United Nations mandate, in which 14 other nations sent ground forces to support the U.S.-led coalition.... MORE

VARYING REGIONAL REACTIONS TO CHINA’S ASAT MISSILE TEST Following the revelation of China’s anti-satellite (ASAT) missile test conducted on January 11, reactions by leading government officials and media outlets throughout Asia have been mixed. The strongest criticism of the test came from Japanese Prime Minister... MORE

The forceful projection of China’s hard and soft power in recent months marks a stunning departure from the foreign policy axioms of late patriarch Deng Xiaoping. Deng, who anointed President Hu Jintao as the “core” of the Fourth Generation leadership, noted shortly after the Tiananmen... MORE

On January 12, China and Russia wielded their vetoes at the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) to defeat a draft resolution tabled by the United States and the United Kingdom, which called on the government of Burma to cease military attacks against ethnic minorities, release... MORE

China’s energy shortage in recent years has resulted in extensive efforts to obtain additional energy supplies. Beijing has called for domestic production to be increased as alternative and renewable energy resources are now being strongly considered. This desire for energy security has also become an... MORE

VARYING REGIONAL REACTIONS TO CHINA’S ASAT MISSILE TEST Following the revelation of China’s anti-satellite (ASAT) missile test conducted on January 11, reactions by leading government officials and media outlets throughout Asia have been mixed. The strongest criticism of the test came from Japanese Prime Minister... MORE