Members Only Time to Rethink Deterring Russia?
The United States has taken a number of steps in recent weeks to push back on Russian aggression, but they won’t deter Russia’s aggressive campaign […] More
Latest Asia Briefs
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Members Only Monsoon Rains Threaten Rohingya Refugees
Bottom Line: As monsoon season bears down on Southeast Asia, U.S. officials say up to a 100,000 Rohingya refugees sheltering in the hills of Bangladesh […] More
Members Only How Trump Can Separate North Korea From Its Nukes
During two years of intense negotiations with North Korea, from August 2003 to September 2005, North Korea’s constant refrain to U.S. negotiators was, ‘Accept us […] More
Members Only Trump “Being Magnanimous” with Kim-Will He Reciprocate?
On Thursday, South Korean national security adviser Chung Eui-yong announced that President Donald Trump had accepted an invitation to meet with North Korean leader Kim […] More
Members Only China’s Military Revolution: Smarter, Better, Faster, Smaller
Bottom Line: With the stated national goal of achieving ‘great power status,’ China’s military modernization efforts have contributed to rising tension in the Asia-Pacific region, […] More
Members Only Putin’s Soviet Throwback: Build More Nukes, Blame the West
On March 1, Russian President Vladimir Putin boasted of new nuclear-capable weapons that could overcome any U.S. missile defenses, in a feisty pre-election “state-of-the-nation” speech. […] More
Members Only With the Olympic Games Done, Let the Talks with North Korea Begin
The Pyeongchang Winter Olympics closed on Sunday, but the games may have opened the door for dialogue between the United States and North Korea. Following […] More
Members Only Will US Hard Bargaining with South Korea Create an Opening for Pyongyang?
Bottom Line: While the Trump administration has recently pressured South Korea on trade practices, the two nations remain united on pushing North Korea toward denuclearization, […] More
Members Only China Is Tightening the Screws on Taiwan. Will Trump Act – and Risk Losing Beijing?
Bottom line: Beijing aimed skyward with its latest attempt to expand areas of influence, unilaterally opening up several flight routes including one between Shanghai and […] More
Members Only Don’t Talk to Kim if Nukes Are Off the Table
North Korea’s Olympic delegation has left Pyeongchang, and stuck South Korean President Moon Jae-in with a decision: whether to accept an invitation to Pyongyang for […] More
Members Only The Last 48 Hours Have Been Good for Putin
Just ahead of President Donald Trump’s delivery of the State of the Union, the State Department released a list of “influential Russians,” including several politicians […] More
Members Only Kremlin and U.S. Circle Each Other in Warming Arctic
Bottom Line: The potential of economic development in the Arctic for a financially strapped Russia has increased the Kremlin’s attention to the security of its […] More
Members Only Terabit Army: China Squares up on the Battlefield of Information
The People’s Republic of China has not fought a war since 1979, but the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) has been a very close student of […] More
Members Only Beijing Goes Boldly into Anti-Satellite Weapons Frontier
Bottom Line: China is aggressively pursuing capabilities such as anti-satellite (ASAT) weapons that could diminish the U.S. military’s reconnaissance, navigation and communications in case of […] More
Members Only Surf and Turf: China Ramps Up Navy to Challenge U.S. Dominance
Bottom Line: As part of its ambitious strategy to evolve into a leading global power by 2050, China has spent considerable resources upgrading its naval […] More
Members Only Kim Digs for Cybercrime Coin Sanctions Can’t Snatch
Bottom Line: Since 2016, the North Korean regime has shown its hand as a state sponsor of cybercrime by targeting international financial institutions, engaging in […] More
Members Only Getting the Most Out of Pakistan
The Trump administration’s decision to suspend security assistance to the Pakistani military pending “decisive action” against the Afghan Taliban and the Haqqani network represents an […] More
Members Only Little Reason for Big Hope from Korea
North Korea made clear its aim to divide the U.S. from its South Korean ally when the North and South negotiators met this week: “All […] More
Members Only Short Half-Life for Peaceful Korean Peninsula after Olympics
Bottom Line: North and South Korean Olympians may be marching together come February after Tuesday’s breakthrough talks – the first between the two sides in […] More
Members Only Korea Talks: Warm Front Before Winter Games
North and Sound Korea have held their first high-level meeting in two years – agreeing to send North Korean athletes to the upcoming Olympics in […] More
Members Only China & US Play North Korea ‘Confidence’ Game
Cipher Brief expert Gordon Chang says the U.S. has leverage over China that it isn’t using to defuse the challenge from North Korean leader Kim […] More
Members Only Will Trump’s Tough Talk on Pakistan Yield Results?
Bottom Line: U.S. President Donald Trump has threatened to cut off aid to Pakistan to force Islamabad to take a harder line on terrorism. But […] More
Members Only Can Xi’s Rising Power Head Off War on the Korean Peninsula?
For this last week of 2017, we asked our experts to predict what they see for the year ahead. CIA veteran and Asia hand Amb. […] More
Members Only The Kremlin Is Having a Very Good Christmas. Here’s Why…
For this last week of 2017, we asked our experts to look back on key topics for this year, and predict what they see for […] More