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Asia

The Next FATF Test: Can the West Demand Results from Pakistan?

Siddhant Kishore

The Next FATF Test: Can the West Demand Results from Pakistan?

OPINION — In the shadow of Mexico City's historic Palacio de Bellas Artes, global financial watchdogs will convene in February 2026 for the Financial [...] More

Alternative PerspectivesAsia

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The Push and Pull Between Washington and Beijing in the South China Sea

Emmanouil M. Karatarakis

The Push and Pull Between Washington and Beijing in the South China Sea

OPINION — China uses a layered approach in the South China Sea that blends military power, paramilitary forces, legal instruments, and political [...] More

ChinaAlternative PerspectivesAsiaEmmanouil M. Karatarakis
What China’s ‘World-Class Navy’ Means for the U.S. and Asia

What China’s ‘World-Class Navy’ Means for the U.S. and Asia

DEEP DIVE — On a Wednesday in November, with Chinese President Xi Jinping looking on, the People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) commissioned the [...] More

ChinaAsia

The Strategic Failure on North Korea’s Nuclear Rise

Ambassador Joseph DeTrani

The Strategic Failure on North Korea’s Nuclear Rise

EXPERT OPINION — South Korea’s Korea Institute for Defense Analysis recently publicly stated that we underestimated North Korea’s nuclear weapons [...] More

North KoreaAmbassador Joseph DeTraniAsia

The Delhi Blast and Pakistan’s Proxy War: Why Another Clash Looks Likely

Siddhant Kishore

The Delhi Blast and Pakistan’s Proxy War: Why Another Clash Looks Likely

OPINION — South Asia has once again returned to the global spotlight after a suicide bombing struck the heart of India’s capital on November 10. The [...] More

Alternative PerspectivesAsia

How Myanmar’s Generals Crushed Democracy — And What Comes Next

Ambassador Joseph DeTrani

How Myanmar’s Generals Crushed Democracy — And What Comes Next

OPINION — After decades of military rule in Myanmar, free and fair general elections were permitted in 2015 and the National League for Democracy and [...] More

Ambassador Joseph DeTraniAsia
The Two-Front Nuclear Challenge: Iran, North Korea, and a New Era of U.S. Deterrence

The Two-Front Nuclear Challenge: Iran, North Korea, and a New Era of U.S. Deterrence

DEEP DIVE — While Washington is focused on Iran’s accelerating uranium-enrichment program and increasingly aggressive regional posture, an equally [...] More

IranNorth KoreaNuclearMiddle EastAsia

Trump’s Trip Was a True “Pivot” to East Asia

Ambassador Joseph DeTrani

Trump’s Trip Was a True “Pivot” to East Asia

OPINION — President Trump’s meetings in East Asia last week did more to enhance our relationship with a few allies and partners in the region than [...] More

ChinaAmbassador Joseph DeTraniAsia

The U.S. Role in a Multipolar World - and the Dangers of Isolationism

Walter Pincus

The U.S. Role in a Multipolar World - and the Dangers of Isolationism

OPINION — “What should the U.S. role in the world be right now? We're waiting for the [Trump administration] National Security Strategy to come out [...] More

ChinaFine PrintWalter Pincusnational securityAsia

Inside Xi Jinping’s Military Purge: Loyalty, Power, and Taiwan

Ambassador Joseph DeTrani

Inside Xi Jinping’s Military Purge: Loyalty, Power, and Taiwan

OPINION — Last week’s Fourth Plenum of the Chinese Communist Party witnessed a purge of China’s senior military leaders, culminating in over two [...] More

ChinaAmbassador Joseph DeTraniAsia

A Fragile Truce at the Durand Line: Will the Afghanistan–Pakistan Ceasefire Last?

Sami Omari

A Fragile Truce at the Durand Line: Will the Afghanistan–Pakistan Ceasefire Last?

OPINION — One of the most enduring security issues in South Asia has been rekindled by the recent border conflicts between the Taliban-led [...] More

AfghanistanAlternative PerspectivesAsia

Trump’s Next Test: Kim Jong Un’s Bid for Legitimacy and a Nuclear Normalization Deal

Ambassador Joseph DeTrani

Trump’s Next Test: Kim Jong Un’s Bid for Legitimacy and a Nuclear Normalization Deal

EXPERT OPINION — North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is ready to do business with President Donald Trump. Over the past few years, Mr. Kim has burnished [...] More

North KoreaAmbassador Joseph DeTraniAsia

Afghanistan Is Becoming India and Pakistan’s Proxy Battlefield—Again

Masoud Andarabi

Afghanistan Is Becoming India and Pakistan’s Proxy Battlefield—Again

OPINION — On Oct. 15, 2025, Islamabad and Kabul announced a 48-hour ceasefire after days of shelling and cross-border clashes around Spin [...] More

AfghanistanAlternative PerspectivesAsia