The ceremonial launch of the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway on December 27 was the latest indication of China’s growing influence in Central Asia. Construction is expected to take six years and will bolster China’s growing trade with a strategic region the...

Osamu Suzuki, head of Japan’s Suzuki Motor Corporation since 1978 and the driving force behind India’s Maruti Suzuki, died on December 25, 2024. Overshadowed by Toyota, the Nissan-Renault drama and the rise of China’s BYD, Suzuki was nevertheless one...

While Western media called Republican President-elect Donald Trump a “madman” for suggesting he would buy or “invade” Greenland, China is quietly building up a new maritime Silk Road in the Arctic Ocean with Russia’s assistance.  On December 22, 2024,...

US airfields in the Pacific are critically vulnerable to China’s advanced long-range aviation and missile capabilities, risking devastating losses before a potential conflict even begins. This month, the Hudson Institute think tank released a report saying that US airfields...

This article was originally published by Pacific Forum. It is republished with permission. The triangular equation between India, the United States and China has witnessed radical shifts over the past several decades. Considering such long-term trends helps achieve clarity...

The United States Department of Defense has been criticized by Chinese commentators for pushing unilateralism after it added Tencent Holdings and Contemporary Amperex Technology Co (CATL) to its “Chinese military companies” list. The department on January 7 released an...

On December 26, the Chinese AI lab DeepSeek announced their v3 model. Deploying underpowered chips designed to meet US-imposed restrictions and just US$5.6 million in training costs, DeepSeek achieved performance matching OpenAI’s GPT-4, a model that reportedly cost over...

Taiwan’s latest hypersonic missiles allow for precise long-range strikes on China’s vital infrastructure and military installations, a significant advancement in the self-governing island’s defense strategy amid rising tensions with Beijing. Last month, multiple media sources reported that Taiwan is...

China’s demand for farmed salmon is growing at an unprecedented pace. In 2023, its imports grew by 46% year on year – with imports of fresh and chilled Atlantic salmon up 63%. This remarkable growth is reshaping the global...

When Donald Trump first offered to buy Greenland in 2019, he was widely ridiculed and nothing much came of it, apart from a canceled state visit to Denmark. Fast forward six years and Trump’s renewed “bid” for the world’s...

Within days of Donald Trump’s election win in November 2024, China’s President Xi Jinping was at a ceremony opening a deep-water port in Peru as part of a “diplomatic blitz” through Latin America. Xi’s presence was a symbol of...

China’s deflation troubles became harder to spin with news that factory prices fell for a 27th straight month in December and that consumer price changes are effectively zero even before Donald Trump’s trade war begins. The 2.3% drop in...

US missile defenses face mounting criticism as outdated systems and limited interceptors struggle to counter an evolving barrage of nuclear threats. This month, the Atlantic Council released a report arguing that US missile defenses are insufficient against nuclear-armed adversaries...

Chinese president Xi Jinping delivered his annual televised new year address on December 31, and commentators have been quick to share their interpretation. Some have emphasized Xi’s passing reference to Chinese reunification as a threat against Taiwan. Others have...

China has unveiled a hyper-fast machine gun that could revolutionize defense against hypersonic missiles, posing a bold challenge to conventional missile defense systems. This month, South China Morning Post (SCMP) reported that Chinese scientists are developing a groundbreaking machine...

As 2025 begins, few central bank peers envy the tug of war facing People’s Bank of China Governor Pan Gongsheng. Pulling from one side are currency traders betting Beijing will respond to Donald Trump’s coming trade war with a weaker...

Too much attention is paid to what Trump might want to do as president — and not enough to what he (or any American president) must do. Over the past 30 years, chronic trade deficits have given the United...

Comparing the size of countries’ economies is a popular sport, and a lot of people are very invested in the outcomes of those comparisons. For example, I see a lot of people passing around charts like this one, claiming to...

The United States Department of Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) sanctioned a Beijing-based cybersecurity company and accused it of supporting a group of hackers who had attacked American organizations. The OFAC said Integrity Technology Group was involved...

China’s simulated defense against a US stealth missile assault reveals a high-stakes battle for technological supremacy pitting stealth versus counter-stealth capabilities in the contested South China Sea. This month, the South China Morning Post (SCMP) reported that Chinese scientists...

MANILA – Ahead of US President-elect Donald Trump’s assumption of power, Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr has purged the country’s most powerful pro-Beijing figures from the National Security Council (NSC). In an Executive Order (EO) signed in the final...

Amid heightened tensions between the United States and China, the two countries signed a bilateral science and technology agreement on December 13, 2024. The event was billed as a “renewal” of a 45-year-old pact to encourage cooperation, but that...

China’s self-developed C919 narrow-body passenger jet has been deployed for regular flights between Shanghai and Hong Kong since the beginning of 2025, the first step toward entering global skies and competing with Boeing and Airbus for international markets.  Flight...

China’s groundbreaking Type 076 amphibious assault ship blends drone dominance, airpower and amphibious capabilities to project power far from its shores, a lethal combination that heralds a new era of naval war. Last month, The War Zone reported that...

Global investors spent much of 2024 fretting over China’s troubles with a property crisis and deflation. In the year ahead, it’s America’s turn on the hot seat. Though Donald Trump’s trade war is getting the headlines, it’s the gaping...

China’s announcement of export controls on 28 US companies, including defense giants Lockheed Martin and Boeing Defense, signals an ominous start to 2025.  This latest trade war salvo in the US-China rivalry comes just as Donald Trump prepares to...

Headin’ into twilight Spreadin’ out her wings tonight She got you jumpin’ off the deck And shovin’ into overdrive Highway to the danger zone I’ll take you right into the danger zone – Kenny Loggins In a likely apocryphal...

In what is being reported as a surprise development, China has unveiled a new generation of crewed stealth combat aircraft that could redefine air combat dynamics and potentially challenge America’s aerial dominance in Asia.   The first new aircraft,...

The year 2024 has been a challenging one for China. As its government has tackled economic problems at home, internationally it has handled the complexities of an alliance with Russia. And, while China has continued to play a significant...

In early December, China and Vietnam convened their first-ever “3+3 strategic dialogue“—a mechanism unprecedented in both nations’ diplomacy. Built on the three pillars of defense, diplomacy and public security, the dialogue was held at the vice-ministerial level just before...