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Strategic Adversaries

Archive, Strategic AdversariesBiden, China, nuclear, PLAN, PRC, Taiwan, Unification

Why Is China Sending Mixed Signals?

Alexis Littlefield

In the People’s Republic of China’s (PRC) long quest to be a global economic leader, the communist nation has consistently argued for developing nation status at the Word Trade Organization…

Archive, Emerging Threats, Strategic AdversariesChina, Japan, Okinawa, Philippines, Taiwan

US Maneuvering in the Yaeyama Islands and the Second Thomas Shoal to Counter China

Alexis Littlefield

China’s use of a salami-slicing strategy to gradually extend its influence in the South and East China Seas is proving challenging for the United States. One potential American countermeasure is…

Archive, Strategic Adversariesadam lowther, China, curtis mcgiffin, Indo-Pacific, lear, PLA, PRC, red china, Sino-centric

Red China’s Concerns About Nuclear Escalation Are a Red Herring

Curtis McGiffin & Adam Lowther

A recent article in The Diplomat, “China’s Concerns About Nuclear Escalation and the Way Forward,” claims that “the survivability of China’s nuclear arsenal is actually under ever greater threat.” Citing…

Archive, Space Deterrence & Conflict, Strategic Adversariesadversaries, conflict, Deterrence, nuclear, Space

Deterrence in Space: It’s Not Complicated

Michael J. Listner

Outer space is often described in strategic terms as the “high-ground” or a “contested-domain,” depending on the political environment and policy objectives. The application of deterrence, most often discussed in…

Archive, Strategic Adversariesbiological, chemical, China, DoD, first-strike, ICBM, IRBM, missile, NDA, nuclear, PLA, policy, PRC, sanctions, threat, warhead

The Pentagon’s China Military Report: Why Americans Should Be Alarmed

Curtis McGiffin & Adam Lowther

The Department of Defense’s (DoD) Military and Security Developments Involving the People’s Republic of China, 2023 Annual Report to Congress was released on October 19, 2023. The threats discussed should…

Archive, Strategic AdversariesChina, defense, indo-pacfic, Micronesia, missile defense, Pacific, Palau, partnerships, truk, yap

Congressional Dysfunction Impacts American Defense in the Pacific

Christophe Bosquillon

Reports from Palau suggest the mood in government is disappointing. Why? The United States Congress missed the September 30, 2023, deadline to confirm the funding of the Federated States of…

Archive, Strategic Adversariesautocracy, belt and road, ccp, China, Diplomacy, military, panda, PLA, zoo

The Value of Panda Diplomacy

Alexis Littlefield

Living in Washington, DC, since 2000, they are like many residents of the nation’s capital—immigrants from another country. Tian Tian and Mei Xiang hail from Sichuan, China. Their cub, Xiao…