Indo-Pacific

Hope for Afghanistan

By Michael O'Hanlon, Washington Post

The case for hopefulness on Afghanistan is built largely on what were probably its three most notable developments of 2013

Chinese Military Ship Will Help Guard Destruction of Syria’s Chemical Weapons

By New York Times, Reuters, & South China Morning Post

From Jane Perlez, New York Times:  The same day that Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel of the United States blasted the actions of a Chinese ship in the South China Sea as “irresponsible,” China announced that it would deploy a military ship to work with an American vessel involved in the destruction of Syria’s chemical weapons.

This Week in South Asia: December 14-20

Commentary from the South Asia Center on the most relevant news from the region, and suggested “must-read” analyses from the week.

Why are European Allies Arming China?

By David Lague, Reuters

If the People’s Liberation Army went to war tomorrow, it would field an arsenal bristling with hardware from some of America’s closest allies: Germany, France and Britain.

Three Cheers for China!

By Robert A. Manning

At a moment when few give the Obama administration much credit for either competence or strategy, a cascade of events in East Asia in recent days, not least John Kerry’s trip to Southeast Asia, point to important gains for the stabilizing and offshore-balancing role of US policy toward the Asia-Pacific.

China Ascendant: Is Conflict Inevitable?

By Rajan Menon

Thucydides’ purpose in his great epic was to account for “what led to this great war falling upon the Hellenes.” He acknowledged that what we know as the Peloponnesian War was produced by many different disputes and depicted them masterfully, laying bare their specificities. But, in the opening pages, he warns us that dwelling on […]

This Week in South Asia: December 7-13

Commentary from the South Asia Center on the most relevant news from the region, and suggested “must-read” analyses from the week.

Chinese Hackers Spied on Europeans Before G20 Meeting: Researcher

By Reuters and New York Times

From Jim Finkle, Reuters:  Chinese hackers eavesdropped on the computers of five European foreign ministries before last September’s G20 Summit, which was dominated by the Syrian crisis, according to research by computer security firm FireEye Inc.

This Week in South Asia: November 30 – December 6

Commentary from the South Asia Center on the most relevant news from the region, and suggested “must-read” analyses from the week.